The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-07-10

.ho oiSo question, anu tnlS story OF the
Introduction of the great Godol phin
Arabian" horse that most every
school boy has read about. He proved
one OF the greatest sires of race horses
that the world has ever produced.
The Arabian horse would not be &C.
knowledged by every judge to possess
perfect form; his head, however, is in
lmltable. The broadness and square
ness of the forehead, the shortness and
hrmness Of the muzZle, tho promiuency
OF the eye, the smallness of the ears and
the beautiful course OF the veins will
always characterize tho head OF the
Arabian horse. And who has not read
OIL the attachment and love that an Arab
has always had for his horse? The horse
is considered one Of the Arabs family
Some interesting anecdotes are related
OF the Arab and his horse. The follow
Ing anecdote, showing the attachment
of an Arab to his mare, has often been
tod, and 1T comes home TO the bosom OF
everyone possessed of common feeling:
The whole stock of an Arab of the
desert consisted Of mare. The French
consul offered to purchase her in order
TO send her to his sovereign, Louis NV.
The Arab would have rejected the pro-
posal at once with Indignation and
scorn, but he was miserably poor He
had no means of supplying his most
urgent wants or procuring the barest
necessaries of life. Still he hesitated
lie had scarcely rag to cover him, and
his wife and children were starving.
The sum offered was great. 1t would
provide him and his family with food for
life. At length, and reluctantly, he
consented. lie brought the mare t. the
dwelling of the consul; he dismounted
he stood leaning upon her; he looked
now AT the gold and then at lis favoritc:
he sighed; he wept ITO whom is it,"
said he, 81 am going to yield thee up?
10 Europeans, who will tie thee close.
who will beat thee, who will render
thee miserable. Return with me, nv
beauty, my jewel, and rejoice the hearts
OF my children" AS he pronounced the
last words he sprang upon her back and
was out of sight in moment.
When the envoy, returning from his
foreign mission, was encamped near
Bagdad, an Arab rode bright bay mare
of extraordinary shape and beauty be-
fore his tent until he attracted his at
tention. On being asked if he would
sell her, What Will you give me-" was
the reply. THAT depends on her age
| suppose she is passed five" Guess
again, said the Arab. -Four" Look
at !nr mouth SAID tho Arab, with a
mile. On examination she was found
10 be ri ing i 60 II will give you fifty
omans. Ia coin nearly tn- value uf
pourd sterling
~ i,itle more. If you please" said
Tho f'llow, apparently entertained.
Eighty, hundred. He shook his head
and smiled The of. at last came to
two hundred tomans. wen, sad the
Arah, you need not tempt me further.
ia f,f -,
man. You have fine horses, camels and
mules, and l am told you have loads of
silver and gold. Now" added he.
You want my marc but you shall not
have her for all you have GOT"
With William the Conqueror, about
a. 1850, came a marked Improvement
in the British horse. In the reign of
Henry |, a. ID. 1l2l, the first Arabian
horse, or at least the first on recond,
was introduced. Forty years afterwards
Smithfield was celebrated as a horse
market. From this time until Henry
VIII, the English horse, advanced, but
it was by slow degrees. ,...
One OF the most celebrated racehorse
that the country has produced was
Eclipse. His sire was Mask, who was
grandson of BartletL's Childers. OF hi,
beauty and popularity of form much
lowness OF his shoulders were the sub
Jet of general remark in his day. OF
his speed no correct estimate can be
formed, for he never met with an op-
poncnt sufficiently fleet to put it to
test Eclipse was what was termed a
thick winded horse and pulled and
bowed SO that he was heard at con-
siderable distance. He WAS not put on
the turf until he was FIVE years old.
His owner, Okelly, was aware of his
power and backed him freely on his
FIRST race in May, 1863. This excited
curiosity and some persons attempted to
watch ono of his trials, but they were a
little too late. But they found an
old woman who gave them all the in
formation they wanted. On inquiring
whether she had seen q race she replied
that She could not tell whether it was
race or not, but that she had first seen
horse with white legs running away at
4 monstrous rate, and another horse a
great way behind him trying TO run
after him, but she was sure he would
never catch the white legged horse il
he ran to the worlds end.
Eclipse was never beaten and never
paid forfeit and won for his owner more
than twenty five thousand pounds. His
last race was October Is, l770, The
following description of The horse is
well known: IA good horse should
have three qualities of wo-
mana broad chest. round hips
and Il long mane-three OF lion"-
cDuntenance, courage and ire-three of
bullock, the eye, the nostril and
ioints--three of sheep. the nose.
gen,lencss, and oaticnce-thrce of the
male strength, constancy, aud foot
three o. the deer, head, legs and short
hair-threc Of q wolf, throat. neck and