Mineral Point Tribune

A Famous Horse.

Few descendants of Eclipse have been more renowned than Touchstone, and most of the best horses in training have more than one strain of his blood. Herring's picture does not make him by any means the best-looking horse in the book, nor was he exactly what would be called a very handsome horse. His head was all very well, although his ears were coarse. His neck was strong and his shoulders were fair, but not remarkable. There was, however, plenty of depth below them. It was behind the saddle that he possessed his extraordinary power. Indeed, we do not think that Herring quite did justice to his second thighs, which, as the writer of this article has reason to know from a personal acquaintance with the splendid old horse, were developed to an almost preternatural extent. His picture could not show his curious habit of turning out his hocks, and galloping very wide behind, or how desperately he pulled. He lived to be 30, dying in 1851, whereas Birdcatcher, with whose descendants his stock has been so much crossed, died at the age of 27 in the previous year. There are two pictures of Touchstone's son Cotherstone. He looks a powerful and remarkably well-shaped horse, but rather long in the leg, and without much bone below the knee.—The Saturday Review.