Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1895-02-08

that he was a Morgan, and even thinks
that he has proven IL. There Is, how
ever, some lameress In the pedigree
which he declares the true one. an
unsubstGntiated question of identity
being the strongest objection to be urged
against it. There is, however, another
almost equally strong, concerning the
question of individuality. All men
familiar with American Star and his
family unite in pronouncing them AS
differing from the Morgan type in almost
every particular. Like the average Nor
gan, the average Star was an understood
horse, but there the similarity ended.
In action the Stars displayed long, low,
open gait, the antipodes of the close,
trappy way of going of the Morgans.
In form the Stars were slim, racy, won
derfully blOod-like. the exact opposite of
the robust. heavy-necked, curly-maned
and tailed VermOnters, while the chief
objection TO them was their faulty limbs
and poorer feet, points where the gen
uine Morgan almost invariably defied
criticism. AS to the question of color,
MIR. Battells version has some show of
plausibiity. American Star was chest
nut sJrrel, with bazed face and hind
ankles white half way to his hooks. MIR.
Battell ascribes his paternity to Coburn's
American Star, chestnut sorrel. with Il
star, by Cock of the Rock, light chest
nut or sorrel, some white in face. silver
name aud tail son of Sherman Morgan,
chestnut. Here is long chain of chest
nuts aud sorrels, and that Seely's Ameri-
can Star came by his coat honestly was
demonstrated by the large number of
chestnut foas that came from his loins,
many of them literally blaZoned with
white.
This question of color is one of the
most interesting connected with the
study of the transmission of hereditary
traits, and while the color of a horse can
never, in itself alone, definitely prove any
pedigree, it is very often confirmation
strong, Il case in point being the present
discussion and renewed Investigations
into the true breeding of Shanghai Mary,
which promise to eventually show her
to have been IA daughter of Irons Cad
mus. Should her pedigree be finally
e.tablished-and the links in the chain
of evidence have been forming rapidly
of late-a vote of thanks will be due Mr..
William b. Fasig, who first sutmised
that she might have been "a Cadmus"
through seeing her portrait and remark
ing on her striking resemblance To the
family that produced POcahontas. espec-
tally as regarded her color and marks.
1t WAS only IA surmise, but it furnished
the first clue leading to what may sOOn
become a successful search for facts that
had long seemed undiscoverable
Coburn's American Star made the sea-
son Of 1896 at POmptOu Plains. y. J.
Seely's Amercan Star was bred by Judge
Henry IL. Berry, of Pompton Plains, and
was foaled in 1887. That he was by the
COburn horse is by inference quite posi-
bic, and although, as we have noted, his
individual traits were essentially un-
Morgan. his color strengthens Nj. Bat
tells assumption that he might still have
been Il member of the Morgan family in
the male line His eXtraneOus blood
may have served IN wiping out the Nor
gan characteristics, although his sire
was believed TO have been inbred. Be
cause he and his get were of another
type does not necessarily disprove Mr..
Battell's clans. As an illustration of
this, take the case OF Mambrino Chief
and Mambrno Patchen Mambrino
Chief was gross. heavy horse, destitute
of any degree of quality, the son of Il
coarse sire aud coarSer dam. The
large majority of his progeny were like
wise devoid Of high quality. running to
bulk of carcass. and heads which, in the
case of Ericsson, and old Dolly. were
little short of mOnstrosities. Yet from
the union of the Rodes mare and Nam
brine Chief came Mambrino Patchen, Il
marvel of blOod-llke elegance. symmetry
and grace and horse who, differing al
most phenOmenally from his half-broth
ers and sisters, founded "A family which
is, like himself, totally different in indi-
vidual type from the other branches of
the house of Mambrino Chief.
That the original version of the ped-
gree of Seely's American Star-by Stock
hom's American Star. dam Sally SLOUGH
by HIenry-is incorrect is now the opin-
ion OF every pedigree expert. That Mr.. |
BattellS version is the true one, we are
not yet prepared to fully believe-but
that 1t possesses strong claims to cred
ence is obvious. 1t may even be SAID
thar its probable truth exceeds its i'm
probability in high degree.
The above is from recent issue of The
Horse Review at Chicago. In an article
recently Sent to The Chicago IIorseman
we have touched upon most of the differ
ent points referred to in this.
Such statement as, ''all men familiar
with American Star and his family unite /
in pronouncing them as different from
the Morgan type in almost any particu |
lar, is without force because entirely |
without authority or accuracy. 1t /
would be at best Il matter of opinion
and, as Socrates expresses it, "OpniOns |
are had all" Everything of this kind has
to give way to facts, and the facts are
that the Seely Horse was got by the
Coburn Horse. And that the CODurn |
Horse was bred by Frederick f.. Sumner |
of Charlestown, y. H.; GOT by Cock of |
the Rock, son of Sherman Morgan: dam |
IA gray mare of Morgan shape said to be (
Morgan, the evidence is overwhelming
and constantly growing stronger.
We are glad to understand that efforts
are being made to trace Shanghai Mary. |
1t always seemed to us that she could be |
traced with any thorough attempt.