Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1891-08-28
MORGANS IN ILLINOIS.
Moro, ILL, Dec. IL

Editor 0fHte Register:-G ours of oath of
November was duly received, but not
being very well and having plenty to do,
| neglected to answer as | should have
done. | fear it is little can do to assist
in your work. am well acquainted
with j. Y. Sawyer, Sr., of Godfrey and
have known his horses. We live about
10 miles apart. | can do more by report
ing my own Morgan stock. Mr.. Sawyer
first brought Vermont Morgan to this
county and after keeping him about
three years disposed of him. | have I'M
derstood that he was sired by Barnard
Morgan. Vermont Morgan sired Prairie
Bird ana Golddust. Prairie Bird was
very snowy horse and fine traveller,
and if he had been properly trained
would have been in his day considered a
fast horse. The dam was good blood,
Virginia running stock. After selling
Vermont Morgan, Mr. Sawyer went to
Vermont and brought out Barnard Nor
gan and two OF his colts Granite State
and Burush Morgan. Bulrush did not
stay about here long, but Granite State
was owned in Bunker Hill, II miles from
my home, from the time he got his
growth until his death: his was long
life. he made good trotting at the
county fairs and left good share of
good colts. His first colt was from a
nearly thoroughbred mare and came into
my hands when a year and half old and
she died last Christmas, few months be-
fore she would have been 20 years old.
We have three of her colts now. One is
in his 10th year, sired by Black Hawk
Morgan. The colt is about 1G hands high
knows as much as ordinary hands and is
ready for any kind of work or mischief.
The next was sired by colt with about
equal blood of Hambletonian and Morgan
and thoroughbred. He is in his 10Th ear,
the finest buggy horse about here and the
two are equal to any team around on the
farm or the road. The last is mare in
her eighth year and the only mare colt |
ever raised. She is sired by Mambrino
horse and is good enough for me. The
mother of these three colts was very spir-
tied, but woman could control her in any
place. She never did anything very bad
and did about as much work in her life
time as two common horses. Barnard
Morgan sired a colt from the mother of
Prairie Bird that | owned from a two
year-old. | drove him to Vermont with
a Black Hawk Morgan in 1864, and he
was in Rochester several times while
there. He was very fine traveller; could
have been trained under three minutes.
| drove him on the road once without
urging eight miles in 10 minutes and an
other time to a heavy buggy and two in
it l24 miles and back in three hours,
stopping three-quarters of an hour. He
was good farm horse and bred large
and good colts; but Morgan horses were
not fashionable here in his day and he
did not leave many colts. | am believer
in Morgan and thoroughbred horses.
Would not give a pair for general farm
work for any pair of draft horses or
mules, and if want to go on the road |
can. For information of Granite State
and Golddust | know of none that could
give it better than p. II. Dorsey and j.
C.. Rayne of Bunker Hill, Macoupin
County, Ill. Hope you may be able to
make some part of this useful, though |
scarcely see how. My good wishes in
your work. Yours truly,
V. Il. RICHMOND.