Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-02-26


once This is Jacksonian. Not many
men would take the responsibility of
giving orders how to run a race at the
distance of five hundred niles, at a time
when it required -four weeks to travel
over the distance that separated him
from the scene of conflict. This error of
undertaking an adversary, especially
such an adversary as General jackson,
was a heavy blow to Uncle Berry, from
which he did not fully recover, until he
started Hanie's Maria, mounted by Mon
key Simon, against him.
mot long after this defeat he
set out to search for a horse with which
to beat General Jackson, and purchased
from General Wade Hampton, of South
Carolina, a gelding called Omar and
brought him to Tennessee. After re-
c%ruiting his horse at Captain Alexander's,
near Huntsville, he went to Nashville
and offered General Jackson "A match for
$1,000 a side, thrce-mile heats, according
to rule. Thi. the general declined, offer
ing the same terms as to weight as in the
former race, IN which he was allowed
two years advantage a proposition
which, of course, was not accepted.
"Unable to get IA race in Tennessee,
Uncle Berry took his horse to Natchez,
Mississippi, travelling through the
swamps of Chickasaw and ChOctaw Ma
tons, and entered him in "A stake, three
mile heats, 5000 entrance; but his bad
luck pursued him, and just before the
race his horse snagged his foot, and he
paid forfeit. He remained near Natchez
twelve months and nursed his horse as
no other man could have done until he
was perfectly restored to health, and in
condition for the approaching fall races
of 1908. He wrote to Col. George Elliott,
and urged him to come to Natchez, n
bring fifteen or twenty horses, to bet On
Omar, and also to bring Monkey Simon
to ride him, which Colonel Elliott did.
"Simon's appearance on the field
alarmed the trainer of the other horse,
who had known him in South Carolina,
and, suspecting that Omar was a bite,
paid forfeit.
'Much has been SAID and written of
the tenderness and care bestowed by the
Arabs on their favorite horses, but doubt
whether an Arabian, since the time of the
prophet, ever showed such devotion to
his favorite steed as Uncle Berry to the
thoroughbreds under his care. In fact,
his kindly nature embraced all domestic
animals. For many years he resided on
a rich, productive farm, near Gallatin ,
where he trained Betsey Malone, Sarah
Bladen and many other race-horses rails
ed fine stock and fine crops. and proved
himself to be one of the best farmers in
kinds huge hogs that would come and
sprawl themselves to be rubbed, and
game chickens that would feed from his
hand, and follow him if he left home on
foot, often obliging him to return and
shut them up.
"Ie raised many celebrated racers for
himself and others, and so judicious was
his systCn that, at the age of TWO, they
had almost the maturity of three-year-
Olds. His last thoroughbred was a chest
nut tilly, foaled in 1853, by Lexington,
dam, sally Roper, (the dan of Berry,
which was entered in a stake for three
year-Olds, $500 entrance, two-mile heats,
to come off over the Albion course, near
Gallatin, in the fall of 1862. This tilly
was, of course, Il great favorite with
Uncle Berry. She never associated with
any quadruped after she was weaned,
her master being her only companion.
Al two years old she was large and
muscular, and very promising, and in
the sunme of 1911 | urged Uncle Berry
to send her to the race-course (where |
had Fanny McAlister, dam of Muggins,
and several other animals in training),
that she might be gentled and broken to
ride. His reply was: Il have been think
ing of your kind offer: | know she ought
to be broke, but, poor thing, she don't
know anything she has never been any
Ni'iN aho "a Nv Gel inOuntCu. 1
am afraid she will tear herself all to
pieces But he finally consented for
my colored traiuer, Jack Richlieu, to
take her to the track. On meeting Mrs.
Williams a few days afterward, | in
CURED for Uncle Berry. She said, He
is well enough as to health, but mighty
lonesome since the filly went away
"But of all the horses he ever owned,
Observation-Disclosures was his especial ia
vorite. In the language of Burns, he
'lo'ed him like a vera brither.' He was
a large chestnut gelding, foaled in 1913,
by Sir Archy, dam by Dongola, a thor
%oughbred son of Mark Anthony, and
these two were the only pure crosses in
his pedigree; yet he vas distinguished
on the turf until fifteen years old, more
especially in races of three and four.