Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1886-02-05

ii''''' II was Il nldlts lie IdlStu lMO Ut
three colts from her; one was a gray:
yes, mare; to question: think that AL
va Bcvins had her. 1t was when she
was about ten years old that her father
brought back this mare. 1t was on one
of his peddlng trips. lie was cooper
and in winter used to take his horse and
drive over in Vermont and sell his meas
ures, etc; also carried wooden ware at
same time for Horace Rising. He did not
90 pcddling after she was ten. Her faith
er kept house when she married. in 1927.
He kept this mare three or four years. as
long as that, and raised two colts certain.
She had "A colt one night: her little
brother, six or seven years old. went out
to see it. The mare caught him by the
shirt bosom and threw him over her
back. One of these colts was gray
mare; thinks she had a colt the spring
after he bought her. He bought her
that is, traded for her-in winter: thinks
ii was the gray colt she had next spring.
Her father used to go to Shoreham, Or
well and around there; did not 90 very
! far.
This interview had with Mrs. John
son while my friend was talking with her
husband. The query presented itself,
Was this gray colt the dam of Ethan that
Mr.. Arthur referred to? 1t was certain
" startling coincidence. 4 man by
the name of Bevins had brought in
mare from Vermont in winter that had a
gray filly colt the following spring. 1t
was a little far back, but within POSSIBLE
ity. Mrs. Johnsons testifying about the
color of the horse sold George johnson
by Mr.. Rising tended to drive that out of
the story. And here | would say that in
every respect we considered Mrs. John
sons testimony much superior to that of
her husband. All we spoke to about it
said we could depend on her, but not too
much on him. And do not hesitate to
say here that believe the whole story of
the gray mare passing through the hands
OF George johnson from Mr.. Rising to
Warner Cook is an invention of Hovt
JOhnsOn,made out of the fact that anoth-
err horse did so pass through, and his bad
memory, together with perhaps his de-
sire to appear to know when he was in
quired of. Before any inquiries were
made about this mare George johnson
and Warner Cook were dead. William
II. didn't know of whom his father had
her: but IIoyt johnson was on hand to
say that he knew all about it, and he told
a straight and reasonable story which
Mr. VIM. II. Cook accepted and himself
told. This story included that Mr.. Ris-
ing said he brought her from Vermont
Again we rounded the hill, came out
by Rufus Rising's, passed the school
house and assembled the hill to sam Ack-
erman's. The weather remained very
perfect. presenting a view of the valleys
now gorgeous with their brilliant cloth
ing. Upon the hillsides in the hazy sun
the meadows seemed to sleep. 1t is an
infinite quiet that spreads over these vast
mountains, vast in extent and bulk if not
i'll height, and courses up through their
valleys. Everything was so inviting at
Mr.. Ackerman's we put the Empress in
the barn and had dinner. It's rare we
strike a pleasanter spot or find Il better
home.
Mr.. Alderman said: II was born
March, 1922. went to live with Alva
Bevins when was nine or ten wears old
before he was married. | lived with
him until | was Is. and knew him well
after. His first team was a little bay
mare and big bay horse then, two or
three years after. he had bay and a
gray. | have seen Zeno Rising drive IA
gray mare. He had "A number of gray
horses. Joseph Balloon of South Gard
ner Mass, was brought up by Zeno Ris-
ing and is now at least 50 years old. The
little bay mare Alva BevinS had had
strip of white in her face and some white
feet; somewhere from 900 to 1000 pounds
Clark BevinS had the bay mare with snip
on nose: she was dark bay, middling
size, 800 or 1000: the white stripe not|
running above the eyes and wider below.
She had rather Shortish body. what wei
would call solid beast: not very tall Il
not over - hands; might have been less
She had pretty good neck and held her|
head fair. | should think her head was|
not very long and was rather wide up by
the eyes, and narrow below; shouldn't
think she had a very large ear. recol-
lect the mare in Clark Bevins' hands a |
year or two before | went to Alva Be
wins; should think she was nine or ten
or more. Clark Beyins kept raising colts
from her"
Rufus Rising, again interviewed, said !
"Andrew and Joseph Bevins first came
lloyt johnson married daughter of An
drew. She had brothers-Ira, Clark
Alva, Frank. Ira died here in town. One
sister married a Reed; one is living at
Bellows Falls, married to a Warner: her
name Sarah. Clark went West: So did I