Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1895-02-15

difficulties that his experiment is in of
judging from points, and may realize the
force of Socrates remark that "Opinions
are bad ALL" He will see that he cannot
tell what gait horse may inherit un-
less he knows not only what he might
Inherit from either parent, but what
would be the result of double inheri-
lance. The tendency of parents to re-
produce themselves in breeding we
admit. and the principle that like parents
produce children like themselves or like
their ancestors we admit, but what will
be the children of parents unlike
can only be matter of conjecture.
If the parents are of different colors, we
cannot at all tell what will be the color
of their offspring. That is no one can
except our friend Thomson, Woods ock,
vt. He is particularly strong on this
point. If they are of different shapes,
we cannot tell as to the shape of the off
spring, not until we see them. And If
they are of different gaits we cannot tell
what peculiar gait the offspring will
have. In the present case we have, first,
Justin Morgan with his acknowledged
trotting action, and the fact that he was
descended from two progentiors whose
blood enters into the composition Of
more fast American horses, runners.
trOtters and PAGERS than that of any other
two ever imported, and that he was
almost certainly three-quarter bred
horse.
Next. Sherman Morgan, son, bright
chestnut, off-hind leg white from the
foot half way to the hook, and small
white stripe in face, called II hands,
probably nearer 10. An advertisement
of him under the name of Lord North in
the Farmers Cabinet. of Amherst, y.
H., 1928, by John Langdon, says: He
is not exceeded in points, speed and
figure by any horse in New England
Linsley says of Sherman Morgan: "lle
had keen, rapid action" The dan of
Sherman was chestnut, of good size,
high-sprited: came from Rhode Island,
and was called of Spanish breed. One
account says: "She was inclined to
raclling gait--a fast-going beast" 1t is
quite possible that she belonged to
the breed known as Narragansetts.
which are said to have originated from
stock brought from Andalusia in Spain.
But if this dam was IA Narragansett the
gait of sherman Morgan seems to have
been entirely controlled by his sire.
Third, we have Cock of the Rock, ad
mitted to have been in his day Il fast
trotter, and to have got fast stock. He
was chestnut. with white face below the
eyes, one or two white feet, silver name
and tail and taller and simmer than
most of the MOrgans. His dam bay,
1900 pounds. and said III the advertise
ment of 1886 to be by Justin Morgan.
We know nothing about the gait of the
dam, and her pedigree is not proven.
Next we have Coburn's Star, chestnut
sorrel, with star, II hands. resembling
his sire, only smaller, and also noted for
his trotting qualities. Ills dam was
called Morgan, and there is but little
doubt from her description that she was
so. Her color was gray.
Last comes Seely's American Star,
somewhat larger and heavier than his
sire, not as fine but resembling HIM in
color, and in shape most pronouncedly
Morgan. He had spread-gait, and
carried his head low. His dam was bay,
with stripe in face, about lG hands. quite
a good traveller. but did not have spread
gait She had bad feet The bottom of
the opinion, as expressed by Mr.. Back
man, is undoubtedly the theory often, or
at least quite occasionally, expressed by
those interested in rival stock, that the
Morgans could not trOt; the facts being
that our best trOtters have come largely
from them. 1t was well understood that
the original Morgan horse could outtrot,
as we'll as Outrun, all his competitors :and
so many of the fastest early trotters, it
Is well known, were his defendants.
Soon, too, certain strains in the family
not so much. We have been told by the
highest authority that Morgan Eagle. by
Woodbury. Morgan (the sire of Lady
Sutton, , 300, was for his day wonder-
ful producer of speed. He was, too,
horse of fine size and extraordinary
beauty. The Sherman Morgans very
largely showed superior trotting action.
This was especially true of Cock of the
Rock, son of Sherman Morgan. Mr.
Linsley said of him in 1857: ale was "A
fast trotter and left good stock"
French Morrill,, of Danville, VT, former
owner of the Morrill, horse, said she
was one of the most stylish and finest
looking horses one ever sees step, little
larger and taller than the average Nor
gans.n
james c. Stebbins, born about 1906,
and sheriff at Charlestown, n. H., for