Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1894-08-24

ana again. SuUlce IL 10 say tldl 10 any
one wishing anything like complete in
formation on the subject of which it
treats, i. e., the Morgan Horse" it is
Indispensable Turf, Farm and Home,
Waterville, Me.
THE MIRROR AND FARMERS EXTENDED
REVIEW.
No publication upon the horse of re-
cent years has awakened so great pub
| lie interest as the volume fresh from the
press bearing the authorship of Mr..
Joseph Battel of Vermont, widely
known as close and conscientious
student of Morgan history and pedigree,
and as a loyal champion of the Morgan
horse. Mr.. Battell owned Daniel Lam
bert. the greatest Morgan progenitor
that ever lived, and today reioices in the
ownership of Denning Allen, sire of
Lord Clinton, , :09i, the fastest trotting
gelding, by the record, the world has
ever produced. 1t CHANGED to be my
good fortune not long since to fall into
pleasant association and acquaintance
ship with a gentleman who has been
placed in position peculiarly well
qualifying him to Judge fairly and intelli-
gently of the merits of Mr.. Battcll's al
most lifetime work, having assisted
somewhat in its compilation, and at my
earnest solicitation he has prepared for
/ ., nj uff hn 4
upon his excellent knowledge of the
merits it contains. and of the future up
building of the American roadster sug-
gested by a perusal of its pages. In the
world of college athletics tie name of
Mr.. Philip b. Stewart is one to conjure
with, and The Mirror and Farmer warm
ly welcomes him as an able accessory to
its staff. Mr.. Stewart is a successful
lawyer of Boston, but has deep love
for the horse, especially for the grand
old Morgans of his native State of Yer
mont. He writes as follows:
This book deals with Justin Morgan
and the gentle race sprung from his
Ions; a race with clear lineage, as is
'
imported stallion, afire as he was with
the best blood in the English Stud Book,
back to the handspring or racing stock
in the Arabian pony of the Eastern
plains. No family of horses on this
continent ever won more devoted
friends; no family has done greater
deeds of proves on stage coach or car
riage, and there is no native stock to-
day, either in what it has been or NAV
still be, more worthy consideration from
those who wish in Il horse what they
wish in coat, namely, capacity for SER
vice.
Mr.. Battell aims to recreate this family
and renew its popularity by shutting
of the flood of alien blood which threat
ems its submersion.
The Register admits only hneal de-
scendants on the sire's side from the
original Morgan, and these only when
they hold 1872 of his blood or more.
This register holds the accumulated
lore of ten years labor. No spot too
remote. no fact too humble to escape
the searching persistence of Mr.. Bat
tells inquiry. The mails have ferretcd
possible and Impossible sources of in
formation; only the grave was refuge
for anyone who had or might have had
knowledge OF pertinent facts. Records
of town and county have unbured their
dusty story; the Swallowed memories of
the aged have been coaXed to glilnmer
briefly with recollections of early life
on the farm, and of the Morgan which
may have been there. Local histories
have been thumbed and refunded the
uttermost parts of the country visited.
all for the purpose of gathering to the
pages of this book the whole story of
the Morgan horse.
But better qualification than patient
persistence belongs to its author. Al
though an enthusiastic partisan of the
Morgan horse, Mr.. Battell approached
his engrossing avocatiOn with entire
of character and rigorous
purpose 70 present only the truth. He
does not permit opinion to create line
age, If evidence fails, nor out of preju-
dice imagine his facts. The method in
the book of branding pedigrees with
''said to hes" where breeders are not
known, and of Offering i'm its proper
place the evidence supporting conclu-
sions, attests our point. Whatever its |
faults, This book can be accepted as a |
effort to tell the story of |
Morgan horses, without fear of any in |
iuence, unparalleled by any cOmblna- /
ion, regardless of any consequences.
This method has shattered some ac-
,epted pedigrees founded in error, and /
20 invites criticism. II rcscues others
rom falsty begotten of deliberate I'M
ruth, and so invites enmlty. But by
hese methods this book is made a