St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-03-06
NORMAN w. KITTS0N.
A Tribute to His Enterprise as a Great
Owner and Breeder Of Blooded
Horses.
sociation of Trotting and Pac-
ing Horse Breeders.
The Commodore's Early Career in
Manitoba--''M of Trans
portation'' in st. Paul.
To the Editor of the Globe.


WINNIPEG. FEB. 27.-The name Of
Norman w. KittsOn is as fully household
word in ManitOba-especially among his
c6mpatriOts of the Selkirk Settlement,
which was an oasis of civilization in the
wilderness of Northwest America long be-
fore the era of Canadian cOnfedeTatiOn-as
In Minnesota. Ii Is remembered with
gratitude how much was due To his Oppose
ton at Pembna and ST. BOniface to the
claim OF the Hudson's Bay company 10 the
exclusive right 10 trade in furs within the
limits of its charter-a struggle prosecuted
To success with the corporation of James
Sinclair, Andrew McDernott, and Louis
Riel ST., respectively representing the
Scotch, Irish and French elements OF the
population. Even more interesting is the
circumstance, that with the establishment
Of freedom i'm the fur trade, the HudsOns
Bay company sought the services of Mr..
klttSOn. after his return TO st. Paul, as
their general manager and agent at tina,
important pOint-a confident al re.atl,n
which was followed by very prominent
connections with and subsequent COM
munIcations by steamboat and railway
between st. Paul aud Fort Garry. now
Winnipeg. In this community at least,
MIR. KITTsoN's EARLY CAREER
as voyageur and pathfinder secured ready
acceptance for the more ambitious, but
less significant designation OF ''cOmmo-
dOre;" although the relation of that nautical
| title TO his late remarkable enterprise. as
the greatest owner and breeder of blooded
horses in the United States has somewhat
puzzled many Of the ''commOdOre's" Mani
tOba friends.
But 10 the intimate of these there is
ready explanation of Mr.. KittSOn's love of
horse. During his long and hazardous
journeys in the great fertile desert whose
units of population forty years ago are now
the thousands of Minnesota, Dakota and
Manitoba, he came To know how, with the
horse as with the human animal, not far
above the former in the physical scale.
blood will tell" Far score of years at
St. Paul Mr.. KittsOn was master of trans
pOrtatiOn." Travellers, spOrtsmen and emf
grants, as we'll as parties. charged with gov
eminent expeditions of all kinds, came TO
him for their outfits, and in the choice of
animals his advice was emphatic and in
variable. Pay a double rate for the best
horse, for he will prevent the failure OF
your journey, and at Selkirk or hey ond you
can sell him, if you wish. at premium. u
Then while on Red river, during the
DECADE OF THE FoRTIES
he was greatly impressed with the sensible
improvement of native stock by the Hudson {
Bay company's importation Of blOOded
horses from England. especially one Fire
away, whose descendants are distinguish
able to-day in the Saskatchewan settle
ments. Who can determine how far from
tier experience may have suggested the
great recreation OF wealth and leisure
which has,giveh even international celebrity
to the name of Commodore KittsOn?
A recent letter OF Mr.. KittsOn. as pTesi-
dent of the Northwestern Association of
Trotting and Pacing Horse Breeders has
been reproduced by the Winnipeg press,
and excited much public attention in Mani
toba. 1t is understood here to intimate
that the turf will command less of the
writer's attention than heretofore, and that
he will interest himself chiefly
IN BREEDING ANIMALS
on the ''mOst successful blood lines upon
which TO build a sure foundation for a trOt-
ting family" Very well. but why special
iZe the ''trotting" quality. Allow, Mr..
Editor. the suggestion that the association
shall make even more prominent the desir-
able object of obtaining a general-purpOse
animal by crossing the best Southern stock
} on the native horse of the Northwestern
pTairies, which, starting with the Spanish
mustang, has been improved by migration
northward. trained IN the buffalo chase and
strengthened by the infusion of ''Fireaway''
and other English stock. A notable and
very suggestive illustration of what is above
proposed is the history OF the Morgan horse
of VermOnt-a cross, if mistake not, of
the best form and action of a Kentucky
horse with the alert and hardy
CANADIAN PONY.
If President KittsOn's recent circular APP
pealing for cooperation was understood to
have the scope indicated-and there is no
man living better qualified to judge the
} merits of the horses of the Saskatchewan
district than HIMSELF feel certain that a
great interest and most efficient co-Opera-
ton would be enlisted in Manitoba and in
the districts, soon to become Canadian prov
inces, of AssinibOine, Alberta, Saskatche-
wan and Athabasca. j. w. L.