The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-07-25
The Morgans a Distinct Breed.

i
as fast as expected. | think have Sc
cured more subscriptions for the regis
ter at 81 each than have pedigrees. 1t
is surprising to find how widely and full
w the pecularities and eXcelencies of
the Morgan stock are ditfused.
Many seem disposed to withhold ped
grees as worthless, because they do not
display very large proportion of the
Justin Morgan. This seems to me to be
an entire mistake. Justin was unques-
tionably Morgan, with many OF the
Morgan Characteristics fully developed
But we only know it from his progeny
and little testimony-largely from one
cross-road bar room. There we learn
that he earned $lj by years work, and
that he could out-walk, out-run, out
pull and out-trot any other horse in the
neighborhood.
But he and his sons seem not to have
won the Morgan name or reputation.
These were the slow growth of fifty
wears. They were not the product of
the blood of Justin Morgan alone, but
were produced by time, hard times, Sc
we're trials, war, embargoes; the most
desperate tight with starvation. good
roads. light slcighs and buggies; long
winters. social habits and the best of
the best horse stock of the world. The
best and stoutcst only of the European
horses were brought to this country
the racers to Virginia, the Cleveland Bays
to New England.
Not the fastest. but the stoutcst of the
thoroughbreds raised. came to the north.
Twenty Eight Arab sires were brought
into New England early in tins century.
probably of the thick. cheap, robust
type. found in the Mediterranean cities.
About 1887 British dragOon and ar
tillcrv regiments in Canada were hOrsCd
from Vermont. These horses were tax
en- to England on the return of the forces
and were the admiration of the English
officers who continued to regard them rs
unsurpassed by anything in the world.
even after the Crimcan war had reveal
ed to them all the superiorities of the
best French. Russian and Eastern war
horses. Probably none of these were
Morgans. as only tall horses were ac-
cepted.
At the same period the Cunard steam
prs landing in Boston sent the Canadian
civil and military officers and civilians
through Vermont to Canada. and there
were two things about which they and
their ladies went into ecstacies-Ner-
mont horses. of which Morgans were
only small proportion, and Vermont
scenery. Vermont horses were worked
by their owners in summer to the full
extent of their capacity, and not beyond
it. and driven at the top of their speed
during the long winters. And it is work
which is the making of the horse. The
Vermont horse rots down at once when
taken South and corn fed in Il solitary
dungeon.
And the rough-kept. hard-worked.
swift-1riven sleigh and buggy horses of
that day. that were afterwards blended
with the MOrgans, were unsurpassed as
single drivers. by the horses of any re-
gion of the world. More of them would
draw two persons on common road one
hundred miles in day and come back
the third day without injury, than of
any other stock. The progeny of
Diomed, with his muscular weight
mess; Bashaw,with his staying qualities :;
Messenger, with just enough of cold or
Cleveland blood, and Shark, with his
inmitable grace and finish, were all
here, to receive that leaven which, how
ever small in quantity, should trans
form others into that uniform and
matChless type of symmetry, grace, in
telligence. dOciity, capacity, endurance,
health and longevity, known as the
Morgan" But to this. other blood was
useful as well as that of Justin Sher-
mans son Blackhawk.
Sherman's son, Blacihawk, from a
granddaughter of imported Shark, was
not inferior to his sons from grandaugh-
tiers of Justin Morgan. And Blackhawk' 8
sons and daughters from daughters of
Cock of the Rock and Hills Sir Charles
(sons of Duroc, sire OF Eclipse grand
daughters of imported Diomed were
not inferior to those from grandaugh-
tiers of Justin Morgan. One of
these, Duroc-sons of Blackhawk-
Leach's Blackhawk mot mine -was the
finest Morgan | have ever seen make a
track in the West. And the finest road
ster and the finest American coacher that
| know of beast of their descent from
his grandaughters.
1t was not all Justin Morgan. The
Morgans were developed not in 1900. but
in 1870. They then sprang forth in great
numbers, all MoTgans, and each of them
all Morgan and with all the Morgan char
acteristics fully developed. 1t was not
Justin, nor his four sons nor his few
grandsons that had made the name and
reputation of the family. but his great
grandsons and their posterity down to
those remotest from the original sire.
But for this rcmotest progeny, justin
Morgan and his sons might have :ested
in oblivion usual to good horses. 1t wa,
the family likeness and supcriorties OF
those of the fourth and later generation,
that reflected the name and luStre back
upon their common ancestor, and entitled
him rather than lis ancestors to be class
ed with the MOrganS.
These are he true NorgdHS, tuiy EMIT
led To he Hdne and ne hoHorS AMI Ia b,
reclaimed fW bioOded, as realty as an!
.uerinO az ShoHhorR is eRtitted TO b. re-
corticd as tUH biooded.
Billy Root, Clifford, Blaclhawk anC
Granite State had each probably NOR,
reputation and more progeny and NOR,
development of the Morgan characters
} ties at the time of his death than justin
J Morgan in his lifetime. Each has full
title to the family name and if certain
81 Granite State mare sired by Granite
from a dam sired by Granite (by Bar
nard. by Clifford, by Woodbury.. by Jus
tin Morgan) shall ever produce a colt by
her nei0hbOr, "A son of "A bio BlackhaWl