We are grateful to Richard Pritzlaff for
providing the following Carl Raswan materials as his gesture in
tribute to Carl Raswan. Richard Pritzlaff was unable to attend the
Al Khamsa convention in San Francisco so he sent a wealth of materials
to the KHAMSAT on Raswan to help gain a better understanding and
appreciation for Carl Raswan and his work. (See convention
coverage in this issue.) Many people may not be aware that
Carl Raswan spent part of his last years at Richard Pritzlaff's
Rancho San Ignacio often working diligently to publish his writings.
This is the first of several installments on Carl Raswan from Richard
Pritzlaff's collection. This feature deals with excerpted correspondence
between Carl Raswan and the noted early American breeder, W.R.Brown
as well as correspondence with Richard Pritzlaff. (To be
an accurate record spelling and grammar are presented essentially
as they appear in the correspondence provided.)
Letter from Carl Raswan to W.R.Brown,
November 6, 1925, from Pomona, California:
My dear Mr. Brown,
Received your kind letter of October 31st
today and thank you for all information and "News: I am anxious
to answer your various questions:
Mr. Kellogg is very interested to see your
stock and if things happen to come to our favour, that we are able
to leave here in December, I expect that Mr. Kellogg and I may see
you around New Year. Thank you for the information about the direct
route via Montreal.
Various Horse families (and strains) exist
in the same Bedouin tribes, but certain families of certain tribes
are celebrated as breeders of particular absolute
pure strains (and families of horses) - The "good, old, solid times"
are passing too in Arabia and the pure -
absolutely pure - strains are disappearing fast - the farther north
you go (away from the Nafud desert) the less you fine which are
considered absolutely pure.
An Arab Horse today is considered "ASIL"
WHEN
(1) Pure in stain and Family
or: (2) Pure in strain alone and of different
family
or:(3) Pure in two related strains (example:
Kuhaylan stallion
and Saklawi mare).
A "Fanatical" Bedouin breeder will only consider
No. (1) "pure". ("Asil" mare and "hadud" stallion).
If some of our old Americans regret the
passing of so many old ideals of Lincoln's time - so do the
old Bedouins regret the passing of the breeding of absolutely
pue strains (how otherwise could Abbas Pasha have paid $15,000
for an old crippled SAKLAWIAH (SHAIFI)
mare? which he imported to Egypt from Central-Arabia). Or how
could have been preserved the Muniki Hadraj type - the same
1700's producing the Darley Arbian and nearly 200 years later
a "Kismet" or "Maidan"?! Or how could have been such "types"
been preserved which are as different as a Morgan from a Kentucky
Saddle Horse (Kuhailan and Saklowi for example) or a Pony form
a Race horse (Abaiyan and Muniki). While I do
not say they absolutely resemble such
types, still they do Mostly surprisingly
so - and the various differences appear more in the composite
bloods and not in the Arab so much (which should prove anyhow
not only a careful fixed breeding in such Arab Strains for many
generations, but also an intensifying breeding of such fixed
types through many occasions of closest in-breeding).
No tribe who ever owned "fast" horses exterminated a tribe with
"slow" horses (not only in Arabia - see also England versus
Boers as other instances of history). You mention the Muniki
(large and fast) and the Abaiyan (small and slow).
But: the Abaiyan have the
endurance, I could prove it to you by
our "Arak".
Letter to Carl Raswan from W.R.Brown,
February 18, 1928 from Miami Beach, Florida:
My dear Raswan,
Your letter of Jan. 19th, Damascus reached
me here where I am having good rest on the sand under an almost
tropical sun and as you may judge I was greatly delighted at the
splendid photos of some high quality horses, also to hear that you
would be in this country soon and that I am to have the pleasure
of seeing you and hearing of your trip and all about your recent
discoveries. Most of the photos you sent this time are of the kind
of horses I like with intelligent, aristocratic, sensitive heads
and well set up conformation, strong, deep ribbed and graceful.
May I congratulate you on getting such good photos. Are they selected
from a good many as the best or did you find a tribe where the quality
ran high. I hope too, that the horses given you was a good one.
By the way I received a letter from your friend Ameen Rihani saying
he was coming over shortly and accepting my invitation to come to
Berlin (N. H.) to see me and bring his horses for a rest upon their
arrival. Your photos of the Arabic books were wonderful for a small
camera and they look most intriguing. Do you want me to help you
again on the translation? My idea would be to have them enlarged
in our photographic department and bound and translated by a scholar
in New York who was conversant with the ancient script. The cost
perhaps would be considerable but if they are about horses I would
feel well repaid if I could retain a copy. You will find me at home
and a cordial welcome at Berlin (N. H.). Cable me or telegraph from
the hotel the probable date of your arrival so that I can make plans
to have plenty of time to hear about your trip. I am more than envious
of your freedom to go out there and nothing would give me greater
pleasure than to live the Bedoween life for a time among fine horses.
I hope you got the last edition of our stud book which I sent to
Damascus. It has had a lot of favorable comment.
How about working for me when you get
back? I need a rider and could give you leisure to work on your
notes and between us, a considerable contribution to the world's
knowledge of the Arabian Horse could be made.
Letter from Carl Raswan to
Richard Pritzlaff April 20, 1954:
Our dear Richard,
You made me practically "independent'
now -- independent to do my work as I would
like to present it to the Arabian Horse Breeders and
Horse Lovers.
Dashialls sent me a note, saying that
the Los Angeles times printed the following: "Louis Brandt,
director of the hit play, 'Once Upon a Taylor' (running the
18th week at the Circle Theatre, etc. etc.) will fashion Carl
Raswan's 'Drinkers of the Wind' into a screen play to be made
into a picture by his own Tower Productions, Inc., this summer
on location. Rodney Bell, recently in 'Brigadoon' and 'A Star
is Born', is wanted by Brandt for a stellar assignment."
Lou also wrote that he'll have news for
me before long. I am used to Hollywood publicity, but a "grain"
of truth must be in this clipping - and I know that Lou is working
on it. The best thing is not to get excited
about Hollywood, but bite my time to wait and see. I am in no
hurry about anything except that I have to work (with my nose
on the "grind-stone") to get the INDEX
out. (It's a life's work -
you know it - and I owe it to the Arabian
Breeders for years and years. And now you
make it possible to get it
out).
And other - real good - news: the Swiss publisher had my collection
of Arabian Horse Stories translated into German (a beautiful
translation - I just finished correcting it). This book was
published yet - but now it will be published in German first.
I love this book really - and I am glad that it is coming out
in German first, and no doubt, England, the U.S.A., France,
Italy and others will like it too. It reads marvelously (I should
not brag about my very own stuff, but somehow I read it with
tears running over my cheeks - all these wonderful horses in
Arabia, Egypt and America come back to life and
I lived with them again and also with
the people).
Letter from Carl Raswan to
Richard Pritzlaff, November 28th, 1954:
...There is no place (though there are
other places) which I know that should give so much courage
and peace of heart in this restless world as San Ignacio Ranch
and the whole country around it.
...The Hungarians never called a Persian,
Turk or Barb an Arabian, but separated them from their real
(authentic) Arabians - and called them Part-bred Arabians or
"Araber-Rasse" (not ORIGINAL and Arabians).
I found more than 380 additional imported Arabians & Near Eastern
horses in these papers which I sorted out in those boxes on
your ranch. What an important addition to my Index! It is hardly
possible that I miss even a single one of the original imported
Arabians that came to Europe between 1789 to our own time (1932).
It was "fate", dear Richard, that we came to your ranch this
year & that you went to the additional sacrifice and had my
boxes brought up from Springer, and that you went to Hawaii
& that I spent so many days & later nights to sort out all those
horse-papers...Dr. Doyle has seen me work here & often enjoyed
the papers and manuscripts & notes I was working on...
Anyhow, don't worry about us. We are
all right now and accomplished a lot of work and Dr. Doyle &
his family are the kindest & good people. Dr. Doyle and I often
talk about you and we plan that perhaps we three go together
to Egypt & Damascus and Arabia (-two or three months, God willing)
and get us a couple of the best mares and two of the best stallions.
Let us hope that we can do it.
Letter from Carl Raswan to
Richard Pritzlaff, January 21, 1955:
...I believe you have completed in every
way the foundation for me to make this literary & scholarly
work on the Index and on this book ("The Arab and His Horse")
a success. When you look back you will recognize what I mean.
Every time you helped us you gave us a further chance not to
quit this work (on the Index), but go on with it, and make it
perfect. The Springer Stroage Boxes were a God send, when you
had them shipped up to the ranch & I could find the missing
notes & papers. and so on - and so on - Twice on your ranch
- and while in Mexico your help, so that we could continue the
work. and now it is crowned, it is finished, completed and the
printing will bring it before the "world" - the critics too
- and the scholars - and the Arabian Breeders & Arabian Horse
Lovers.
...Mrs Joder wrote (she is in Boulder
now, own ranch & her Arabian News Magazine".) She will help
me through her magazine - and perhaps, when the book comes out,
we should stay at least a few weeks in Boulder. Would you advise
me to do this & perhaps stay even a few months in Boulder? It
may be the best thing to do (that is: to work with Mrs Joder
hand in hand the first few months (after the book comes out
and the Index - first volume is coming out too).
Letter from Carl Raswan to
Richard Pritzlaff, June 5, 1956 from Mexico City, Mexico:
...It is the daily bread and the
milk for the babies and such
necessities of life which "stare" us
in the face when ever the time and day comes and they have to
be replenished. Sometimes the worries for these daily expenses
really don't let one sleep and I "Kill" the worries by sitting
up and working myself to forgetfulness.
However I know
that I am getting this work & worrying gradually believe me.
The book [Ed. Note: "The Arab and His Horse"]
was not a success as far as money is concerned, but these hundreds
of letters which I received prove that the book
was a necessity - and the Index is a
necessity too. After I worked on & off more than 34 years
on it, I simply have to let others share with me the knowledge
I gathered up in Arabia & Europe and America...
There is the value of the book & the
Index: others will (in years to come) have a work & reference
book to which they can always turn for
information.
I wish I could be riding with you or
hiking through your glorious country - and also I wish I could
go with you & Dan to Iowa & see your filly & Dr. Doyle's new
horses. Your filly must be well developed now and a beautiful
creature [Ed. Note: this filly was Kualoha] & I hope
Rabanna will have another foal, so that you get really started
in pure-Arabian breeding. And I hope too that you may be able
to arrange with Dr. Doyle (and maybe with some friends of Dr.
Doyle) to get the two Egyptian horses over (the two you liked
the best). [Ed. Note: this refers
to Richard Pritzlaff's unsuccessful first attempt to acquire
horses from Egypt. the two referred to here are the chestnut
filly Mouna (EAO) (Sid Abouhom x Moniet El Nefous) and the bay
colt Kamal II (Nazeer x Kamla), a full brother to Hadban Enzihi.]
Letter from Carl Raswan to Richard Pritzlaff, May
25, 1958:
...You made history! God bless you &
von Szandtner & the Arabians you managed to bring to your little
kingdom at Hermit's peak.
Everything "fits" into the Divine "pattern"
"High-Powers" designed for you & the future of Arabian Horse-breeding
in America...
...My letter (eleven pages & pedigrees)
probably got lost in Egypt but you managed without it, as Herr
von Szandtner was so helpful and so good to you:
When you have time, write me more about
him and how things were with horse-breeding in Egypt.
Letter from Carl Raswan to
Richard Pritzlaff, September 14, 1958, from Mexico City:
...We are so happy that everything has
worked together this year to lay a solid foundation for your
perfect little Arabian stud (I have to find a beautiful Arabian
word for your studfarm & work it out like a "seal" - ("trademark"),
which you can use on your pedigrees, letterheads, envelopes,
etc.).
...People ask me why I don't have Arabians
now (or why I am not with them now). All I can say is: that
it is the very love for them that has separated me from them
for the last years. I owed a debt to the world & to those, who
with me believe in them. All the papers
which I have collected throughout 34 years, all the notes &
pictures I have taken in Arabia, Egypt, Europe & America - they
could not be wasted. (I don't have to
explain it to you. You know what I mean!)
This "Index" - the Handbook for Arabian Breeders - I had to
assemble it and print it - but with the greatest sacrifice of
my life: with absence from my Arabian
horses - with concentration on
only this one
matter: the "Index".
Letter from Carl Raswan to Richard Pritzlaff November
17, 1964 from Santa Barbara, California:
...We are holding out here. Sometimes
it is hard, because we still suffer with the ten years of loss
of time and consequently of the money we could have made if
we had not worked on these 6 volumes of the INDEX,
but instead of the Autobiography and a Juvenile book.
...I have worked steadily on my Autobiography
and here & there on the Juvenile book. I'll probably finish
the Autobiography by April. It contains the 1913/1914 period
of my life in Egypt & other parts of the Near East & the outbreak
of the war & my escape from Egypt to Saxony & later how I volunteered
with the 18th Hussars & in Spring 1915 to Constantinople and
Gallipoli & the battle of Suula Bey - and later through Asia
Minor (21 days and the Armenian massacres & finally Damascus
& Jerusalem & how I joined General Kress von Kressenstein (Chief
of Staff to Jemal Pasha IVth Turkish Army) and my work there
and with camel corps to the SINAI, HEJAZ
and Northern Arabia - and finally Jerusalem & Damaascus again
& with Turkish Cavalry outfit to the Ercerum-Caucasus region
and back to Aleppo - the amazing mountains..the Tower Mountains
& back to Constantinople & my complete breakdown there - sent
to an invalid home (to the Errgelbridge in Saxony) & recovery
in Winter 1917/18 and return to Russia in Spring 1918 - the
UKRAINE - and end of war in WARSAW
& capture by the Social Revolutionaries & finally free - 5 days
in an open Coal Car (below zero weather) to the German border
(almost frozen lifted out of the car) and return home and how
I entered the American Army as interpreter for French, Arabic
& English in Coblenz & two years later, I am on my way to New
York & California to start a new life in Coachella Valley ...south
of Palm Springs. It was enough for one young man's life - but
I did not realize then that more was to come - in Arabia again...
Letter from Carl Raswan to
Richard Pritzlaff, March 27, 1965, from Santa Barbara, California:
...I am happy to know that you visit
your beloved friend General Tibor von Szandtner's wife. (Please,
tell her about us & what we are doing and have done.). It was
a tremendous work that I have accomplished with God's help in
the last 12 years. I begin to realize it myself now - because
I look at the years that have rolled by & the books that I was
able to publish - and every day the sacrifice of sitting 12
to 14 hours at home & just writing & checking & doing research.
How I was able to do it without loosing my health & strength,
I don't know...
I am still working hard, but more walking
too & more sleep - and I hope to stick to it this year - and
next year go to the Near East (if possible the coming winter
already) - and I hope that when I go with Ursula [Guttmann]
& her family too & with my family (& stay in Damascus a year
of so) that you could go too & we make a 'side'-trip from Damascus
to the tribes - with Prince Mutib -
Your plans about Babolna are good. You
will love the country & the people - and see for yourself what
good horses they have & what great horsepeople they are. Their
good Arabians may not be as good & true Arabians as yours, but
you may be able to encourage them & advise them how to get a
new authentic foundation stock of Arabians. With their history
& traditions the Hungarian Government should make all efforts
to go to Egypt & Arabia itself & search for ASIL
stock & start Babolna again with a dozen broodmares & two stallions,
and thus create a NUCLEUS of doubtless
pure (ASIL) Arabians (and keep this ASIL
"nucleus" through the coming generations & centuries - by exchanging
with studfarms like yours & Mrs. Ott's, Marshall's and others).
Letter from Carl Raswan to
Richard Pritzlaff, November 29, 1965, from Santa Barbara, California:
Believe it or not: I was in the Saint
Frances Hospital for a week. What I had thought was a food-poisoning
Tuesday, three weeks ago, was a heart-attack. It seems, that
cutting the lawn with an old lawn-mower did it.
Monday a week ago I collapsed again.
Esperanza got the Doctor right away and he rushed me to the
hospital, where they gave me injections. It was 8 am by that
time - and by 10 am they gave me "the-works" (it lasted 3 and
one half hours). They tested me for everything. The rest of
the day I rested in a half-trance. The following day another
one and a half hours of tests and more X-rays. In the afternoon
the doctor told me: "you have had silicosis. Both of your lungs
are full of holes (scars)". I told him that I never worked in
a mine, but during the war in the Sinai, Hejaz, Northern Arabia
and during all these years in Desert Arabia I had gone through
many sandstorms - and I remember that not only I, but my companions
too, suffered with bleedings from our lungs. In the beginning
I was scared, but the Bedouin assured me not to be afraid. The
bleedings would stop and the lungs would heal (which they did
- and later I paid no more attention to it).
The left kidney is damaged, but healed
over (this is the kidney which suffered the most when the Nazis
beat me up in 1934).
My esophagus is pushed aside. This must
have happened when Col. Bagdan Zietarsky and I shipped two enormous
truck-loads with Arabians from Baghdad to Damascus and in Zietarsky's
truck some horses broke loose and I went in and managed to get
two fillies and a colt and a mare out, but when I tried to get
another mare out she hit her head against a beam and fell unconscious
to the floor of the truck, knocking me off my feet. I fell on
top of her and the big stallion, the cause of all the trouble,
still plunging and kicking, broke his rope and fell on top of
me. The Doctor said that most of the disks in my back bone and
the column of my neck show damage too - and some of them have
strange thorn-like growth. All has healed up, only the "scars"
are left. ("Your body is a miracle for Medical Science", the
Doctor said, "You should write about your body and not about
horses").
There is also an ulcer...The strange
thing is that I have never had stomach trouble. I eat like "a
horse", but not much meat or fancy things. Always lots of vegetables
and lots of fruit and honey and milk. The diet the Doctor gave
me fits right into my regular diet I used to live on (milk,
cereals, etc). I am not worrying about that ulcer.
The hearts needs rest. A full month.
I was born with a heart valvular condition, but look what I
have lived through: World War I - Arabia - high altitudes and
heat and what not!
[Ed. Note: Carl Raswan passed
away less than a year after he wrote this letter to Richard
Pritzlaff]
