St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1905-08-23
The Original Morgan Horse.
H Came from Randolph and Was al
one Time Owned an st. j Ohnsbury.


Now that Senator Proctor has inter-
ested the Agricultural department in the
improvement of the Morgan strain OF
horses much interest is attached to the
early history OF this famous line. The
Randolph Herald and News contributes
and interesting article on the subject and
denies the claim that the original Morgan
came from Caledonia county. The ar
ticle which follows will be read with
interest:
A recent editorial note in an exchange
claims that the original Morgan horse in
Vermont came from Lyndon, thus deny
ing to Randolph its proud claim to be
considered as the place from which this
famous breed of roadsters sprang.
The story Of the Morgan begins with
True Briton, whose ancestry extended
back to the finest thoroughbreds of Eng
land and some of the Arabians and Barbs
imported at great expense by gentlemen
OF Great Britain in the early part of the
eighteenth century. True Briton was
the property of Col. James Delaney, an
officer of the British army, from whom
be was stolen at Fishkill, N. Y, in 1880
by Lieut.. Wright Carpenter, in retalia-
ton for the loss of some cattle plundered
by cow boys, to whose rascality Col.
De Lancey, when Lieut.. Carpenter APP
piled to him for redress, proved indiffer.
ent Carpenter took the horse to Hart
ford, Conn.,, and sold him to merchant,
who finally disposed of him to. Selah Nor
ton.
In the course of time Mr.. Norton, with
True Briton, happened at small tavern
on the banks of the Connecticut river
kept by Justin Morgan, who was born in
West Springfield, Mass, in 1747. In
1888, Mr.. Morgan removed from Spring
field to Randolph, bringing with him a
colt named Figure, the son OF True Briton
and the original Morgan horse.
Mr.. Morgan, who was tall, slim man
of feeble health, was singer, composer
of church music written in the fugue style,
teacher of singing schools and penman.
ship and of the common district schools.
A man oil urbane manners, he became
well.liked by the townspeople and was
chosen lister and town clerk, serving in
the latter capacity three years from 1870.
He took up his residence near the Brook
field line north OF the village of Randolph
Center, ana there it may be said the
type OF Morgan horses began.
In the fall Of 1895, Mr.. Morgan intend
ed to apply his valuable animal on the
payment OF a note, but was not able to
secure what he regarded as a reasonable
price for him and, instead, let him to a
man named Robert Evans Tor year for
SIS. Mr.. Evans undertook to clear fit.
teen acres of heavily timbered land and
completed the work in seven months
with no other assistance than that of
Figure. The next spring the horse was
taken for debt from either Evans or Nor.
gan by William Rice, also of Randolph.
who went to Woodstock with him and
sold him to Jonathan Shepard OF Mont
pelier. After this the founder of noted
equine family passed through many
hands, being owned in st. Iohnsbury,
Montpelier, again in Randolph, Clare
mont, N. H., and Chelsea.
Figure, whose name was changed to
that Of his first owner, Justin Morgan,
led no idle existence. He was kept hard
at work hauling logs and clearing land,
and for while was part of six-horse
team drawing freight from Windsor to
Chelsea. He was able, however, wher-
ever he labored, It'll boosted, to out-trot,
out-run, out-draw, or out-walk any
horse put against him, and his style was
the pride OF the community. He was al
so kind and gentle and considered per-
tectly safe for lady to drive. Finally
broken down by hard work, he came in
| to the possession OF Levi Bean of Chelsea,
who retained him until the lamented
Figure died in 1921 at the age of 80
| years.
The original Morgan was not over IA
hands high, weighed about $50 pounds
and was dark bay in color, accentuated
by black legs, name and tail. His feet
were small and wel-shaped and he was
in every respect perfectly sound and with
out bemish. He is said to have been a
very fast walker, and in trotting to have
had low, smooth gait, with short
and nervous step.
Figures first master, Justin Morgan
died in Randolph March %, 1898, in the
51st year of his age. In the first book Of
probate records, his estate, of which Ezra
Edgerton is administrator, is appraised
at $37490, and in this long inventory O.
personal property, covering coats and
vests, household goods and even halters
and blankets, there appears no item of a
horse, Morgan or any other kind, show
ing that he had parted forever with the
handsome beast on which he proudly
rode to singing schools hundred years