The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-12-09
OLD DAN" IS DEAD.
Touching End of a taithful Old
Horse.


The Newark .Erepfng Yelcs tells tbs
following touching story:-"Old Dan
who had been the fayorite driving horss
OF the late Hiram Davis, OF Harrison
died on Wednesday night in his stall neal
the spot where he was foaled almost forty
years ago. His dam was a Messenger
mare raised on the old Davis farm and he
was sired by Blue Dick" Those that
remember Hiram Davis know that he
was pronounced in all his %utterances,
actions and likings, and that he was an
admirer of Henry Clay. He named the
colt Dan Clay" when it was foaled
January l, 1850. AS a four-year-old, Dan, q
bright bay, took first prize at the New Jer-
Sey state Fair, held at CamptoWn, now Try
ington. Thefollowing winter was a severe
one, and the Passaic River WAS frozen
over and tightly bound from shore to
shore with ice. On it Mr.. Davis speeded
Dan from Newark Bay to Belleville
bridge. Fol- years after that Dan and
All. Davis We're companions. and the
horse was driven Oh long Journeys up
through the States OF New York and
Vermont. On August IL, 1867, Dan was
stolen from the stable. Mr.. Davis spared
no expense to recover him. and detectives
two months afterward fonud him in a
gentleman's stable in F~ifty-ninth street,
New York. The manehad bought him
from the thief. He assisted the detec-
son county the thief, who was convicted
and sent to State prison. After the time
he was restored, Dan never left the
stables unless he was driven by some
member of the Davis family. He had
not been driven for several years, but was
nn qaI fA.,f - ,.A%@ h L. -.
or room it may be called, for it is twelve
feet square, and any of the family going
there would have d kind word for him,
which he would always acknowledge by
turning mis- head and winnowing.
Adjacent to Dams stall, in another the
same size, stands Harry, who was Dams
mate when they were in their prime, and
were driven double by Mr.. Davis. Harry
is eight years younger han Dan, having
been foaled in 1858. He, like his brother,
for both had the same dam and sire, has
never been out of the Davis farnily's DOS
session. He had not been driven for sew
eral years, although he has never shown
any ailing. Both horses have become
gray in the service of the family.
An injunction was laid upon the de-
scendants of Hiram Davis by a clause in
his will that said Dan and Harry shall
not be sold, but at their death shall be
laid alongside their mother in the family
horse burying-ground on the farm" Mr..
Davis had a great love for the horses that
from time to time were on hiSlarge farm,
and when any of them died he would not
have them removed for the purpose of
utilizing their carcasses, but set apart q
spo1 for their burial, which yet bears the
name of the horse burying-ground. Some
time before his death, which occurred
about fourteen years ago, Mr.. Davis had
the portraits of the dam and hertwo colts
each painted in ~life-size in oil, and in
handsome frames they now adorn the
walls of the parlors in the Davis mansion.
He also had engraved on the hunting-case
OF a gold watch that he carried a picture
of Dan as a young colt with his watchful
mother standing with her head over his
back. This watch William j.. Davis low
carries, it having been bequeathel to him
by his father.
Mrs. Hiram Davis, the widow of the
horses first owner, was greatly distressed
at Dams death. On Sunday, when he
was found lying in his stall and unable
to get up, she gave orders to have him
made as comfortable as possible. Just
before the old horse died he several times
raised his head from his bed of straw and
looked for a moment piteously at William
j. Davis, who stood by. Yesterday a
grave six feet deep was dug in the horse
graveyard, and the bottom of it was
thickly strewn with clean straw. The
body of Dan was lowered into it. Then
straw was laid oyer it, covering it from
sight and the grave vas filled.