Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1886-09-10
IHE IUCkAhOES.

Prom Dunton's spirit of the Turf.
Sometime in the past year your editor
ial columns contained a request for some
one who had the personal knowledge and
data to write history of the Tuckahoe
family of horses. Christmas seems "A
good time to do it. have not time to
hunt their pedigrees, nor can from per-
sonal knowlege give history of many
members of the family. But can give
my recollection of one of the most pro-
minent if not the most prominent of
them. 1t will be of special interest to a
few. and perhaps of general interest in
it, connection with the pacing problem
or the pacing galt a. a factor in the pro-
duction of speed in the trottcr-for they
are prominent doube-gaitcd family.
And the subject has been brought to my
mind by a letter from Jno. II. Wallace.
to which ! will refer farther ON.
| am native of Jefferson county,
Ohio. where lived until moved 10 Iowa.
Across the Ohio river opposite TO the
southern part of Jefferson county. is the
northern part of Ohio county, West Nir-
ginia. and there. a few miles from the
river, on the Buffalo hills, is the village
of West Liberty, where lived Bill Irwin
who rode the dam of the Great Smuggler
home from the wars" and who bred
Twins Blind Tuckahoe. There on those
hills in Brooke and Ohio counties, are
thousands of acres of as good blue grass
pasture AS there is in Kentucky or any
other State. The land is mostly owned
in large bodies by the men who live upon
it. Wool growing is the great industry,
and roaming over those large rich pas
lures are thousands of fine-wOoled sheep.
and many herds of horses and cattle, all
well cared for, fat, sleek, contented and
they have more than competence, and
live well in good. comfortable houses.
Some of them have costly buildings,
grounds artiscally arranged and embel-
lished, and live in fine style. Most of
them are defendants of the first settlers
who came from "Old Nirginy." and of
course, were "F. F. vs." They were
aged when ! was young and have now
passed away. Fine old gentlemen We're
they, full of absurd preiudices of caste
and foolish aristocratic notions; but. not
shall always remember with pleasure,
and if their children and grandchildren.
the present incumbentS. are not equal to
them ! can't help it. | and my brothers
were agents for some large wooden mills,
and bought wool all over three or four
counties on each side of the Ohio river.
On one of my trips, travelling from farm
TO farm and town to town, when was
at West Liberty the county fair was
being held there, and joined the crowd.
1t being early in the day the calf had
not yet eaten the pumpkin and escaped ;
they were both there, | saw them.
While making a circuit of the grounds
saw the people hurrying to that common
center of attraction-the horse ring. 1t
was shall, llpl ONtl Il lung III
diameter. In it | saw man riding a
little, trim, blood-like mare, and leading
the best acting, most snowy, finest look
ing and fastest 2-year old colt had ever
seen. He would pace, rack and trot to
perfection and go so fast in either gait
as to keep the little mare in quick Jump,
not much short of sharp run. The
colt was afterwards known as Twins
Blind Tuckahoe, and he who led him was
his breeder and owner, Bill Irwin. He
was by Herod Tuckahoe his dam was "A
well bred mare whose pedigree | have
forgotten. He was then large for his
age, beautiful bright bay with star
and two white pasterns, his coat soft and
smooth as silk velvet, his name fine, thin