Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1891-09-17
remembrance, particularly one, Old

S Clifford Morgan was bred in Tur
e bridge but came TO Barnard whe
: young and the colts from him are th
ones we look back to with so muc
2 pride.
\ How well remember colt my un
D Gle raised and it was said TO be tn
first colt Old Clifford ever sired, fou
! white feet and white face, chestnu
5 in color, tail docked short as was tn
custom in those days, not leaving hal
enough to brush Ihies (but there wer'
, no flies on him.. My father drove
that horse over the mountains and hilli
of Vermont for about twenty years. i
was before railroads were in the state
consequently long journeys were made
J with horse teams and this was when
the then existing Morgans were at the
front. / have no hesitancy in saying
that in my opinion, the present breed
of horses in Vermont is not to be
compared with those old time Morgans
for an all day drive. My father drove
Billy from Barnard to Burlington, so
miles, in one day, the next, 20 miles
out and back, making 40 and the next
day home, POO miles in three days,
when roads were not as good as now
and drawing buggy much heavier
than the light road wagon of the pres
ent day. Where is the horse of any
breed that can do that trick now.
Here was a horse born and reared on
the hills of Barnard, matured under its
climatic influence, his muscles grown
aud hardened from the succulent grass
es of these mountains and valleys aud
able almost to compete with steam in
all day work, not only once but for a
quarter of century, without spot or
blemish. | might mention many other
great feats that Billy performed as well
as others of Old Gitiord's get, but
space will not permit.
Another of Gifford's colts was a
stallion called Nat Clifford owned many
years by /. ID. Davis, Esq, and bred
by our veteran horseman, Mr.. Nat
Richmond. Nat Clifford was a Barn
ard horse and his colts were hardly al
lowed TO mature, so eagerly were they
sought by city gentlemen for Morgan
drivers. Barnard could then, has
since and can now furnish better driv-
ing horses for road purposes than al
most any town in this section of the
state. Other towns may have just as
good blood but it is an absolute fact
that climate, pure air, pure water,
sweet feed grown on these hillsldes
have wonderful influence in the
breeding OF good horses. Now !
claim that owing partially to the great
advantage of Barnard's position in the
worlds surface we have steadily inn
proved in our horses from the past to
the present. The facilities for travel
about the country are now so good that
we no longer care for a horse to drive
all day, because the market demands
one that can go a single mile at a rap
id rate. The farmers of to-day are
fast catching on and breeding for that
purpose, many holding for the old
Morgan foundation which ! presume is
right enough, plenty of which can be
found to-day in Barnard.
The Morrill, horses | suppose are |
Morgan by tradition but they hardly |
seemed so to me, certainly very unlike
the Woodburys. One stallion that
was quite successful in Barnard was
John Morrill,, aferward called Wood
stock. This colt spent his younger
days in Bethel but owing either to the
or the local animosities
(which still exist in that burg) he grew
bot bellied. was taken to Barnard
where the pure air cured chronic
cough which Bethel gave him. John
Morrill's Improvement was very rapid
and in one years time third of that
horse was sold back at a rate for more
than three times what the whole cost
and with little more Barnard air and
pure water he was sold for more than
four thousand dollars. John Morrill,
was not favorite with some but he
a good deal of money into
Barnard, not only to the owners but to
III that bred to him. John MorrIlPs
disposition was not first class but we
AN attribute that 10 his early surround
ngs when a colt. In Barnard he was
III right most of the time and | think
10 one was disturbed because he was
brought to that town.
Cassius Prince, 2.29, was another
Barnard horse. Born and raised on
hese hills, he easily acquired mus
ular development which with little or
10 training carried him through cir
nit of races under the skiIlful guild !
nee of our genial horseman, Henry
|. Wood, his owner. He swept in {
rst money in nearly all of his con- I
ests and at six years old, he left the
ills for Boston leaving twenty-five !
uudred dollars In Mr.. Woods pock-
= about in proportiou 10 FIVE thousand |