Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-12-21
Instantaneous.


When Mr.. Alvin Haywood, away back
in the year of our Lord 1916. bought and
brought to Maine, that great, clumsy,
numbering gray horse which stood nearly
or quite seventeen hands high. and tipped
the scales at 1900 pounds. he little
thought probably, that this son Of the
fountain head Of trotters," as the old i'm
ported Messenger has now come to be
called, was to lay the foundation for 3
race of horses which have made the rocky
State of Maine famous, and added thou
sands of dollars to the wealth OF her citi-
zens. And yet this is what Winthrop
Messenger, as Mr.. Haywood's horse came
to be commonly called, was destined to
do; and there is no doubt but that Names
horses. which have attained renown
throughout the length and breadth of our
land, are such, in great measure, be.
cause of the potent influence of the blood
of Winthrop Messenger, as exerted by
himself and his descendants.
OF himself, Winthrop Messenger was
not trotter; but he begat race OF hors-
es, which for their day, were fast and for
all sorts OF uses, whether for race course
or farm, for gentleman's driving or for
stage coaching and teaming, they had no
superiors. They were not horses of ele-
giant form and fine finish, but though an.
gular and coarse they were tough and
hardy, and in a very large proportion,
gray in color. There was no stronger
Characteristic of the Messenger. than their
gray coats, and the writer never sees a
flea bitten gray but Messenger is immedi-
ately suggested to him.
The two famous old-t!mers, Daniel ID.
Tompkins and Fanny Pullen were sired
by Winthrop Messenger Both in their
day were exceedingly noted trotting per-
formers, and TompkiDs was world beat
er. breaking the record for three miles,
under saddle, by trotting the distance in
7 80. Fanny Pullen was also good long
distance horse, and was second to Dutch
man when he trotted two miles to harness
in the then unparalleled time OF 5.l73.
This mare. bred to imported Trustee. be-
came the dam of the celebrated long dis
lance horse Trustee, which was the first
horse to trot twenty miles within one
hour. Another of the produce OF old Fan
nv, also by imported Trustee, became the
sire of the dam of the great trotter and
founder of family of trotters. George M.
Patchen.
Bush Messenger, the Witherell horse or
Witherell Messenger (Which was bred by
a parson and took his name from his
breeder), and Quimby Messenger, all had
a marked influence on the stock of their
time, and were. probably, the best sons
left by their sire. 1t is not known how
much service he did in Maine tits known
that at times he went begging for mares
at service fee of $500. Whether in his
later DAYS he was better patronized can
not say. The breeding of his dam can
never be known. 1t seems probable that
she was mare of great size, for imported
Messenger was horse CT but ;5a hands,
and this son of his was five inches taller
it does not necessarily follow, of course,
that she was large mare, but it certainly
seems most likely. When Mr.. Haywood
brought him to Maine, it was doubtless
with the intent of placing within reach OF
the farmers a horse of size and substance,
one able to do the heavy work of that
time, and likely of begetting others with
the same capacities. That this horse
would prove sire of speed. and that his
blood would exert lasting effect for
good in the matter of raising fast animals
was a contingency which, in all probable
ty, never entered his mind. Winthrop
Messenger died in 1884, after passing
through several hands, and being owneC
| in different sections of the State.
THE EATON FAMILY.
On this foundation of Messenger blood
other horses have founded families il
Maine. For instance, the Eaton horse
| Al c.t1 A.
the Eaton family. Later a horse calico
Flying Eaton founded another family b,
the name of Eaton. The first Eaton wa
horse of giant mold, for standing two
inches shorter than Winthrop Messenger
he is said to have weighed $50 pound
more. A horse of this build would hard
ly be considered as likely to get trotters
but vet the old Eaton horse was quite
sire of speed of which Shepherd F
Knapp, and Shepherd Knapp, Jr., wer
the most noted. This Eaton horse wa
sired by the Avery horse. and his dam
il claimed, was a daughter OF Witherel
Messenger. What the Avery horse wa
is not known.
THE DREws.
At about the same time of the appear
ance of the Eaton horse. the Drew hors
made his appearance, and he founded
family of horses which for general excel
lence have but few superiors in Maine
This Drew horse was sired by col
which was brought to Maine from Freder
teton, N. b. 1t was claimed. at the time
and still maintained by the gentleman
who brought him to Maine. that he wa
the produce of a mare brought from Eng
land. in foal, and that both the mare ant
the sire of the colt were thoroughbreds
| That he was richly bred somewhere. Their,
can be no doubt He had every appear
ance of high breeding, as did his son, thu
Drew horse, which. by the way was thu
only colt he ever sired.
This Drew horse was foaled in 1912
and died in 1866. His colts were trotter
and dead game. and, as a rule, highl,
finished and of good size. He was the
sire of two to beat 2 :50-both stations
Gen. Mcclellan, &c, and George B. Nc
Clellan afterwards called Dirigo,) 229
Dirigo in the stud in Maine sired four t.
beat 2 80: Connors. 2.25 Ia; Little FREQ
226 3-4; Bully Brooks, 2.2S; and Johl
Virgin. 229 This was a great showing
for that day, and besides these there wer,
many others which were fast, perhaps a
fast as any of these named, but which
never attained record in the twenties
Several others of the Drew horses hav'
proved successful as sires. but Dirigo at