The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-05-03
A MEMORABLE STOCK FARM.
BuIlnsld, The HOspitablG Home Of the Late
Major boswell.
4 PLACE FAMOUS ALL OYER THE WORLD
One OF the Inst Remaining Ante-Bsiium VIZ
o,,,t. rst.,s. Same OF the Celebrated
Horses Produced There

Horses Produced There
No two more popular gentlemen OF the Old
scbool have ever lived in Virginia tnan MAJOR
Thomas Boswell. ST.. and his son, the late
Major Thomas Walker boswell. whose death
IN this city less than year ago has been ana
is 60 universally lamented. Ihey did more,
perbau,. than any other two men IL the MS
tory Of the State for the improvement OF the
turf and in maintaining the high standard OF
blooded horses in which Virginians have from
time immemorial always taken especial PRIDE;
and they always counted among their inti-
mate friends the best known and most promi-
nent men Of the State who were their con-
tempOraries.
MAJOR THOMAS BOSWELL, sR.
Major Thomas boswell ST.. was Dorm NJ
Newmarket. Hanover county. and was reeog-
nized as one Of the most courteous and nos
Ditabie specimens of Yrginans or 'ye oideh
times" He might we'll have been called tue
Napoleon Of the Virginia turf. as Mr.. Mliiiah
X. Johnson whOsename IS connected WIN Tue
celcbrated UamiitOnan strain Of horses Was
desipnated i'm Kentucky. He was the owner
of the famous Sarah Washington, mother OF
tine e1uallv famous Fannie. and sue Washing
ton. and grandmother of EOius. whose pro-
Cenv. Fole sold 10 red Gebhardt for III
1O0j EO!ian. EOlist and others, have all maze
their names known on many a hard contested
racing 6cid in his celebrated Red stables
were To 10 found such famous names rs Nina
the mother of Planet: EKchequer. Orioh'
Conductor. Ecptic. Winesap, Algerihe' Algo-
rim Ninette MIDDAY. and others. all or whoiu
carried oa the palm OF victory IN HuDA"o'
Of memorable tests Of speed ana meVue'
MAJOR THOMAS IS. boswell.
Mr.. Thomas boswell married Miss susan
Brown Christian. Of Charles Olty c0uhty, .
fret cousin Of tho Grst Mrs. eX-PreslleeenC
Tvler and .oon alter established himself IN
HE celebrated stOck-tarm "Bulih@ld,
-ear Hanover Junction. now known as f4th-
we'll. tyyenty-foir miles from Richmond, mere
hi. son. Major Thomas Walker D9swell, "as
born November %, 1873. Oh Ms Atluei 49, 80
he Inherited the farm and also his father taste
for fine horses. and the lavish Old virginia
bospitalitv which he dispensed can be at
tested bv hundreds from all sections OF the
Union who were fortunate enough 20 ne
counted among his list Of friends Inc bulI-
field farm under his management. soon Dc
came more widely known than ever Deiore as
one of the finest stOck-iarns IN the
limited States. md it fully deserved
it's reputation. for tits prominently ntJeu Dy
nature for st)ckraising. 1t consists OF l'oV2
acres Of land. all we'll watered. ana or sou
,.npQhp OF producing inc lltSL Bidr''os - ttA'
the "lav of tie land" is such that IT can be
readily divided into fields upon winch the
animals can roam and Craze 10 their hearI
content And as results are always the btst
prOpfs OF theexcelence OK anything, the scores
Of fine animals which have been bred anu
turned out from there, and winch mare IauS
the boswell name and cOlOrs famous III tuI-
annals throughout the world. practically show
the peculiar fitness of Bullheld for the rear
INC and training OF thOrOughbreds Such
names as EOle. Eurus. EOhan, Wlckham,
Bushwhacker Eeufchatel. North Anna.
Polonia Dairy Maid. Sunlight. Eonst ~.
Savior. knight of Ellerslie. TOmasa, Crbana'
Young Grace. Amulet. Eleve. Abd-el-kadir,
and Lizzie Lucas speak for themselves.
These are but a few. however. OF the cele-
brated Bullheld horses. every one OF whom
has vrested victory from many competitor
worthy Of their mettle, and made the orange
colols Of the Doswels celebrated
4 TYPICAL VIRGINIA HOME.
But. while Bullhod was thus noted through
ont tho country as magnificent STOCK Iarlh,
il was no less noted rs a delightful old VIZ
ginia home. where hospitality was meted out
10 guests aud visitors with lavish hand.
Major boswell, both father and son, there
literally kept open house. with the latch
string always on the outside, and were ever
ready TO extond warm ana hearty greetin8
inc 10 any one who saw fit to make
them visit. II was. indeed IN the
olden days before the war typical Virginia
homestead and It's characteristic IN tins re-
spect cas preserved by the lnte MAJOR Thomas
" Boswell up 10 tho day OF his death.
Hundreds OF men from All sections or the
Union can to-day bear witness TO the pleasant
times they enioyed At Bulfed. and the de-
lichtflh associations connected with the place.
X IL probably the last one OF the OLD ante
bellum Virginia estates which remained III
possession Of it's former owners and winch
was maintained after the war IL the same
STYLE and In the same Oid-fashiOned manner
which gave that updshned and indescrlbable
charm h. Virginia homes before the State be-
came devastated and her people impoverished
by the disastrous conflict between tho States.
fA&oUs RACE TRACK.
The private track upon which Major Tom
boswell trained his horses, IL SAID TO be one Ok
the hnest ia tho 1 ulteJ states. IL ~ = mile III
circumference. each eighth bong marked itAa
vell-dofncd post. IL is perfectly level, ana while
tho soil 1. sufficiently hard H. prevent 1t from
becoming too deep in dust, u is also sufficiently
porous to prevent II from becoming heavy with
mud s,cn after the hardest rains. TITS thore-
fore always in hrst-class condition. and
10 this is no doubt largely due the mastery
training which has enabled the Bullheld
horses 70 make such excellent records. Al
present IL is used by Mr. Bernard boswell,
the only son Of MAJOR boswell. for training
his hosscs and II may be remarked IN paren-
thesis that he bids fair to prove a worthy sue
ces-or IF his father. In Crbana by Helm
dal. Ninone. q two-year-old daughter Of EOus
and granddaughter Of Fannie Washington,
and Brock. n beautiful thoroughbred. named
after his intimate friend. Dr. G. W p. Brock.
Of Richmond. he has in his stables some ami
mails who are destined 10 make their marks
in the racing world.
PLANET AND NINA.
But had the estate produced no other horse
than Planet is reputation would nave been
established This magnificent animal made
a name 40 well known in the racing world
that it is useless TO dwell here on any length
ened nistory 81 his achievements. Suffice it
is 10 say that had Major boswell been bet
ting man Planet would have won him
prncev fortune but ne was immoya0y
opposed to turf gambling. and il is said that
he never made bet on bis horses in his life
His only object was 90 elevate the turf
and 10 do what he could TO obtain the
highest strain or that noble animal of
which he was a genuine lover To show
how he became almost romantically attached
10 his horses. when Nina. the mother of
Planet. died at the advanced age Of thirty-two
years, he treated her remains with as muchre-
spect as if she had been relative. They we're
barred with regular funeral ceremonies on the
hillside overlooking his race track. on which
her finest qualities had been developed. and
her grave, neatly enclosed and kept green by
N.l Oh Nal