Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1891-08-28

JOSEPH BATTELL, Esq.
Dear Sir In my last letter to YOU |
wrote that had again written Mr.. Rex
ford and would let you know what re-
ply he made. Today received an ans
wer from him and will copy it for you :;
KNowLToN, Aug. 3, 1891.
MIR. HARDWOOD.
Dear Sir Yours is received. Will
answer your questions as we'll as | can
| lived % miles from Mr.. Bigelow.
went there with my mare three seasons
in succession, and stopped there frequent
ly at other times. | considered him a
man of truth. He did not raise the colt
(the sire of my horse), but whom he
bought him of, or who raised him, can
not recolect. | cannot tell either. it is so
long since. the exact words Mr.. Bgelow
used in telling what sired his horse. but
it was the Myrick Horse and the North
Horse and the Sherman Black Hawk, and
| was as confident as can be that he was
sired by Sherman Black Hawk. | went
to Bridport four years in succession with
my mare. The first year | used the Old
Black Hawk or Hill Horse the winter
following he died. The next years used
Sherman Black Hawk, owned then by
David Bennett. Each time left the
mare few weeks and went for her
again and stopped day or two each
time. In all the talk that had with Mr..
Hill and Mr.. Bennett about Mr.. Bigelow
and the colt which he took to Canada |
never got the least idea that his pedigree
was different from what Mr.. Bigelow
represented. When Mr.. Bigelow lived in
Stanstead and was dealing in horses he
had partner, Mr.. Smith Curtis, his
wife's brother. The Curtises were, |
think, respectable people, reliable and
truthful. Several years since they
went out of the horse business, sold out
their farms, and bought at Beebe Plains.
about three miles from where they
formerly lived. | don't know whether
Mr. Curtis is living or not. If not, he
probably has relatives that might know
about the pedigree of the sire of my
horse. Mr.. Pinkham or Mr.. Weiter O..
whose address gave you, could proba-
bly, give information about the Curtises.
Yours respectfully,
O. REXFoRD.
Now, Mr.. Battell, there is one point
brought out in above different than ! sup
posed; namely, that Bigeow and Rex
ford lived % miles apart But, on the other
hand, the letter shows Mr.. Rexford to
have been more of a horseman than had
supposed he was, and one well posted in
Black Hawk matters. Here he takes his
mare three times (seasons) to Bigelow's
horse, and four seasons to Bridport, VT.
He knew not only Bigelow and his horse,
but he knew Hill and Bennett and Hills
Black Hawk and Sherman Black Hawk
and it was understood among all these
Black Hawk men that Bigelow's colt
was by Sherman Black Hawk. How
can we doubt the fact that Blgelow's
Black Hawk Tiger was by Sherman
Black Hawk?
Many horses pedigree has gone on
record and been accepted by all horse
men as correct that was not half as we'll
substantiated AS this.
Please let me know if you are satisfied
with Mr.. ReXiord's evidence
Yours truly,
DIR. HARDWOOD.
we think the letter of Mr.. Rexford in
most respects makes the supposition that
Bigelow's Black Hawk Tiger was by
Sherman Black Hawk stronger than be-
fore, as it would seem to be certain that
he thought So But it seems from this
letter that Mr. Bigelow did not breed
this colt, and, dropping him out, we
nave not heard from any quarter the
slightest suggestion who did. As long as
the breeder is unknown the horses breed
ing is not sure. And we must say that
though the evidence would seem to
warrant his insertion as said to be by
Vermont Black Hawk, we do not believe
that he was. Our principal reasons now
for not believing it are: First, Mr..
Sheafe's assertion that he looked it
up at the time and found that he was by
the most noted Myrick Horse and, Sec
ond, that we have poster of son of
his called Black Hawk Tiger, Jr., foaled
1855, bred by Daniel Bardwell, Shell
burne, Franklin Co., Mass, which states
that he was got by Bigelow's Black
Hawk Tiger, son OF Thomas Black
Hawk. This poster was published in 1866
and is In the nature of contemporaneous
evidence.
| IL saams aYtraordina..r thnt nn.,ao ana