Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1897-12-16
GRAVES OF GREAT HORSES.
Very Few of the Noted Racers Are
HonOred with TombstOnes.

Very Few of the Noted Racers Are
HonOred with TomBst0nes.
Where are Americas great horses
buried? This is a question often asked
1t is hard to answer. Many of Amer
ica's turf performers and great
est sires sleep in unknown and I'M
marked graves. The recent death of the
Young stallion Domino, and the mark of
respect shown him by his owners,
Messrs. Keene, in putting an appro-
pirate slab over his grave, recalls the
fact that but few of the great horses
which have died in this country have
any tablet to show where their bones
lie buried.
One of the first horses to have this
mark of respect shown him was licking
ton, which on the turf and in the stud
showed himself to be the superior of
any horse then living. The story of his
triumph is known to all lovers of the
turf, but it is not generally known that
the late 4. J. Alexander was the first
man to erect a memorial stone over the
remains of dead turf king. When Lex
ington died it was in his stable near
the house occupied by his groom. Hen
nv Overton, and at his request, Lexing-
ton was buried not far away. Mr.. Alex
ander had an appropriate marble shaft
placed at the head of the grave, on
which is recorded brief mention of Lex
| ington's Victories.
The popular story that the bones of
Lexington were circulated and are now
| OF exhibition in the Smithsonian insti-
| tuition at Washington is without founda-
ton in fact, for all that is left of this
wonderful horse, which was the ad-
miration of turfmen of two continents,
| lies beneath the modest stone near Hen
| nv Overton's house on the noted Wood
| burn farm.
Uncle Frank" Harper, who was a
| neighbor of Mr.. Alexander, followed
the example set by the great Scotch
man, and when his incompatible turf
performers and stations, Ten Brock
! and Longfellow, died, he gave them de-
| cent burial on his pretty Nantura farm,
! near Midway, and over the graves of
| each he has erected suitable monu.
| ments. These enduring stones tell the
| observer the breeding and the per.
| formances of the horses which lie be.
! meath them.
These are the only two Kentucky
! breeders who have seen fit to place
stones over their equine dead, and the
| action of the wealthy New Workers,
Messrs. Keene, in following the exam.
| pies of the founder of WOODBURY. and
| the maker of Nantura meets with much
| favor by sentimental Kentuckians who
| love their horses almost as well as they
do their children.
Gen. Abe Buford's McWhirter, the
horse which broke his legs while run
ming at ST. Louis, was buried on the race
| course where he ran that remarkable
race. 1t was the action of McWhirter
| in trying to win after both his forelegs
! had been broken that caused Gen.
| Buford to believe that horses had souls,
! and that they went to Heaven.
Boston, the sire of Lexington, is
| buried at Ned Blackburn's old farm in
Woodford county, where Senator Joe
Blackburn was born. American Eclipse
is also buried there.
Gray Eagle, the famous show horse.
which took premiums over all the
Kentucky stations while he was the
property of the late Parker E. Tod
| hunter, is buried in Ohio; Medoc at Bill
| y bu4OIu place III ScOll COuA lSs ny.
At Ashland farm near the city, the
only thoroughbred establishment in
America conducted by woman, Mrs.
John NJ. Clay, is buried Imp. York
hire and the great brood mare. Mag
nolia, which was sent as present to
Henry Clay by admiring turfmen of
Virginia. Mrs. Clay is the daughter-in-
law of the great commoner, and she
keeps green the little mound over Mag
nolia's bones. She points it out to Wis.
| itors with pride.
Imp. Glencoe, the only horse known
to have died while standing up, is
buried on Keen Richards old farm, in
Scott county, Ky. Ossian died at sea
while being imported to this country,
and was buried in the Atlantic.
Kentucky is buried at August Bel
mont's farm, in New Jersey. He was
| the first horse in America to sell for
! $4,000. He was bred to John NJ. Clay,
| who parted with him for $4,000. Prince
Lief, Byron McCIelland's well-known
! performer, died a few months after his
master, and was buried at the Ken
! lucky association course. - PhiladeL
| Dhia Record.