Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1886-06-18

mare that he calls Princess:
WOODSTOCK, VT, June s, 1856.
JOSEPH BATTELL. ESQ,
Dear Sir Il never saw Princess, but
understood she was bay mare without
white, not quite II hands high. have
talked a number of times with Joseph b.
| Farnsworth about Princess. He lived
then at Windsor, VT; is Il lawyer. His
address, now, | think. is Weathersfied,
VT. He (Mr. Farnsworth) is brother to
Mr.. Billings present wife. He said he
knew Princess when Mr.. Densmore
owned her and when Mr.. Billings owned
her; knew she was the mare DensmOre
owned. knew from Mr.. Billings that the
mare Princess that he owned was the
mare Princess that trotted with Flora
Temple. Mr.. Farnsworth's father told
me that Mr. Billings said the history
gave of Princess was true. showed it
to j. b. FarnSwOrth and he read it; said
it was Just as it was. Mr.. Culver. that
Mr.. Billings sent to buy Princess dam,
told me that he saw Princess trot at Chi
cago in 1859; that he went and saw her
in her stable because he took care of her
for Mr.. Billings and he said he knew her
to be the mare he took care of for Mr..
Billings.
Mr.. Billings did live at Chicago
and | suppose he does now. The
best way to reach him is by his
brother-in-law, Mr.. j. b. Farnsworth.
do not think Mr.. Billings would answer
any letter asking information about Prin-
cess. ID. \. Gage and j. c. Simpson
were in company in 1872. at Chicago, or
near there, breeding horses. | do not
know whether Mr.. Gage is living now or
not. have their catalogue of stock for
the year 1872. They sold that year their
stock by auction. Mr.. Wallace says
Gage said he had the mare of Billings.
will say there can be no doubt or quns-
ton that the mare l.. b. Adams of Mid
dletown. VT. bred and raised and traded
to Mr.. DensmOre, and he let Mr.. Bennett
have and he sold to \. y. Bill
| lings-l say there cannot be the slightest
doubt but that this mare was the mare
Princess that trotted with Flora Temple
| send you two or three numbers of Mr..
simpsons history of Princess; these you
can return.
did have all of Simpsons history of
! Princess. but cannot find only the num-
bers send YOU. ! have not seen Mr..
Culver very lately. but suppose if he is
alive. he is living at Hartford, VT. Will
learn if you desire me to.
| can send you Gage Il Simpsons cat
alogue if you desire. 1t speaks of Prin-
cess in it and the first colt she brought
| by Deacon Mckenzie's Clifford colt. and
they had Il tilly from her. Lila Snow.
that they were going to sell at auction
Yours truly.
ALLEN W. THOMSON.
From the article by Mr.. Simpson refer
| Il Il, g<1
My informant, Mr.. Billings. president
of the West side Gas company of Chica-
90. in two conversations held with him,
gave the following history. Although |
noted in a memorandum a few of the
points heard from others. the subject
of his remarks is mainly from recullec-
ton. aS he promised to hunt up old pa
prrS which would give dates. names, etc.
Near Claremont. New Hampshire. re-
sided two brothers who were wagon
makers. At times they would have more
vehicles on hand than the wants of their
section required, when they would take Il
team and string as many behind as they
thought they could dispose of and make
IA tour through the country, swapping.
selling and bartering as the opportunity
offered. In one of these excursions. in
the northern part of New \ ork State.
they traded lumber wagon for a likely
four-year-old pacing tilly. This was in
! lS5l. and consequently the tlly was
toalcd III 1871. They brought her home,
worked her on the farm and road. and the
next year Mr.. Billings became her own
er. giving another horse and one hundred
and twenty-five dollars ITO boot" She
was then considered of more than ordin-
airy promise. and. when driven fast
enough to leave the pace. showed an easy.
rapid. square trot The spring of lS53
Mr.. Billings bred her to Il son of Clifford
Morgan, called the Deacon Mckenzie
colt. not only being anxious to get a colt
from her. bur thinking it would render
her steadier and not so "touchy" a. she
was then.
Hon. ID. \. Gage of Chicago visited
! tlaremOnt the summer of lSJJ, and the
first glimpse he had of Topsey she was
| flying through the hallows with vcloci-
! ~ which appeared akin To the Swoop of
the hawk as she darted from the crest of
the pitch. This season, not having the
duties of maternity To attend to. she had
to do her part of the farming operations,
and, when Mr. Gage Went to purchase
her, she was engaged in the useful occu-
patton of hauling a load of hay. His only
question was to inquire the price, and
Mr.. Billings valuation of six hundred
dollars soon vested the ownership in him.
This was the third change from the black
smith who bred her. and she was now a
mature animal eight years old. Mr..
Gage drove her on the road during his
stay in ClaremOnt, and that fall shipped
her to Chicago. But ere we follow the
mare to the "City on the Lake" will
recount the history Mr.. Billings gave me
of his travels in search of her mother and
the successful termination of the pursuit
of her father. Stimulated by what was
thought, in that region and at that time,
the long price of six hundred dollars, he
obtained the necessary information of the
wagOn-makers of whom they got her and
where he lived. He had no difficulty in
finding the place. The man showed him
the wagon he got for her, with the name
of the builders on the hind axle. 1t ex-
hihited very little wear for the four years
he had used it on the rough roads, and il
was highly priced for its capacity to car
ry IA load over the corduroys of the for
.ut md hA ,tn ,ft . a