Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1886-02-05
Continued
lContinucd.I
PEDIGREE HUNTING:
OR,
THE WRATH OF THE OLD GRAY
MARE
BEING A TRUE HISTORY OF THE DAM Oh
ETHAN ALLEN.
SECOND TRIP to HAGUE-THuRsDAY,o C-
l. 1881.

SECOND TRIP to HAGUE-THCRSDAY OCT.
!, 1885.
Interview with Mrs. VIM. II. Cook:
"We did not raise that mare. We kept
her some time. She came from Massa-
chusetts. Mr.. Johnson, | believe, up
here brought her here. My husbands
father got her of Mr.. Johnson-I think
that was the name. 1t was somebody in
Hague. | first saw her between 1871 and
1915. We owned her. When Warner
Cook had her they used her in "A team. |
used to drive her myself. Should think
her ten or twelve years old. | know she
was not raised in Hague by hearing them
talk. | have heard my husband talking
with others, that johnson went away and
snapped horses and brought this mare
back. a man that was here ten years
ago inquiring her up talked with my hus-
band. My husband let him have team
to 90 to Hague. She was spirited
horse. We did not own her more than
three years. She was hipped. Whenmv
husband took hold of his fathers bust
ness that mare was there; | think she
had Il colt. William II. sold this place
and went up to his fathers and staid
there three years then he took this farm
back. When we came back we brought
two nice bay colts, two and three wears
old, from this mare. We were married
in 1887; went up three years later-lS4O
or Il; staid there three years. The mare
was sold before we came back. | am
not sure but it was Rising. instead of
johnson, that brought the mare. think
my husband talked with IIoyt johnson {:
guess that he got his information of him.
That would be about as near as you could
| get. | can't say sure whether they said
she came from Vermont or Massachu-
sets. She was Il very spirited horse.
She was afraid of buffalo. She could trot
Il good deal faster than | wanted to ride.
| Warner might have had her two or three
years before we went there. My hus-
| band sold her to George Weed. | remem-
Der now; know that Warner got her aft
er we We're married; that was Jan. 3.
! 1887 He might have got her the next
| fall. When we We're there Warner
Cooks affairs were mixed up with Abel
RiSing's. He had a mortgage or some
thing. | know it was paid in gold.
| don't think this mare came with the
Rising property. | think Warner bought
her. think we had heard the stories
about her coming from Vermont or Mas
sachusetts before the man came to make
inquiries. should say that the original
story was that she came from Massachu-
sets. | never heard that it was the dam
that came. Don't remember it was ever
spoken of when they owned the mare
what her blood was
From Mrs. Cooks we drove direct
again to IIoyt JohnSon's. who said:
MY brother George bid off at Boston
a spawned stallion for SIS. He was
gray; think he may have been spotted; a
kind horse, about l5-3; thick built. lie
kept him "A year or so: traded him off. 1t
was after he was married. Never knew
him to use him for mares, but he might.
Knew Zeno Rising. He married Bal
comb; had four or five children: she
died, and he married my cousin. Some
one tells me that my sister lives now with
one of his girls at Johnsburg. Cook told
me some men over the lake wanted the
pedigree"
Mrs. Hoyt johnson testified that she
remembered George JohnSon's selling a
mare remembered that she was a little
dark gray, very dark to Mr.. Warner
Cook: and Mr. Cook used to ride by on
this horse. lie was very heavy. She
had one child, born same year, and
George johnson one: doesn't think Mr.
johnson kept horse great while afterhe
got it of Mr.. Rising. 1t was when Per-
ry was child. Consulting record she
said he was born Aug. Dc. 1881 That
was the summer he sold this horse-mare
they called ito Mr.. Cook. She knew
because she lived right close to them,
farms adjoining; houses stood Il little
way apart. That was the only year
George johnson lived in that house. The
next spring he bought a place in south
part of town, where he lived till he died
Heard it talked of at the time that he got
her of Mr. Rufus Rising: knew the yeal
and the circumstances knew that Mr.
Cook rode her up by. Her impression is
that this horse was quite dark with some
gray hairs; doesn't remember that Mr..
G.. Johnson ever had but one gray horse.
mare that he had when he died. When
they settled the estate her husband had
it. Then Mr.. Il. Rising got her. She
broke her leg and they had to kill her,
This was the only light-gray horse she
ever recollected about George johnson 5
having. RecOllects very well about his
horses because he used to show them to
her. Seemed as if Mr.. Rising had some
gray horses; seemed as if Mr.. q. johnson
had Il stallion. Had two horses that
were SpOttpd: took them TO Boston after