Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1894-12-07


1917. and then sold him to James Storms
of Hudson, n. Y, who sold him soon after
to Walter Shailer, Ilillsville. New York.
lie kept him one or two seasons and sold
him in the fall of 1919 to Edmund Seely
and Hiram Smith, Goshen, n. Y, for
$3.50.
This is from the published history of
the horse furnished us by II relative of
Judge Berry, his breeder. This history
goes on to give the places where he stood
each year of his life, with the number of
colts got. 1t is by far one of the most
complete histories of stallion ever pub
lished. This, with much more, is all
given in our book, and after it we say
"The transfers of the horse as above we
know to be correct
The first thing we did in tracing this
horse was to go to Orange county, New
York. then to Columbia county, then
to Ulster county, and finally to Pompton
Plains, Interviewing among others mem
bers of the Seely family, the widow of
Walter Smaller who sold him to Seeiy,
and the brother of Cyrus Dubois who
sold him to Storms, from whom Shatler
bought him.
At another point in this article it is
stated that Seely's American Star did
not resemble the Morgans. This, too, is
entirely erroneous.
d. r,r IN
Morgan Horse PIP. 3lS-34Sm) it will be
seen that Scelys American Star bore
a very strong resemblance to the Nor
gans. The testimony of this is from
many witnesses who knew the horse
well, and these witnesses are of the high
est character and eminently qualified to
Judge.
There is now nc question whatever in
regard to the pedigree of this horse.
e'eely's American Star was bred by
Judge Berry, Pompton Plains, y. ";
foaled 1897, and got 10y Coburn's Ameri-
can Star. son of Cock of the Rock, by
Sherman Morgan. The dam of the Seely
horse was usedup stage mare with bad
feet Il tendency to which seems to have
been inherited from her by her son.
This dams pedigree is entirely unknown,
but she showed some thoroughbred
points, and was probably part bred
mare.
Coburns American Star was very
beautiful horse and fast trotter. There is
very little doubt that he was an inbred
Morgan horse. his dam mare of com
plete Morgan form and quality, owned
by james Baker of CharlcstoWn, y. H.,
and called by him Morgan mare.
Cock of the Rock was bred at Dam
Vile, VT, foaled about 1922, got 10y Sher-
man Morgan, and his dam in an adver-
tisemcnt of the horse in 1896 is said to
be by the original Justin Morgan. Lins-
ley states thar his colts were fast trot-
ters. From him almost certainly de-
scended the California st. Clair. See
The Morgan Horse" pages 81, 772.
The spread gait that Star had is very
common to the Sherman Morgans. SO
Ethan Aliens have it. So the sire of the
dam of Ethan Allen that was almost Ger
talnly Morgan Horse had it. See The
Morgan Horse, p. $50.
From this Morgan Horse, Seely's
American Star, came Dexter, the fastest
of the get of HambletOnian. From him,
too, came Dictator, Director, Direct,
Directum and their families. From him
came IA very large share of the best and
gamest that Ilambletonian got. He was
of his day the great broOdmare sire.
The Arab, it is said, will never sell his
mare. Certain it Is that a good mother
Is half of the battle, and the characteris-
ties Of the mother will descend through
many generations. And So the Amcri-
can Star mares, Morgans of the most
pronounced form and quality, have
sent their characteristics down for sew
eral generations. and, we may he sure,
will continue to do so for many more
yet unborn.
Truly yours,
JOSEPH BATTELI.