Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-11-19

The recorded history of Maine horses
begins in the early years of the present
century, with the advent of Winthrop
Messenger into the State in 1916. But lit.
tie later came the Morgans and the
Quicksilvers.
The law of the survival of the fittest,
like the other unalterable laws of ma
ture, was operative then as now, and
while the latter have long been forgotten
even by the oldest inhabitant, and are
only known to the searchers of ancient
history, the former survived and mingled
and intermingled, crossed and re-
crossed, and formed the founda lions on
which the reputation of the State as a
breeding center was built
In those early days before the introduce
ton of steam, when the stage coach and
the two-wheeled chaise We're the only
means of travel, the long distance road
ster was the horse sought for; and the
performance of "Old Trim" who was
driven from Watervile to Boston, a dis
lance of nearly two hundred miles in
two days-of Zuarrow, afterwards called
Boston,) who won big stake by trot-
ting a mile inside of three minutes-of
Il.
stylish, powerful and enduring roadster.
together with their unsurpassed feats OF
strength and endurance on the stage
coach, early called attention to the Mes
sengers.
And their reputation was enhanced. as
trotting came into vogue. by the per-
formances Of Fanny Pullen, Daniel D.
Tompkins, Zach Taylor. Blanc Negro,
Tom Benton, Lady Swan, Henry, Inde-
pendence, Sorrel Hiram Post Boy, Ice
Pony, Dying Sergeant, and many others,
which in their day We're in the front
ranks, and regarded as high in the trot-
ting circles as are the Directums. Nancy
hanks, and the Alixes of the present
The descendants of Winthrop Messen-
ger have always passed as Messengers
without question, although the claim
rests on internal. rather than external
evidence, from the fact that all the pa
pers concerning the breeding of the horse
were destroyed by fire, and no man
knows to this day who bred him, or the
pedigree of his dam, and even the belief
that he was the son of imported Messen-
ger rests upon tradition and hearsay
The internal evidence is, however, strong
~ in favor of the claim.
He came to Maine when the get of i'm
ported Messenger were numerous, and in
the height of their popularity. He and
his get possessed the family character
istics, and he was said to be- and the
claim was undisputed, a son of imported
Messenger, which he undoubtedly was.
But while the Messengers were entrench-
ing themselves in the favor of the people,
the Morgans We're also gaining great re-
nown in their particular sphere, and
there was great rivalry between the two
breeds. The Morgans, while possessing
less size. inherited beauty of form, ami
able dispositions, with plenty of spirit,
and We're great favorites as family
beasts. good either in harness or in sad
die, and in the latter position they were
favorite parade animals for the officers
in the old militia days, their STYLE dash
and nerve rendering them almost unap-
proachable for this particular purpose.
AS time passed, and the breeds became
intermingled, the results were found to
be a success Mac, one of the old time
champions, was Wy Morgan sire out OF
Messenger dam, He was as famous on