Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-01-29

and a hundred weight, or upwards, of
baggage, over execrable roads, GO miles
day, often days in succession, without
exhibiting the slightest distress, and at
the end of the journey were all ready to
set out on the same trip again.
was new at the time in America, and
was much surprised and interested by
the performance of this gallant little
pair of animals. They were perfectly
matched, both in size and color, very
dark brown, and twelve hands and
half in height; and where the road was
ly nine miles in the hour. They were
very merry goers.
1t was their wonderful sure-footed-
ness, sagacity and dociity, however,
which most delighted me. They were
driven without binkers or bearing reins,
and where, as was often the case, bridg
cs seemed doubtful, the bottom of mIry
fords suspicious of quagmires, or the
road otherwise dangerous, they would
put down their heads to examine. try
the difficulty with their feet, and, when
satisfied, would get through or over
places which seemed utterly imprac tica-
bic.
In short | became perfectly in love
with them; and, a. the price asked for
them was fabulously small-considera-
bly,, if recolect Alright, under $50 for
the pair should certainly have bought
them, had there been any way of getting
them down from what was then almost
wilderness. though it is now the very
finest part of the province.
Whence this pony breed of Canadians
has arisen, am unable to say; but | be
lieve it to be almost entirely peculiar to
the Indian tribes, wherefore | am inclin-
ed to think it may have been produced
by the dwarting process, which will arise
from hardship and privation endured
generation after generation, particularly
by the Young animals and the mares
while heavy in foal.
These animals had, can say almost
positively, no recent cross of the Span
ish horse; but have seen, since that
time, ponies approaching nearly to the
same type which showed an evident
cross of the mustang; and have seen
animals called mustangs in which | was
convinced there was Canadian blood
With this | take leave of what | con-
slider the last of the families of the horse
now existing peculiar to America; here
after | shall proceed to give some statis-
ties and general information, for which
am indebted to my friend, Col. Harris of
Ohio, and to Messrs. 4. Y. Moore and
Joshua Clement of Michigan, and to Mr..
J. II. Wallace of Muscatine, Ia, with
various friends and CORES ondents of
these gentlemen, concerning the breeds
the horse interest in the West. In none,
however, of these newly settled but vast
ly thriving agricultural States is there
anything that can with the least propre-
/ the horse.
| pass, therefore, briefly to the consid-
GRAFTON of what was, while it existed in
its purity fear one may now say,
while it existed, in broad terms-a truly
distinct and for its own peculiar use and
I purpose, Almost valuable, as it was most
interesting. curious and beautiful yarie-
/ ty, or species-tOr it seems to me to al
most amount to that-of the equine
family.
THE NARRAGANSETT PAGER.
This beautiful animal, which, so far as
| can ascertain, has now entirely ceased
to exist, and concerning which the stran-
gest legends and traditions are afloat,
was, think it may be positively assert
ed, of Andalusian blood. The legends
to which | allude tell in two wise; OF
rather | should say there are two yer.
sons of the same legend-one saying
that the original stallion whence came
the breed was picked up at sea. swim
ming for his life, no one knew whence or
whittier; and was so carried in by his
other, evidently another form of the
same story, stating that the same origi-
nal progenitor was discovered running
wild in the woods of Rhode Island.
The question, however. thus far seems
to be put at rest by the account of these
animals given in a note to the very curl.
Gus work "America Dissected'. by the
Rev. James McSparran, ID. d., which is
published as an appendix to the History
of the Church of Narragansett, by Will
kins Updike.
DR.. McSparran was sent out in April
l72l, as their missionary by the Society
for the Propagation of the Gospel in
Foreign Parts to that venerable church
of which he was the third incumbent,
and over which he presided 81 years,
generally respected and beloved ntil he
departed this life on the LIST day of De.
/ 4 +.