Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1895-12-06

SO many times tndl lie UcSluS w ucHS"O
they are true.
No defense is necessary; we simply
accept Judgment as far Ms those old
horses are concerned. But | must take
exceptions to his preiudicial account of
John Morrill,. horse afterward called
| Woodstock. why hc did this is more
than can understand. unless it is
| because owned him. When man
saws he WAS curse to Windsor county,
and those who bred To him had their
fingers burned. he says what he has no
| foundation fur. and it must rebound
sadly to his discrpdit.
If the blood of Justin Morgan was of
anv benefit to him, John Morrill, had 1t,
for he probably had more than any
other stallion in his vicinity, descend
| ing in direct male line from branch
superior to Woodbury. sired by Young
Morrill,. vino was AN inbred Justin Nor
gan, and claiued at the time as the best
! living sire in Vermont. The dam of
John Morrill, Wallace gives rs untraced,
but good authority gives rs being
| thoroughbred mare. The colt was select
ed bv that veteran horseman, Col. j. d.
Bowen, and by him half owner until
he was three wears old. make no great
Lclaim as to John MOrrill's breeding,
but rive it only to show the ftllacy of
Mr.. Thomson's spending so much time
in eXtoling the blood of Justin Morgan
and then turning with so much spite to
Ooe of his best descendants. John Nor
ril was not logy or heavy; he mad
quick, cat-ike motion. and his great
bursts of speed showed Il muscular
action that was beautiful to behold. But
by their fruits We shall know them. |
bought John the spring he was coming
five for $500 and sold him the spring he
was coming seven for $3.50 raised IA
| fllv from him that sold for $1,000. sold
pail of gedings from him for $500,
another lilv for $500. and another geld
ing for S275. These were all | ever
owned of the breed, hut | would like to
burn my fingers again in the same way.
And here let me say that John Morrill,
brought more money into Barnard the
two years that owned him than Wood
bury. Clifford and Green Mountain all
together did in their lives, and they all
stood for service in this town. Johns
colts were all good size, good colors,
grandly gated, and sold quick at hand
some prices. The stallion Black Dia-
mond, owned by Isaac Campbell of Bar
nard. is about the last of John Morrill,
in town. This horse for size, color, style.
speed and stock Will stand with the best
ever in this vicinity. That veteran
horsemrn, Mr.. j. NJ. Furman of Wood
stock, VT, owned the noted stallion Kill
ngton, by John Morrill,. Mr. Furman
has owned and handled more stock horses
than any man in Windsor county, and
he without hesitation will say that Kill
ington was one Of the best. The stall
lion Hermit, owned and handled by
Henry Walker of Hartland, founded
family of horses second to none iii that
town. Robert Bonner. fine young
stallion owned by II. w. Walker of South
| Woodst took. was one of the handsomest
colts John Morrill, ever sired, was sold
for good price and went West. He
was fine size and color and became noted
as trotter and stock horse.
Another colt by John was lleenan or
the Wheat horse. stallion of consider
able note. Woodstock Prince was anoth-
err one. And so might 90 on until you
would he tired of giving me space.
MANY mares sired by John Morrill,
made excellent breeders The dam of a.
w. ThomsOn's IIambletonian stallion
Extra. the only one that sired 80
trotter in Woodstock. was sired by John
Morrill,. Her name was Beauty. and ac-
cording to A. w.. some mans fingers
were burned handling that mare
Fred Billings. bred by Hon. j. NJ.
Mcintosh of Bethel, was perhaps the
colt that showed the most speed, as
there was a story that he once turned
Woodstock track IN minute. This
sounds some like ThOmson's story of
Old Clifford jumping into freight car OF
his own accord and lying down on the
straw. Such stories might do to tell
children under ten-but no older.
My old friend Allen w. ever on the
lookout for the future prospect of breed
ers, sees ii cloud in the sky, perhaps no
bigger than mans hand, but according
to his prophetic vision it is liable to
spread With quaking knees and up
lifted hand he says somebody's fingers
will be burned breeding PAGERS. This
may be true, but | think the man will be
some cautious fool who sits down and
waits for the boom to pass before he
begins.