Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1886-01-22
lContinucd.l
PEDIGREE HUNTING;
or,
THE WRATH OF THE OLD GRAY
MARE
BEING A TRUE HISTORY OF THE DAM OF
ETHAN ALLEN.

TAN ALLEN.
The Densmores of Hague, We have
referred to their history, an uneventful
one. Because we were told that the dam
of the old gray mare was brought to
Hague by Gershom Densmore as early as
1923 we connected their name with her
history. But it has become sufficiently
evident that the Densmores had nothing
to do with the old gray mare. Gershom
Densmore certainly never brought her or
her dam into Hague in 1923.
The next morning we interviewed Ben.
Delano of IT,, 81 years old, who said:
81 had the Burge Horse by Hills Sir
Charles; dam came from Vermont; had
her of a man by the name of Chillson of
III, quite horseman, formerly of YER
mont. The Burge Horse was foaled some
40 or more years ago. sold him to BLY,
at four years old, and he to Burge. Burge
lived and died at Shoreham. Ethan's
dam was a low, smallish mare; nothing
extraordinary about her; not very
chunked, small mare. She used to run
in the street here when Ethan was colt.
knew him until he was two years old.
| raised another stallion after the Burge
1Iorse-Burge's Emperor, son of Emper-
or of Long Island. He was II powerful
horse, a trotter and the greatest walker
ever knew | sold him to a drover of
Putnam county, n. Y. | have a son IS
} years old: don't know as he was born
when the Burge horse was bred; know
the horse was bred after my marriage in
1888. Dam of the Burge Horse was Il
large black mare, thick-set, not very tall !;
pretty good long neck, smooth limbs
We called upon Mrs. Sally A. Holcomb,
widow of Joel w. Holcomb, Il very pleas
ant old lady, now living at a very pleas
ant home in H., who said:
II think Ethan Allen was foaled in
June. The mare had four or five nice
colts. My husband got her of Mr.. Cook
of Hague: never heard Mr.. Hocomb say
what her blood was. She was white
mare, not considered worth much. lie
!; paid only S25 for her, think. She was
; some lame; not large mare; should not
say she was a very stout mare. Ethan
was Black Hawk. He was sired by
Black Hawk. He was very tame and
: gentle. You couldn't get him by the
window but that he would put his head
> in to get piece of cake. | guess there
= was no question about his sire. 1t was
: Mr.. Hills Black Hawk. When Ethan
. was ycarling Joel said that might
: have him. Mr.. IIolcomb and Mr.. Rowe
t were offered 100000 for Ethan at one
time. We raised Black Ethan. quite a
large horse: and he was sold Sept. D.
1853, to Morgan Il. Billings of Herkimer
, Falls. y. Y. \ half interest in Ethan
e was sold in my name to Mr. Rowe. Red
e Leg was IL light grey with red stripe
down the fore leg"
~ j. W. lIolcomb died Oct. II. 1867. Al
l. our interview with Mrs. Holcomb hel
daughter Mary. a very bright young Ia
dy. was present. She took much trouble
to give liz all information possible. She
said the dam of Ethan was an old white
mare of no particular pedigree: that Eth
z an was once on the stage at a theatre il
u New York. He was once awarded
. prize of Il silver WATERFALL of much value
c John IIolcomb. brother of Joel W
e IIolcomb. says:
Il warner Cook bought an old whit,
II mare from "A man by name of Rising, wh'
d got her over the Green Mountains. in foa
1t when she came here. That was the re
II port. She was smarter than lightning
When Cook got her | think she had ;
breach on the neck: think she wa
hipped. Saw her when Cook used t.
drive her to town. She was "A small slim
II mare, not over 500 lbs. | went to Cali
:, fornia in October, 1919. Ethan Allel
a. was then running about the road;
is think he was IA spring colt.
Fanny Cook was Il chestnut mare
looked like colt ut 20: II l-2 hands
narrow withers; short back: good limbs
never better; neck and head couldn't h.
Ia beat. She had big head. | thought
= was homely, but they said it was the bes
: head in the world. | bought her of "
"a III. COOK when she was ~ years old. an
sold her To Baldwin. Baldwin bred lie
to Tom jefferson when he was at Middle
bury, and afterwards sold her to Smitl
the owner of Jefferson. She had rattle
long slim neck, straight, not browning
My brother got the dam of Ethan {
;" Cook. lie got her of Rufus Rising, Ri
ing got her over the Green Mountain.
That was the report when she was young
Wemet the Rev. Joseph Cook in his cal
riage near the depot at III. He was yer
ut courteous in trying to assist us, and,
I'd speaking of the mare, said
AS ''She had a long hip, fine limbs, rattle
of long neck and was very graceful. | d
he not remember when my father got he
iy He had her at the first of my memory
IL 1872 She was neither slim nor stou
H.. i. q