Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1886-02-26


valley to the Locust Creek House, near
Bethel; thence by smaller valley
ascend to Barnard Pond, where at an
excellent hotel, we pass the night. There
is nothing of Lake Champlain this time,
only, in the dim distance. aslash of it as
we cross the mountains; but the valleys
of Eastern Vermont, though wanting the
breadth and magnitude of the Champlain
valley, are fertile and well-cultivated, and
are the homes of thrifty and intelligent
people. They are, too, exceedingly beau
tiful. and winding through them are the
best roads in the world.
Through "A glen that seemed almost
like long winding thread. we drove
from Barnard Pond to Woodstock. On
entering the village the eye is delighted
by the beautiful residence and spacious
and elegant grounds of the Hon. Freder-
lex Billings, which occupy "A command
ing eminence on the right. We crossed a
substantial iron bridge which spans the
clear Otta Quechee and passed down an
avenue of aged trees, mostly elms, as
gnarled and mighty as those which guard
the historic streets of Hartford. Wood
stock is a village of great beauty with
many suggestions of taste and refine
ment and good degree of wealth withal
in its tasty dwellings, bowery gardens
and clean and shady streets.
We found Allen w. Thomson a man
past middle age, who has spent much
time in tracing pedigrees of noted horses,
especially those of Vermont; man of
great skill in elicting information and
undoubtedly honest, but, as we think.
apt to form a hasty and untenable con-
cluson. Mr.. Thompson at first asked IA
hundred and fifty dollars for his infor-
nation. including some on the dam of
Black Hawk said that Mr.. Wallace had
offered him fifty; but finally let me have
it for one hundred dollars. aS | had al
ready paid him for work done before.
and was ready to employ him again.
He had collected this information about
ten years ago, when several important
witnesses. now dead. We're living.
Mr.. Thomson's narrative. given in his
own language. goes on to say: "I'he
mare. not quite II hands. and would
weigh in common flesh about 800 lbs.
Her head and eyes were prominent,
ears rather large and long. She had Il
large nostril and straight face. eyes mild
and pleasant. neck and body long. with
ers low, Slopng rump. legs not large. but
Sincwy. hind leg crooked and inclined to
be curby. name and tail medium as to
quantity of hair: hair of tail long. She
was long-gaitcd. and a keen. free. fast
driver. All admit she was smart to 90.
/ Her faults were. she was Il Jumper and
hard to catch. She was afraid of a buff
falO robe behind her. 1t excited her and
made her pull hard. When turned out
/ she went where she was mind to; no
fence stopped her. She Wore Il poke
sometimes. but it did not make much diff
ference. She jumped about the same
with it. The poke made a bunch on her
neck.
Sometimes. to avoid being caught. she
would jump out of the pasture. One
time her owner went to catch her: she
seemed determined not to be caught
jumped out of the pasture into the road
then into the moving. went across the
meadow and brook, jumped another fence
and went onto the mountain. Her owner
Mr.. Cook followed her. and found hel
in some bushes where she could not get
away. When he came up to her she
looked around and by her looks said, i
am caught, though | tried hard to get
away.
Mr.. lIolcomb snapped a horse for hel
in the fall of 1913, with George Weed, ot
III. Mr.. Weed bought her of VIM. III
Cook, the previous June, with colt by hel
side. for $50. When Mr.. Weed TRADED
with Mr.. lIolcomb he kept the colt. Mr.
Cook had her of his father, Warner Cook
in the fall of 1899. Warner Cook haC
her of George johnson. then of Hague
now deceased. 1t was in the fall of ls3
Mr.. Cook bought her of Mr.. johnson
Mr.. johnson bought her about 1884 o
Rufus Rising of Hague. (Rufus Risn!
died about 1870.
So far the mare is traced without an,
doubt. Where Mr.. Rising got her is no
stated for any certainty. 1t has been tn
received opinion, and is, that he got he
| in Vermont.
; We visited III and Hague in June. 1876
saw Rufus Rising's widow. She wa
living at Hague; her age about 20
. health broken, but memory good
: Previous to visiting Hague we had writ
ten her, asking if she remembered he
| husbands owning little gray mare, am
= if so, where he got her. She informed Il
t that she received the letter, and at tina
= time her husbands brother was with hel
e and they talked it over about the gra
| mare. They remembered her we'll, bu