The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-10-02

Without knowing more, it is hare
now to say what horse the Figure horse
was. He may have been the horst
Justin Morgan, but we think not. |
is claimed on good authority that The
three-y ear-old gelding colt was grey
stud colt, and was the Figure horse aut
was taken north from Randolph. Gre,
Figure was advertised to stand at vii
Jamestown. VT, in 1895. The adver
tisement states that he was six years
old, Is 1-2 hands high and sired by ole
Grey Figure, all imported horse owned
by Col. Hart of Pennsylvania. The
Figure horse was in Lebanon the 20tf
of June, 1898, according to his adver
tisement, and it must mean Lebanon
N. Ii. Mr.. Morgan did not pay a tax
on two stations at the same time. The
United States law that was passed il
1868 taxing stations $40 was avoided
by many by their saying they did not
breed them. 1t looks more reasonable
that the Figure horse was a he rse that
Mr.. Morgan took to keep, the same a.
he did Dimond and True Briton.
Seventeen hundred and ninety five i.
the year that Mr.. Morgan, Sen, gave
in 1912 as the year his father took the
original Morgan horse to Vermont. He
gave the year 1895 from memory and
it was so accepted without any inves.
tigation. 1t is nothing strange that he
made mistake in the year as he had
no data to refer to. lie told his son,
III. ID. Morgan, now of Stockbridge,
that he had made some wrong state
ments in regard to his fathers horse.
Ii. ID. Morgan says he understood his
father that the horse was taken to Ran
dolph before his father broke up keep
ing house, and there can be no doubt
that he was. Mr.. Morgan's means
were limited and he needed what was
his due at Springfield to do the bust
ness he did at Randolph. He did not
wait seven years before going after it,
The grand lists of Randolph show that
he owned no property there after 1874
or before June 30, 1895. Randolph
must have been his place of residence
after 1894, as it was the home of his
children, and it will be shown that his
residence was there at the time of his
death
Mr., Linsley states that Mr.. Morgan
supported himself after he broke up
keeping house by teaching. This
shows he would not have been encum-
bered with a stallion. His son said
the horse was five years old the spring
that his father died. Mr.. Weir saws
that Mr.. Morgan did not own the horse
at the time of his death aud there can
not be much doubt that it was the
spring of 1875 that Mr.. Morgan sold
the horse, and he was five years old at
that time. This is why Mr.. Morgan's
son made the mistake he did. lie re-
that there was something
lone in 1875 in regard to the horse,
and gave it that that was the year he
was taken to Vermont, when it
was the year that his father sold him.
The grand list of Randolph shows
that VIM. Rice had list at Randolph
from 1892 TO 1877. This shows that he
to WCodstock in 1896 or z.
Mr.. Morgau's son said his fathers
horse passed into the possession of Mr.
Rice. Mr.. Morgan died March I'D,
1898. 1t is stated by some that he died
at Woodstock at VIM. Rice's, but the
records in the Probate office in regard
to Mr.. Morgan's estate rather show
that he died at Randolph. Spooner's
vermont Journal for April -, 1899.
the notice for the settlement
of Justin MOrgan's estate. The first
volume of the records at the Probate
office for the district of Randolph con-
tains the appraisal of Mr.. Morgan's
property by the commissioner at the
time of his death. The amount of pro-
perty appraised is Sl60.13. There is
no horse or stock of any kind apprais.
ed. A saddle and bride are appraised
81; whip, II cents; Bible and Tesla.
ment, 20 cents; "Scott's Lessons" 30
cents ;"Pope's Essay on Man" 30 cents;
his clothing, $3.50 The different ar
ticles of property are stated, The ex-
pense of last sickness is given. DR..
Bissel's bill, 81 60; Aaron Stearns' bill
for nursing, Sl.02. Messrs. Bissel and
Stearns were residing at Randolph. A
dividend of Is cents is paid the credit
ors Nov. Is, 1900.
MIR. Linsley states that Mr.. Rice let
Robert Evans of Randolph have the
horse in 1901 and that he let John Goss
have him in 1904 and that Mr.. Goss let
his brother David at st. Johnsbury
have him; that he was taken back to
in 1911 and kept there and
in the vicinity until his death. The
following advertisement shows that the
horse was kept at Randolph the season
Of 1907. 1t is from the Weekly Wdn-
7erer of May 4, 1907. The Wdndcrer
was printed at Randolph:
ME MORGAN HORSE will stand this
l. season at the stable of John Goss, in
Randolph. May l, 1907
1t is claimed that he stood part of the
time this season at Claremont, n. IL.
private letter states that he was
shown at the fair at Randolph in 1917.
lie died at Chelsea in February, 1919,
or WIS killed. The cause of mis- death
was a kick that he received from
mare hitched in the barn beside him,
here being only pole between them.
This is sad end of so remark able a
horse, who was the founder of a dis
mot family of horses.
After the Morgans had become popu-
ar, it was desired to know the origin !
md blood of their founder. 1t was
claimed by many that he was taken