Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-07-19
PEDIGREE OF CIVILIZATION.
FouR-YEAR.OLD RECORD 2:25h.
DECISION OF THE BOARD OF CENSORS
THEREON.
TCoOfinlpn I

Continued
There being, then, no decision of the
board, save the original one in faver of
Stillson, the question of the paternity of
Civilization remains open. Possibly we
should venture to discuss it if a majority
of the board had informed us what their
guess might be, because they do not hold
monopoly of the evidence. We should
be very glad to see the carefully prepared
testimony presented before the board;
but that, having once entered the dark
recesses of the Star-chamber, will prOba
bly, never more see the light of day. In
fact the board Cor rather the two acting
members, who may be termed, by way of
distinction, the bob-tail board) could not
report the evidence without showing up
their own third man; and had not Mr..
Wallace, who evidently did not relish be-
ing made the victim of snide game by a
member of his own board, indignantly
exposed the trick, the forgery of Still
sons books might have been kept con-
cealed, and that, too, apparently with the
connivance of the other members, for
there is not word in their report limiting
at the introduction of any improper evil
dence.
We have received in letters from George
w. Freeman of Urbana, Ohio, present
owner of Ethan Plumwood, the gist of
the evidence furnished by him before the
bob-tail board. His letters also contain
full account of the origin of Ethan
Plumwood. Mr.. Freeman is affected by
his interest as owner, having, indeed,
bought Plumwood because he believed
him to be the sire of Civilization; but he
is a man whose integrity stands unques-
toned and his statements On disputed
points are corroborated in the most sig
nificant manner by the letter of Mr..
FoulK above quoted. We believe that
Mr.. Freeman's statements are candid and
accurate; and while we do not think they
prove conclusively that Ethan Plum
wood is sire of Civilization, they do in
the circumstances make very strong
case in his favor. 1t will be borne in
mind that the last alleged decision-the
one reached by the bob-tail boards in
favor of j. II. WEIGH, concerning whose
claim Mr.. Wallace, who had up to that
time been the sole arbiter in the contest
to whom all the evidence had been adj
dressed, announced in June, 1888, just be-
fore the final appeal to the censors at
was claimed that she was bred to j. ii
WEIGH once, but Of that claim there is no,
q shaoO,o Of Evidence" At that time the
ground had all been fought over and a
decision rendered in favor of Stillson
Just as much evidence had been placed
before the public then as now, for al.
though the alleged decision of the cen.
sors may have been based upon evidence
in favor of WEIGH, what that evidence
was remains mystery. The bob-tai
board wont tell. The positions of the
Welch party are unassaiable because
they are out of sight; but it would seem
fair for the public to treat them as they
treat the public. The killing of the Still,
son claim left the question between
Plumwood and WEIGH. If there is 'noi
a shadow of evidence" in favor of WEIGH
then Plumwood was the sire, for there is
plenty of evidence in his favor.
Now for Mr.. Freeman's narration. II
is taken from different letters, but We
give all that is pertinent to this matter
substantially in Mr.. Freeman's own Ian
guage. Mr.. Freeman says in letter
dated May s, 1888:
'John Owens, near Woodstock, had g
very fine mare, very near If not quite
thoroughbred. He used to show her al
our fairs. Some thirty years ago he bred