The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-01-30


We purpose to re-publish from the
AmerjcaH -Ultic0tor series of arti-
cles on the above topic. The first ill.,
stalment is given below:
The steadily increasing popularity of
the Morgan cross, in the trotting as
well as the road horse, which has re-
suited from the success of many of the
noted modern turf performers possess
ing Morgan strains, has revived in the
minds OF some the tact that for a long
time an honest difference of prevailed
among intelligent horsemen concerning
the pareutage, not only of the original
founder of the family, Justin Morgan,
but OF at least two of his noted descend
ants, viz, Vermont Black Hawk and
Ethan A Hen. Unfortunately for those
who undertook the task of tracing the
breeding of the horse Justin VI r.
gan, 10 well directed effort was made
for this purpose until long after both
breeder and horse had been dead for
years. The credit Of starting the in
quiry which finally led to establishing
all the facts now known concerning
the breeding of the founder of the Nor
gau family OF horses belongs TO Mr..
Geo. Barnard, formerly a resident of
Sherbrooke, p. G.
Mr.. Barnard was practical horse
man of large experience, both az a
bl eeder and dealer, many of his horses
being among the finest produced in his
locality. About the time that the po-
pularity of the MOrgans was at it.
height, Mr.. Barnard, whose business
had given him an opportunity to exam
inc many individuals of that family,
from the sale OF which Vermont breed
ers were then re llizing large returns
every year, observed, as he thought, so
close IA resemblance in size, form and
color between the VI rgans and the
horses of the Provinces, as to lead him
to suppose that the original Morgan
was of French Canadian origin. Rec
ogniziug the great benefit likely to re-
suit II Canadian breeders, provided
that the public could be convinced that
he was correct in his opinion, Mr.. Bar
nard made an attempt to prove that
such was the case, and succeeded in
getting all affidavit from a man named
John Stearns, which, had it been cor
T
establishing Barna Dis claim.
The substance of the affidavit which
was sworn to a & 'arleston Village, n.
/ H., Aug. Il, 1871, before David Cor.
nell, justice of the peace, was AS fol-
lows: On the eve of the second Tues
day in June, about 1904, in company
with a skilful hprseman named Abel
Shorey, aud others, John Stearns went
80 the house his uncle, David GOss,
in st. Juhnsbury, W., where they
found John Goss, also Searu's uncle,
from Randolph, with n little, heavy.
active, bay horse, which he requested
/ ShOrey to trim, chiefly by pulling out
aud cutting the hairs of his tail which
appear ed as if II had been gnawed by
calves. John Gpss said he was Il Clu-
adam horse he had Just got from Justin
MOI gan of Raudo. ph, Who had lately
brought him from Montreal. Quoting
his own words, II afterwards frequent
| ly heard the manner of has purchasing
the hOrsc related in my fathers and
| Uncle David's families, which was This
Uncle John had lent Morgan the sum
| of $40 on occasion of the lulter's going
journey t. Montreal in Canada. VI r
gan obtained the horse, then four year-
| old, at Montreal, and being unable t.
/ pay the money ON his return. disposed
of him to Uucie John to pay the debt
The above, although only part OF
the affidavit, contains all that wa, men.
toned concerning The breeding OF the
horse. Although nearly all the facts
contained in the affidavit were subse
quently proved to be incorrect, yet
there is no reason to doubt the sinceri
ty of either barnard or Stcarns. The
latter, when boy of thirteen, had seeI
the horse, and probably on the date
mentioned, which was fixed in hi,
mind on account OF muster that Oc
CURED the following day-ln event no.
likely to escape the memory of ordina
ry boys of that age. All the Other
statements, although made in goOt
faith and to the best of their recOllec
ton, after lapse Of thirty-seveu years
with nothing to fix them clearly in hi
memory, were contrary TO facts subse
quently brought to light and fully es
taDlished. That Mr.. Barnard was hon
est in the matter is evident from the
fact that in only about Two months frou
> the time the affidavit was given, anC
before anything had been published
) showing its talsily, he wrote lette
) which was published, in which h,
says, 81 have expressed too coniiden
an opinion in saying | believe the or
, iginal horse (Alorgan) was of Frencl
, Canadian origin. The affidavit whicl
| furnished is only probable, and no
= conclusive testimony that the origina
) horse was of Norman French descen
and procured in Montreal"
The affidavit Of Stearns was pub
A lished, and finally came to the motto
/ of Mr.. Justin Morgan of st ckbridge
l VT, a son of the man by whom the OF
, i9inal NJ prgan horse was taken to Ran
/ dolph, Vt, upon which, under date q
J March |, 1872, he wrote Il letter, whic
/ was published the following June, i
= which he states: 81 have read the aft