Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-10-14
HORSES OF AMERICA.
Ranks of the BIooded Stock Sadly De-
pleted by the Civil War.
THE BEST GIVEN TO THE ARMY
General Grants Famous Equine Present
From the Sultan.
IMPROVEMENTS MADE BY BREEDING

When Abraham Lincoln, at the beginning
of the war, called for troops, he asked first
for $4,000 men. 1t was soon apparent, how
ever, that this number was quite insufficient
to quell the great rebellion, and his second
call was for 100000 soldiers. Everybody
remembers what noble patriotism prompted
the hearty response, and the selfforgetting
rush to arms that was made by men of all
classes in defense of their beloved country
and its honored institutions.
But many may not remember what large
and generous hearts dwelt in the bosoms of
our farmers when they offered to the Gov
ernment their most precious possessions,
their horses. 1t may seem incredible, but
the proportion of horses to men which the
farmers and owners of valuable breeds
begged Lincoln to accept was 100 to 1.
They were not inferior in any respect, but
the finest and best in the land, and such as
would easily have brought, if sold, 5000 on
the average, which at that time was con-
| sidered an immense price to pay for horse.
| Those given were geldings and stations
The mares were left at home for the reason
that in battle they are likely to stampede
and create panic through fright Horses
l
the call to arms, the familiar toot of the
bugle and horn, and the stirring march of
| the regimental band are music in their
| ears.
| Until 1861 the foundation blood of our
| finest horses was the choicest from Eng
| lands thoroughbreds, SAYS the New York
Times and this was always kept strongly re-
| infOrced by infusion of the blood of Arabian
horses. For 30 years New England had
| been proud of her Morgan horse, created
from Arab blood. New York and Long Is
land boasted with proper spirit of the tami-
| lies of Henry Clay aad Andrew Jackson,
while Long Island was the home of the fam
Gus Messenger, of direct Arab blood, and
also of Wildair, inbred to Arab blood. The
latter, after importation from England, was
so highly priced there that he was repur-
chased.
HOW THE BREED WAS LOST.
These noted stations were the progenitors
of the finest horses in the country, and gave
the foundation blood to all the trotting
speed of which America could then boast.
But when this immense army of horses was
sent to the front the mares at home were
left without mates equal to them in blood
Only the bases to stallions-in fact, the COM
monest mongrels-were left to mate with
these blooded mares, thus making the re-
production of thoroughbred horses an i'm
possibility. From this time dates the ad-
vent of what is now known as the American
horse. The American horse became mon
grel, pure and simple.
No heavier blow to the reputation of
American horse breeders could have fallen
than this, for it is impossible to create
type from a mongrel of any animal except
it be mongrel. In. horses it is conceded
that a valuable type cannot be created ex-
cept through the infusion of Arab blood.
We NAV say that we have an American
horse with certain characteristics of much
money value to its owner, but, alas! it does
not reproduce any quality that is in demand
by any other nation. Our American trot-
ting horse does not reproduce per cent of
trotting speed. considering the great num-
Der bred and raised as trotting horses and
when We export trotter, which is very
rare event indeed, his trainer has to be sent
along too.
No American was more fully alive to all
these facts, and especially to the sad reduc-
tion in numbers and quality of our horses,
than General Grant His acceptance of the
Arabs Leopard and Linden Tree, presented
to him by Abdul Hamid the Sultan of
Turkey, was in measure Influenced by the
consideration of their great worth in the
stud. He realized that our race must be re-
built, and so highly appreciated this gift.
The fact that he seldom if ever, drove them,
thus denying himself great pleasure, and
the immediate disposal of Leopard to Gen
eral Beale, on whose stud farm he has been
ever since, and of Linden to his son, showed
his interest and confidence in the infusion
of Arab blood, and his hope that from them
new and better type of horses might be
created.
Il
The letter which he wrote to Mr.. Ran
dolph Huntington, now of Oyster Bay, L.
l., was published nine years ago, but it
may have a new interest to the readers of
to-day, and is now taken from the original
autograph letter:
LONG BRANCH, n. j., July %, 1882.
DEAR SIR am ust in receipt of your let
ter of the 26th, making certain inquiries
about my Arabian horses. l cannot answer
all your questions, but what know 1 will
give you.
was in Constantinople in March, Is7s, and
visited the Sultan and his stables. All his
horses are of the most approved and purest
blood. / was told that the pedigrees of all
of them-there were about 70 horses in the
stables that visited-run back from 500 to
700 years.
Two of the horses that there saw were |
sent to me as q present from the Sultan by |
the first steamer coming directly to the |
United States from that port. l do not |
parture or arrival. They lthe horses) were |
consigned to General E. +. Beale, of WASH |
ington City, who can probably inform you
on these points.
Leopard was years old when 1 first saw |
him, and Linden 4, l think. / am certain as |
to the age of the first, and think am right |
as to the second Leopard have left with |
General Beale, probably permanently. Lin |
den is at my sons u. S. Grant, Jr.,) farm, |
near Salem Center, Westchester county, |
NY
Tho foct of ithaca borses beino from, +bo
Sultan's own private stables and being a |
present from him as an appreciation of our |
country among the nations of the earth is |
the best proof of their purity Of blood. Very |
truly yours U. S. GRANT.
There are many conflicting. opinions re-
being the thoroughbred Arabians of the |
desert; but those who know them best and |
have studied their distinctive qualities all |
unite in believing them to be so. They are |
the only Arab stations in America it is |
said, and their progeny are at least most |
distinct and superior type.
SUPERB STUD OF rHoRoUGHBREDs.
When Mr.. Huntington, with great diff
Guilty, and only through the influence of |
powerful friends in Europe, succeeded in
importing his beautiful Arab mare Naomi
he became the pioneer of new method
here and began to accomplish the dream of
his life From the study of Russian, En-
glish, French and Astrian stud books he
realized that all their famous national
horses were founded on the Arab blood,
and the necessity of having more
pure Arab blood, especially in the female
line. He knew that promiscuous use of
it was not satisfactory, and that an
affinity blood was essential. According
to the methods employed in the Old World,
and as here the CLAW MORGAN and Gold |