The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-12-25
MORE On BLACK MARIA.

We notice in interview with Mr..
LOcklin W linWright that he at first
thought the grand-dam of Black Maria
was Cock of the Rock blood, and
this blood he thought Morgan. There
was Morgan Cock of the Rock, but
neither he nor Mr.. Barnum's Cock of
Rock could have had anything to do
with the blood of this mare, as she
must have been brought to Salisbury
by Mr.. Dart about 1920, and was then
quite an old mare. Cock of the Rock
was brought to Vergennes by Mr.. Bar
NUN about the same time. Probably
Mr.. Wainwright, who was then boy
Of seven, remembers confusedly these
two circumstances. He says, at a
second interview that Cock of the Rock
is the first name of a stallion that he
can RENE mber, and that ne remembers
OF it about the time they got this mare.
Seeing that there could be no connec-
ton between this mare and Cock of
the Rock, we did not mention this in
interview published. In regard to
Black Maria, Mr. Wainwright says he
hn0WS she was three years old past
when he sold her to Mr.. Jennings in
1887. We closely questioned to see if
Mr.. Wainwright did not think that
Black Maria might have beer but two
years old when he sold her, for then
we saw that she might have been sired
by this Young Cock of the Rock that
Mr.. Yale owned in 1884. But Mr.
Wainwright was positive that the colt
was three, says he kHOus this as well
as he knows anything. He was very
sure she was sired by Harvey Yale's
horse because he remembers their
breeding TO that horse aud doesn't re-
member any others coming there, but
he wouldn't swear to it; but he knO,rS
the colt was three years old past when
he let her go. Since the published in
terview with Mr.. Wainwright and Mr..
Yale we have learned that Mr.. A.
Smead got this Young Cock of the
Rock of John Wainwright, brother of
William Wainwright, for whom be
worked several years. This was a
lightish bay horse with long slim neck
and very long sloping hip, of about $50
pounds weight, and certainly, if we
Judge by characteristics, had better
right to be the sire of Black Maria than
the Morgan horse Fox. The bill of
sale shows that Harvey Yale bought
this Young Cock of the Rock of A.
Smead, May, 1884. We do not know
that Mr.. Smead owned this horse in
1888 or even that Mr.. John Vain
wright did, but there would seem to be
a strong probability that he might and,
if SO, it was certainly most natural for
his brother to have bred his mare to
him. Mr.. A. Smead is dead, but we
hope to get more information on Young
Cock of the Rock. Mr.. Linsley in his
work on the Morgan Horse says that Mr.
Yale sold Fox in 1881. This we called
Mr.. Yale's attention to at the interview
but he did not think it of much account
as he said he gave Mr.. Linsley the date
, from memory, but he was very sure
he sold Fox the fall before he bought
the Saxton farm. The town records
showed the SaxtOn farm to have haan
bought by him 1884. Coming in this
/ way, we put much confidence in this
, date, especially as long search of Mr..
Yale's papers did not show the contrary
f and did show that his recollections
f about the purchase of Young Cock OF
the Rock and the Patriot Messenger
, were exactly correct.