Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1886-01-15
borse Department.
AND THE Ass OPENED HIS MOUTH
AND SPAKE."
1('ontinued.1


AND SPAKE."
Under the head of Origin of Vermont
Black Hawk, The Spirit Of The Times,
of Jan. inst. publishes "A very long let
ter from George ID. Spencer of Castlcton,
VT in which the writer lays before the
public his remarkable information upon
, the above subject. 1t is well known that
this same Spencer, whose object seems to
be to gain little cheap notoriety has been
knocking at the door of the turf papers
of the country for the past two years with
his Black Hawk Romance under his arm;
but his success hitherto has not been en-.
cOuragng, though he did succeed in pro-
voking from one leading turf editor not
long ago the remark that Rutland county
was in need of an idiot asylum. There
is nothing in the communication worthy
of a serious reply did it not appear in a
journal of so respectable authority as the
Spirit. Having appeared there ii seems
proper that the statements, so far as they
touch the breeding of this distinguished
sire, should be met even though it may
seem ridiculous after the flood of light
thrown upon this matter by the recent
Investigations of Mr. Parin of the
american Culticotor, and the testimony
published in TIE REGISTER, whereby
Black Hawk is traced by living witnesses
from his breeder. and the books of his
sire's owner, through his whole life down
to the day of his death, to notice Spen-
GERS rushlight held up, as it wcre,against
the MONDAY sun.
Mr. Spencer's story is substantially
contained in the first part of his letter
which is as follows "Castleton. Vt. Dec.
Is. \ New England paper is hard at
work trying to convince the world that
old Black Hawk was sired by Sherman
Morgan. to discredit former position of
The Spirit. The proofs brought forward
do not hold together. At the request of
many horsemcn in Vermont, who are in
dignant at the attempt, will take the
wind out of their sails. The day previ-
Gus to the first agricultural fair in this
State (Rutland County, in 1915, was
sittings in front of the Mansion House,
conversing with Clark NJ. Lewis of Low
ell, Mass. Mr.. Hill drove up with Black
Hawk. At once Mr.. Lewis exclaimed ::
That is the very horse How much he
has improved He then went to Mr.lIill
and asked him if that was not the horse
Noble Hill purchased out of woodward
in Lowell, Mass, and sent to Bridport.
Mr.. Hill replied 1T is the same horse.
After further conversation Mr.. Hill drove
: to the barn. Mr.. Lewis said to me II
knew that horse when he came to Lowell
with a drove of French horses. He was
purchased in woodward. | fell in love
with him as noticed his proud step as
he was returning with an empty cart.
Occasionally his driver would let him
out. | knew when Mr.. Hill bought him
, and sent him to Bridport'
''We were both NermOntcrs, and ac-
quainted. 4 man from Grand Isle county
recognized the horse as a four-Year-old
which he knew was sent with a drove of
= French horses to Lowell from the vicini-
ty of Phillipsburg. This is chain of
evidence that would hang man."
And again, speaking of discussing a
G race in which Black Hawk had beaten
: ''After the race met Mr.. Hill of Boston
and was lauding the Bullock Horse. Mr..
Hills reply was this: Yes, a fine horse
e got beat by French horse from Il Lowell
2 woodward. These may not be the exact
4 words; but he did admit that he pur-
chased the horse from the woodward"
These quotations, with the statement
that Lewis dong since dead had been a
e stage agent at Lowell and therefore
might have seen the horse there, cover
all that the letter contains in the nature
of testimony.
Passing over the improbability of the
Messrs. Hills damning their horse by
-, such statements also the question of the
fitness of a man to discuss this question
who says, as Spencer does in this letter,
that he did not know until t,eo gears aga
e that Black Hdrk V,ts cldimed TO be a Nor
r gan we will address ourselves simply to
the question of whether those gentle
men are fairly proven by Mr.. Spencer
p, testimony to have made the statements
and admissions which he attributes to
, them.
i We will quote one line more from his
,, letter. 1T may be asked why, if | knew
'. so much about the origin of the horse,
\ did not contradict the error before.
should reply that for several years | was
: i'll and did not know of the claim made
: | saw no notice of it until some two
! years since" SO it was thirty-eight
years after Mr.. Spencer overheard and
had these conversations on Il matter OF
no interest to him and that he had never
d seen disputed, before they are called to
a his recollection and attention anew. Per
haps there is human memory so strong
and keen as to be able to reproduce what
IL was so said after such period, but We
o have never known one that could APP
It proach it. Now if Mr.. Spencer is honest
q and has such memory, he will be found
to be singularly truthful and accurate il
all his utterances, Let us see whether
/ he is or not.
l. In an article recently furnished by Mr.
:, Spencer to the Ne,1 England Homestead
" and published over his initials, Mr.. Spen
Ger says: "Vermont once had IA stallion
that became celebrated-Black Hawk
l. More of his descendants are in the 2 ~
D. class of horses than the descendants OF