Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-04-14

a horss hss 49, >e4Eis ftftg Sesrs GA
Hna.t 49, bls~n L , "a tns ~ ests<.A
n -

Old rgrk. ths aeEss s4AE aas 1eea al eb~
lecs ol afeetioa ~ Staten lslzntsrs Tor
many years ilei s4ris Yest-r1ay uQru-
Ia ii had lissst .sf aa4ny yeans "a t1e
X hmsrd C,ansy Foor Farm he nrst
bseaai- Known 90 staten Islana 4bolt tae
year isiL shea o. pe4red "a ths GA
srol ia eesfss lu Ns j rp Ltae 2Ad
trstted azalnst q he.d ~ 1orsas. an9ng
~hilh sefe eAtri-s bg lle lzts Cosamad lfs
FalaertllE anA C4tlail Jacob H. hauavr-
blE Tie horse q as rnsn called Osy zsti-
cuts He s0n tn tfor and - soou had
tie rspat4ri3n Of bsiag TIE tAstesE b9rse
on Staten Island d h4d reeJra, DUR
lng ths fortlss. u 200, gool sp~sd la
th0se DAYS
lie was hrsI osnel ia Richmond County
by Dan. Se4hrl hl. q rich maa, @bJ died
long agO. Gyastlcutls also captured some
valuable purses ga the Old Fashion Course,
Oh L3ng IslanI tie Was known, Il Is said.
10 II ram Woodruf Char ley Foster, and
Captain Ryuders Alter ais retirement
from the tari h- served az the stud for a
Few years tie is next heard Of a. the
Poor Farm, having been sold q Ia county
10 plough aud haul pr0vender for the
paupers. he Was always obstinate, and
AZ times be could not be e0axed 0r beateu-
into work. he woald stand under lash
and not move. That gave him the name
OF Turk. When he became very old he
was called ola Turk.
At the time of his death the horse was
believed, from EocOrds that were kept Of
his age and The date OF his purchase, as
shown by the books II the superintendents
Il the Poor, 10 10 almost nifty years old.
A prOpos tiOn was made by one Of the
superintendents o. tho Poor few years
ago, 10 sell tbs old horse and buy one more
useful The proposition brought about
protest from many persons. among whom
was ex-CouEty Treasurer James X Rob-
inson. The latter, who is now " hite-
haired but vigorous man, nearly seventy
i've ears, went before the Superintend-
cnts and offered 10 board and care for the
oil horse at MS own expense. 4 was thea
resolved 70 keep old Turk there all his
days. Mr.. slobiason, at MS own expense,
built fine stall iur him.
When the lerrs b at Westfeld blew up
in he slip n this clsy almost twelve years
ago, Old Turk was standing on the bow OF
the boat. not very ar from where the end
OF the boiler came ploushing through the
deck. He was knocked forty feet into the
air, and fell with the forward pilot house
into the water. Hair was scalded OF his
back He swan around to the Battery
which then had no sea wall, but siOped
down to the water. and walked upon dry
land.
During the war OF the rebellion Old Turk
was pressed into service while IA large de-
tachment OF regiments were in camp on
the New Dorp meadows, and hauled food
Tor hundreds OF men. lie was then a Wig
orous and very strong animal. He was
taken cut Of the stable one night and driv-
en- OF by deserter. who OF past the lines
because the sentries thought the rider was
the sutler. Duriny the last few years Old
Turk failed rapidly. ie lost all his teeth
but two. He has lived IN boiled food. II ;
hair, tail and mane tur led from rich bay
70 silken white. Ii is said that several
museums have offered TO buy his body.