Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-03-01

half mile in IL. Magma Charta was
foaled in 1855 and died in 1896, being
thirty-one years and six months old, and
to the last hour of his life he retained the
bulldog courage for which he was noted,
and his bitter fight with the grim con-
queror, death, is described as one of the
most notable exhibitions of courage ever
witnessed. While suffering from the at
tack which ended his life he walked
about his box until his legs failed to sus-
tain him, and when he fell he was dead.
We have implicit confidence that the re-
cord of his daughters as producers of
extreme speed is not yet made. FIRE.
quently mare or horse acquires repu-
tation in consequence of some fortunate
circumstance which brings them into
prominence. Once before the public
they are pushed along by concurrence
of events which makes them famous ere
they are aware of it. Others conquer
fate and fortune, and achieve distinction
because Of their true merit. These are
truly great, and to them should be ac-
corded the highest need of praise. Magma
Charta arose to fame simply on account
of his inherent merit, and against adverse
circumstances pushed himself into recog-
milton by reason of his great qualities.
The following description of this ia
nous horse is from the pen of Mr.. Van
Valkenburg of Coldwater, Mich, and
will prove interesting reading to all low
ers of the trotting-horse: In the year
1851 Lester w. Voorhis, of Utica, Mich,
hired from his father the use of chest
nut mare from which he wished to breed
a colt of his own. He bred the mare to
Morgan Eagle, Jr., and on April 10, 1856,
Magma Chafta los was foaed. When the
colt was two years old Mr.. Voorhis sold
him to Ezra Wright of Utica, Mich, and
soon after the colts trotting education
commenced to hundred or hundred and
fifty pounds sulky, while Wright weighed
two hundred pounds and over. The les
sons were given on an ordinary road.
His education was continued under vari-
GUS circumstances until as a four-year-
old, in 1859, he made record of 2 1874.
He was then sold for $1,000 to a company
of horsemen in Coldwater, Mich, and
while i'm their hands he trotted trials over
the half-mile track at that place of a half
in IL and a full mile in 2:24. This
company of horsemen sold him to n. H.
Crosby of Chicago for fast driver. He
was not success in that place, as Cros-
by and his men wanted their way all the
time and that did not suit Magma, as he
had to have his way part of the time or
there was war certain, and Judging from
the looks of the horse while in Mr.. Cros-
by's hands there must have been war
most of the time. Gilbert butcher of
Chicago bought the horse from Crosby
and from him he passed through several
hands to those of Leonard Dean of Cir
ard, Mich, at which place he died in 1856
when 81 years and nearly six months old
His bulldog courage he carried with him
to the very last, and he really died walk
ing in his box, as he was stone dead in a
few minutes after his legs would carry
no longer. Morgan Eagle, Jr., the sire
of Magma Charta, was owned by John
Henderson, who brought the horse with
him from near Avon Springs, n. Y, to
Oakland county. Michigan. Mr.. Hender-
son was an old man when he came to
Michigan, where two of his sons lived,
and after staying with them some two
years he returned to Avon, taking the
horse with him. Henderson said
his horse was bred in Vermont,
and was sired by Morgan Eagle of
Tunbridge, VT, son of Woodbury. Nor
gan, by Justin Morgan. have never
been able to learn the breeding of the
dam of this Henderson horse, Morgan
Eagle, Jr. The chestnut mare which was
the dam of Magma Charta | have traced
back from the Voorhis family through
several parties to j. X. Mathis of Sey-
mour, Ind, who bought her when about
three years old from John Prichard of
Cana, Jennings county, Ind. When re-
since, he said that John Prichard was
dead, and his family so scattered that he
doubted if he could learn anything from
them, but if he could he would write me.
That is the last | ever heard of the mat
ter. Mathis knew nothing about the
breeding of the mare himself. The last
that is known of the dam of Magma is
that Robert Feets started with her for
California overland. can give you nc
idea of the number of Magna's foals, but
this do know, that many of his best
colts have been sold for roadsters, and
were never given regular track work or
"A record, and until within few years
past but very few of his best daughters
were ever bred. They were such nice
drivers that their owners could sell them
readily for round prices, and they follow
ed the old plan of selling the best and
breeding what would not sell. Magna'1