Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-20
7 he G EAT BOSTON
Senator Blackburn Talks Interestingly OF
That Famous Horse
HIS Temper Was Unruly, but He Was
. Great Runner-Somethfng About
His Descendaute.

ene oiooo Morse TO his admirers. he n ms
cinating. The Blackburns have bred run
ming horses for generations. and have Inn
ported several famous stations and marea
biackourns Whip. Shark. Lance. WOOD
pecker, Boston. Eclipse, Grey Eagle, Wag-
her ana numerous other old-time thor
oushbreds were either owned by the elder
biackourp or made seasons at his planta~
uon. Ii was the Blackburns of Kentucky.
the Bowies Of Maryland, the Hamptons Of
south Carolina, the Johnstons, Bolts and
Doswefls OF Virginia who laid broad ana
deep the foundations on which rest the
modern blood horse OF the United statesL
lnese gentlemen invested their money lib
eraiiy. TOOK great chances In importing
costly animals from England In sailing
vessels. and frequently met severe losses by
storm and shipwreck. Senator Blackburn
can wildly recall some OF the old-tims
thoroughbreds.
The Great Boston.
The great Boston," remarked the Sena-
tor last evening. renectively, while seated
In group Of notable lovers OF the horse,
died In my fathers stable. / well remem-
Der the morning he died. / was a lad At
the time 1 went to the stable as usual and
found 1t locked. heard old Milo,' the
groom. inside. and after pounding on the
door with considerable force Il was swung
open just far enough to admit me. was
no sooner In than Milo was out and the
door locked on me As soon as I took in
the surroundings I was as scared q boy
as You ever saw. Boston had Just died
and the walls Of the stable were bespat-
tered with his blood. yelled Justify to b
let out. Finally, Milo released me. much
to my relief
Boston had been ailing for some time.
more the result Of old age than any sps-
cine disease. The immediate cause Of his
death. however. was pneumonia Boston
was not sweet-tempered horse, and his
get 70 the remotest generation. partakA
more or less. Of his sulky temper. Lex
ington, his greatest son, was very much
IKE MIN IN temper. Even when old and sight,
less. II you entered his paddock. he would
iay BACK his ears. bare his teeth and make
hor YOU Boston was q sluggish horse. and
frequently had to be punished to make
MIN run up to his full limit Sometimes n
punished. he would not run at all; that ID,
ne would sulk. At others he would hang
at the post until he saw the field was wen
on. when suddenly he would wheel and
make chase. He could generally overhaul a
neld before it had gone a mile. He was q
fusa,. not four-furiong horse. He
irequentiy ran race OF twelve miles and
aouotiess could have run twenty n speciai-
~ prepared for the distance
HIS Ugly Temper.
For one year before Boston died he haA
to be helped to rise in the morning by n
squad Of slaves. when the suspensory
would be placed under him. Then Milo
would proceed to dress him. While being
groomed he was very ugly. Milo was q
giant In size and strength, but / have
seen the old horse seize him In the back
when he was cleaning his forelegs and toss
him out OF the stable door. After he was
nrted up each morning and cleaned and
MS blood got fairly into circulation Milo
would put boy on his back and send him
out for his regular exercise. The bones OF
Boston and those OF a number of the pro-
jeritors of the great racing families of To-
day lie under the sod on the old planta-
ton or are buried on the one adjoining
Boston was owned partly or in whole IN
washington for some years before he was
taken TO Kentucky and ran several race
on the old Mt Pleasant track Alice Car
Win Boston was an unsuccessful race
mare. She was fast, but possessed q high
~ wrought nervous Organization
NO matter how carefully she was pre-
pared Tor an event, when taken 70 the
track on which she was TO run she lost hee
appetite, broke out into q profuse sweat
ana lost her FORM She was pronounced no
good end was relegated to the harem New
est race horse bred on American son Her
hlgh-strung. nervous organization was q
happy nick for the sluggish Boston
olooo. Tom Bowling. the son Of Lexing-
ton and grandson Of Boston. had all the
speed of the great family. and ali OF their
vices. 1t took four men. two on each side
10 get him on to the track to begin with
When turned loose he would try TO crush
his riders legs against the railing. Forcea
from one railing he would work his vay
over to another: IL soiled in his DEVILS I'M = A
ne would attempt to tear with his teeth
his rider from his seat He was a hard
horse to get or. McGrath. his owner. used
to say to me: Blackburn, IL he 4. anv-
where near prepared 20 go drop the flag
and let him take his chances.' Nine times
out or ten he would get OF. whether he
faced the field or not. soon as he saw
they were moving. and IL was indeed a
great field OF horses hat ne could not
turn. Unlike most OF the Boston blood, he
rarely needed whip or spur to urge him 70
run up to his limit In the stable Bowling
was a savage.
Tom Bowling Was q Savage.
He killed or mutilated three men ana m
his old age was sold for $50. When % old
that he was a mere shadow OF his former
self he stin retained his fierce temper ana
Was dangerous. Bowling. notwithstandine
was not . success In the stud; he ala not
breed on. This goes to prove that breed
ing is not and never can be made an sxace
science"
Are the race horses Of today the equals
OF the old timers in speed and endurancef'
was asked.
IT think the really great race horses Of
our time are their superiors In speed for
the distance they are trained to run ana
II trained and bred for endurance would BE-
their equals IL not their superiors az well
Speaking Of Grey Eagle: ahi there was Q
beautiful horse-the most beautiful 1 ever
saw. In symmetry. style and action he
was the kirg OF Thoroughbred. Unlike
most show horses he was q race horse"
How were race horses In old times cared
for as compared with thoes Of todagr
was INTERCEPTED by a listener.
They had to rough II IN a large measure
Boston, Woodpecker. Bertrand. Wagner.
Grey Eagle. Sir Henry ana even Sir Archy
and Diomed were kept In log stables and
consequently were more or less exposed 70
the elements. My opinion II they were not
injured by it. but that they and their get
gained In vigor. Give a horse plenty OF
air, food. light, good grooming and q bed
of dry straw up to his knees and he VIII
thrive. The horse deter1orates when yoo
make OF him q dollhouse plant