Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-03-04
JOSEPH BATTELL,
Middlcbury, VT.
EARLY TENNESSEE TURF HIS
TORY
BY ALBION IN THE SPIRIT OF THE TIMES
1877.
Continued

BY ALBION IN THE SPIRIT OF THE TIMES
1877.
[Continucdl
"Any man who has watched favoritc
horse winning a race out of the fire, and
blue blazes at that, can appreciate Uncle
Berry's feelings during the terrible strug-
gle. The horses swung into the quarter
stretch the eighth and last mile, and
Uncle Berry, seeing the chestnut face of
his old favorite ahead, cried out at the
top of his voice: Come home, Walk,
come home Your master wants money,
and that badly!
"When Uncle Berry reached the sta
bles, the horses were being prepared for
their nights rest, and he made to each AN
address. Joe, he said to Pacolet colt,
named Joe Doan, who had lost his stake
in slow time, you won't do to tie to; I've
always done good part by you. salt
ed you out of my hand while you sucked
your nanny; you know what you
promised me before you left home (allud-
ing to trial rum ,'and now you have
thrown me off before strangers and he
passed on, complaining of the other
colts. The groom was washing old Walk
in-the-Water's legs, while he stood calm
and majestic, with his game, intelligent
head, large, brilliant eyes, inclined shout
ders and immense windpipe, looking
every inch a hero-when Uncle Berry
came to him, and threw his arms about
his neck, and, bursting into tears, said
Here's poor mans friend in a distant
land"
The turf history of the times, of which
Colonel Peyton speaks, would be incom-
plete without fuller account of the per-
formances of this great horse, Walk-n-
the-Nater, but unfortunately there is
not to be found another horse in all the
past, who attained anything like his cell
ebrity, whose records are SO imperfect
as those of this old chestnut gcldng.
have been wholly unable to find Il de-
tailed account of even one of his races,
except those mentioned by Col. Peyton,
and, with the death of Colonel Elliot and
Uncle Berry Williams, the details of his
performances died. They come to Us
now by tradition, and very often in so
questionable shape that they cannot be
received and relied upon with any conf
dence.
Mr.. A. j. Davie, afterward prominent
upon the turf in the West, was in the
village of Halifax, North Carolina, in
the spring of 1912, and overheard "A con-
versation between Mr.. Jarrard Weaver
and "A constable about debt which Mr..
Weaver had given the officer to collect.
The debt was small one, against a poor
man named Peter Pagan. The officer
told Mr.. Weaver that he had been unable
to collect the debt, and that there was
very little hope of his doing so in any
reasonable time. Mr.. Dayie, probably
moved by sympathy for the poor debtor.
jestiugly proposed to Mr.. Weaver to let
Pagan pay him IN fiddling, to which he
demurred.
Mr.. Weaver at the time was riding a
chestnut mare, small of size, but exceed
both spirit and good action, and her
owner was very proud of her. Mr..
Davie knew that he placed high esti-
mate upon her, and said to Weaver that
he would pay Fagan's debt, if he would
allow him to do so by season from the
celebrated Sir Archy to his mare.
Weaver caught at the idea, and agreed
to relinquish all claim on Pagan for the
debt for a season from Sir Archy. Both
gentlemen returned that day to New
Hope, the residence of Mr. Davie, and
Sir Arch was sent to the little mare,
and Wa -in-the-Water was the result.
The blood of this mare was unknown,
except that she was by Dongola, as
stated by Colonel Peyton; but taking
the performances of Walk-in-the-Wate
into consideration, and the fact that his
dam was known to be by thorough
bred horse, and was "blOodlike in ap-
pearance,' of good action, and remark
able symmetry, concluded that the ped
igree was only one of those doubtful sort
so common at the time, but only doubt
full because 1t was not known. In all
probability the little mare carried in her
veins the best blood known in the Caro-
lnas and Virginia at that time. This,
however, is mere speculation, and not
OF any importance either, as Walk-in-the-
Water was gelded, end the mare never