The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1867-05-25
Tte aemorrat,
The Origin orMorgan Horses.

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The origin our most valuable horses is
not only a subject of interest to the Gu
rious, but it also of great practical impor.
lance. In a late number of the Wes-
tern Rural, I notice an article calculated
to throw the progenitors of the Morgan
horse into obscurity. Having had the
honor of representing the Vermont
Horse Breeders Association as cores
ponding secretary in 1854, | desire that
the public should have all the facts, which
were collected with great care aud expense.
The original papers arc now in my pos
session.
The original Morgan horse, Justin
Morgan, wa sired BY True Briton some.
times called Beautiful Bay. True Briton
was sired by Morton's (imported) Travel
er, who was sired by 0'Kelley's [English)
Eclipse. Eclipse was sired by the Godol.
phin Arabian Tartar.
The dam of the original Morgan horse
was owned by Justin Morgan, of West
Springfield, Mass, And the colt was
foaled in Springfield in 1898, aud when
two years old he was taken to Randolph,
Orange county, Vt. The original Morgan
horse was siredby a horse called Diamond /;
he by the Church horse, and the Church
horse by the celebrated Wild Air, so cell
ebrated in England as the sire ofyaluable
stock. The Wild Air horse was owned,
previous to being brought to this country.
bv William Swimburn and Jennison Shat.
TO. and was sired by Eclipse in 1853.
The dam of Wild Air was sired by Steady,
a son of the great Flying Childers.
History informs US that the great Fly
ing Childers and Bartlett's Flying Cbil-
ders were descendants of the Arabian
stock. The first named horse was owned
by the Duke of Devonshire, and from
these two animals deseendeda host of fine
horses. Among the most noted was the
Eclipse as above. For a full description
of Morton's Traveller the reader is refer
red to the American Turf Register, vol.
6, page 423. 0fTrue Briton it is enough
to say that he sired the original Morgan
horse. In the Farm and Fireside ii is
recorded that the great Flying Childers
on one occasion went three miles and six
furlongs aud ninety-three yards in six
minutes and forty seconds; anda It another
time he went four miles, one furlong and
one hundred and thirty yards in seven
minutes and a half. Eclipse was the
grandson of Bartletts Flying Childers,
and when a colt, upon the death of his
owner, he was sold to Mr.. Wildman, who
sold an interest in him to Col O'Kelley.
After becoming fully acquainted with the
feetness and power of the animal 0Kell-
eY purchased the remaining interest in
him for 1.100 g%uineas.
This horse acquired such a reputation
for speed that no horse was permitted to
run against him. He was never beaten,
nor paid a forfeit aud he won for his own
er more than $4,000. Afterwards as a
stallion, being taken from the race course,
he earned double the amount for his own
er, and what is still more extraordinary
he produced 334 winning colts and they
netted their owners more thar 925, 900.
The dam Of Eclipse was sired by Steady.
a son Of the great Flying Childers, and
ofthe famous Miss BelToir, who was a de-
scendant of the far-famed White Turk.
The above is a true history Of the origin
of the Morgan race of Horses, as the
original documents show. The ~illustra-
tion Clifford Morgan, Jr.,' heading the
article referred TO, is true to life.
Among the many fast Morgan horses
are found Ethan Allen, the trotting STALL
ion of Horatio Sargent, of Springfield,
Mass, sold to Mr.. Wood of Providence, r.
I. for 81, 600, who trotted a mile in two
minutes and thirty seconds, known in New
York in 1868 as Henry Clay; the
chestnrt horse of Robert Abel, Of Paw
tucket, r. l., going a mile in two minutes
and forty seconds, sold for $500 the noted
Beppo, who made a mile on the Center
vile track IN two minutes and thirty-two
seconds; the chestnut horse Pizarro,
making time on the Cambridge course, in
1848, in W minutes and fifty seconds, and
a host of others Of later date, whose time
lam now unable to record.
w. A. FLANDERS.
Shelby, Ohio.