Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-07-12

We give MIR. Foulk's letter nicely as
corroborative of the evidence ALREADY in
our possession.
The case is clear and the facts simple.
1t is proven on oath and by the books of
Stillson that $. X. Humes' gray mare
Shirley, by Powell's Flying Cloui. was
bred 10 Stilison at Mechanicsburg Ohio.
four times during the spring and summer
of 1881. 1t was claimed that sic was
bred to j. III. Welch once, but Of that
claim there is not a shadow of evidence.
When called upon, the owner of j. II.
Welch failed to show his books Of that
year, as related in Mr.. Foulk's letter.
After Shrley's fOal came it seems that
Mr. Samuel X. Humes, in order to escape
paying Stillson's fee, said the colt vas by
the Plumwood Horse. Then, later on,
he found it convenient to swear he
was by j. III. WEIGH. In view Of the
abundant evidence we have, we mist say
that Mr.. Humes' statements are WORTH
less. He has contradicted himse time
and time again.
The fact is clearly and conclusiv,lv es-
tablished that Civilization is by Stllson.
We will here leave this very clear and
candid letter of Mr.. Foulk for discussion
further on, and follow the result of the
Welch party's agitation, which brought
fruit two months later in the August,
1883, number of Wallace's Monthly in
the following editorial:
CIVILIZATIONS PEDIGREE.-A few
months ago the evidence seemed very
conclusive that the trotting horse Ciyil-
cation was by Stilson and not by j. H.
WEIGH, as heretofore represented. On
the strength of the evidence on the Still
son side we did not hesitate to give him
credit as the sire, but now comes the
Welch side with an array of evidence that
seems equally strong on its face, and we
must refer the whole matter to the Board
of Censors. 1t is not likely this Board
can be got together before the latter part
of September, but in due time a date will
be fixed and the contending parties noti-
fled. 1t may help to the solution of the
question if we remark that the board will
naturally look to the books containing
the original entries of the services of the
hpi 500 NODlCS vi Ildttt up DOOAS are
of no value as evidence
This was doubtless something of a
somersault. In May the evidence was
pronounced 'positive and conclusive"
and in June it is stated that ''the fact is
clearly and conclusiyely established that
Civilization is by Stillson," by the learn
pI pVnnriannnI nd tn ol; 80
Monthly himself; yet in August he as
sures us that really and truly he know.
nothing about it after all, but "must re
fer the whole matter to the Board OF
Censors." TO be sure, it had been referred
to them once, coming in as a contro
verified pedigree, as it did, with tire,
claimants confidently asserting their sev
eral rights to it, and the entire board o
five had passed upon the pedigree an,
certified it under their hands as abov
shown. And now, three or four month
later the same matter is to be preferred
to them.
Well, the censors sat upon the ques
ton. and the result of their incubation i
here given with Mr.. Wallace's edtoria
comment thereon, from the Monthly o
May, 1889:
CIVILIZATIONS PEDIGREE SETTLED b
THE BOARD OF CENSORS.
The Board of Censors convened at tn
office of the Register on Saturday, Eel
ruary I'd; present Messrs. Miller, Norri
and Doolittle. The question of the pa
ternity of the trotting horse CiviliZato
was taken up, and it was found that tn
horses j. Ii. WEIGH, StillsOn and Etha
Plumwood were each claimed to be tn
sire of Civilization, and each claim wa
supported by statements, affidavit
and other papers of more or less value a
evidence. After considering all theS
conflicting claims, and without tindn
anything that might be considered absC
lutely conclusive as to any one of then
the board are of the opinion that the be,
evidence presented goes to show that l.,
II. Wech is the sire of Civilization, an
ordered him to be so credited.
GUY MILLER, Chairman.
In the early stages of this cOntrOvers
we received assurances that the books
Stillson showed that the dam of Civiliz;
ton had been bred to that horse at IL
proper time to have produced the trotte
Later we received information that IL
books showed the mare to have bee
bred to Stllson three times that yea
and the dates of service were given. Tn
we considered conclusive, and acted a
cordingly. When we demanded and r
ceived Stillson's books for that year,
only took two minutes to discover tn;
the charges against the reputed dam ,
Civilization were all entered at the DO
tom of different pages, with different in
and by different hand. We have see
books of stallion service manipulated
certain noted cases before, but this W;
so clumsily done that single glance di
posed of Stillson's claim forever. III
exposure of this wretched attempt at d
ceptiOn left the contest between Well
and Plumwood, and we fully concur
the judgment of the Board.
We could have predicted not only TIL
the board would so decide, after the d
tected forgeries had killed off Stillso
but that Mr.. Wallace would concur. III
contest had narrowed down to que
ton between a Morgan and a Messse