Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1888-06-08

tract on both sides of the great river
some three hundred miles in length by
nearly one hundred broad, is filled with
French Canadians, "as nut is with
meat" and well peppered with pacing
horses; I say peppered, for their pre-
ence forms the seasoning of their owners
life throughout the long cold, winters.
The Canadian PAGER is probably not
thoroughly descendant of the Norman
breed imported by the early settlers. The
purest known descendants from the orig
inal importatons are emphatically draft
horses, bull-necked and stout of limb.
"The ambling pad pony" was a favorite
riding horse in France under the ancient
regime. and perhaps some few cavaliers
ct danes ct demoiselles, banishing them
selves to this dreaded cline, concerning
which one of the earlier adventurers
wrote home, "Lt va sept mois d. hiver ct
cinq de mauvais temp" (seven months
winter and FIVE of bad weather. brought
over a few luxurious nags, which became
a pattern for the more able and ambitious
of the bourgeousie. Nearly fifty years
ago my father bought Narragansett pac-
ers coming from Rhode Island, and took
them in droves to the French country
about and beyond Quebec, where they
were readily sold or exchanged for the
stout native white horses. Fashion and
fancy have much to do with Canadians
fondness for fast PAGER; and they gen
orally take pains to breed a rafting mare
to grand marcheur, if there be one in
the parish.
Yearly, ever since my recollection, the
northern residents of the United States
have been taking numerous droves of the
best Canadian horses, but mostly for
draught, and recently the fastest trotters.
Few of the PAGERS have gone-obviously
for two reasons: first, the Yankees do
not like their gait, and, second, Jean Bap-
tiste does not care to part with his favor
lite for either clocks or nutmegs. An Y
will pay expenses of a weeks stay into
the very heart of the French country.
where | have been, upon like errands,
score of times, within as many years,
learning something of the qualities and
rates of speed of the best horses, taking
note of the choice mares nests-a point
not to be disregarded in selecting a breed
ing sire. By the time that | can hear
from you again there will be sufficient
snow for such a trip by sleigh; and even
if the horse be not required before spring.
it is now a favorable time for commenc-
ing such search. could name several
within hundred miles of here but none
of them is of the very first water; they
would come under this general descrip-
ton:
The price OF the PAGER in York might be
From one and half to hundi eds three
Proportional well in height he stands,
Fourteen and halt to fifteen hands,
His color good, IA black or gray,
roam or chestnut, brown or bay;
Young, sound and kind-boss never lick'd
HIM
At speed, you'd think the devil kicked him.
Some twenty miles above Sorrel, on
the very shore of the st. Lawrence, where
some peculiar current causes the presence
of glare ice in the winter, lives Monsieur
Louis Dansereau, who for half his life
time has possessed family of black pac-
ers that take to speed at their first har-
Messing, like young ducks to the water.
The old man shows some gay pompons,
or ornaments, which have been publicly
placed to grace the heads of several of
his horses, in addition to more substantial
qualification for himself, at various of
our winter races. One of his nags, some
ten years since, then recent winner at
Montreal, in , "A, was purchased at 5000
by Canadian, on his return from Him
OILS, whittier, having gone as a common
boatman, he had by industry and Judi
cious purchase of land become independ-
ent. The horse was kept two or three
years at Grand Maska before mentioned.
where his colts, now at maturity, are
great favorites. Poor Papillion. He
gave me brisk ride on the ice one Sun
day after mass but he has gone the way
of much good horsehesh. His owner.
having returned to Illinois, sent back for
the horse, which was duly forwarded as
far as Detroit, where the person in charge
of him, wishing to crafty some gentle
men with view of his action, set him to
spinning in the street, ran foul of shaft
or the like
"And the good steed, his labors DER,
stretched his stiff limbs to rise no morew
suppose that you wish for the best
horse which can be found. (Yes.) One
may be produced Immediately, if requir-
ed, and sent you before Lake Champlain
and the North River freeze out nayiga-
ton. have horse correspondents in all
directions, so that the writing of a few
letters and making of journey of a few
days, will probably result in the fulfill
ment of your wishes. G.B.
Sherbrooke, c. E., Nov. %, 1916.
SUNDRY LETTERS.