Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1907-02-05
AMONG THE FARMERS.
SPEED THE Flow"
Coming Back to Their Own.

the Morgan horse held sway as FAMILY
horse, as road horse and as a source OF
profit in the market, I have never lost
the love which / early learned to have
for the horses Of that breed. The Nor.
gans, as family, did not possess the
higher rate of speed which characterized
the Hambletonians, but they had enough
of that desirable quality to make then
formidable opponents on the road to The
horses of any other breed they happened
to meet, and their intelligence, sure
footedness, endurance, sound conforma
ton and love for companionship made
them, to the real lover of horses, simply
perfection for road and family use. The
popular rush for extreme speed at the
trot, and the undoubted superiority Of
the Hambletonian family, in that re-
spect, caused the Morgans to be neglect.
ed BY all but the few of their devotees
who could not forget their many good
qualities. Men who left the farms OF
Vermont and northern New York fol
the great cities, after they had achieved
success in business circles, felt a longing
to ride behind the sweet-tempered, trap.
py- gated, enduring horses which played
so important part in their lives in the
old home, and were surprised to learn
that it was almost impossible to ge,
them. The few which were purchasable
found buyers at big prices and as the
demand for the "old-fashioned Nor
gans" began to increase, efforts began to
be noticed, here and there, to supply the
demand. Men who realized what loss
the extinction of the Morgan horse
would be, secured the country to find
mares and stations, typical of the breed,
and possessing as many lines to Justin
Morgan, through his meritorious de-
scendants, as possible. These men were
the pioneers in the movement to save
the Morgan horse from total extinction
and the fruit of their labors is already
becoming apparent, for the Morgans are
coming back to their own again. In
Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania,
Ohio and Illinois there are breeding
establishments devoted to the produc-
ton of the Morgan and they have gone
far enough in the work now so that it
may truthfully be said that, not only has
the Morgan breed been saved, but that
it has been saved in way to make it
even more valuable than it was in the
old days. A few years ago, at the Pan
American Exposition, saw the Morgan
stallion, White River Morgan, and a
number of his get, and they aroused in
me all the old admiration / had, as a
boy, for the horses of the Morgan breed.
White River Morgan was owned and ex-
hibited by Mr.. L. D. Ely, owner of Bay
side Farm at Rochester, n. T., one Of
the small band of men who have been
responsible for the revival in interest in
the Morgans. Although Bayside Farm
is not far from Buffalo, never had the
opportunity to visit it and see the Nor
gans there until a few days ago. Mr..
Ely, whose boyhood was spent among
the old-time Morgans, knew the type he
desired to secure, and having for years
been a student of the mysteries Of breed
ing, he set about in his efforts to
establish a Morgan stud, to secure stall
lions and mares as typically character
istic of the old fashioned Morgan as
possible, and at the same time insisted
on an inheritance of those character
istics through as many lines tracing to
Justin Morgan, as possible. White
River Morgan, the first stallion selected
to head the stud at Bayside Farmland
which position he occupied until his
death-traced to the original Justin
Morgan IL times. With his many
crosses of Morgan blood and his typical
Morgan individuality, White River Nor
gan impressed himself strongly on his
get aad when at last he died he had
the foundation for reviving
the Morgan horse at Bayside Farm, al
most beyond estimate. After White
River Morgan's death one or two Of his
best sons were used in the stud, while
close search was being made for horse
to take the place made vacant. At last
Mr.. Ely found, up in Vermont, a three
year-old stallion called Fleetfoot, that
seemed worthy of taking White River
place. he is dark chestnut
in color, typically Morgan in conforma-
ton, having the round, smooth, finished
look which is typical of the real Morgan.
His legs are clean and hard, his head in
iiicating great intelligence and a good
disposition and his action would delight
the old-timer who remembers the Nor
gan road horses of his youth. He is not
large, but will eventually make a fair
sized horse. Fleetfoot was sired by
Billy Roberts, he by Mountaineer, by
Lion, by Billy Root, by Sherman
Morgan, by Justin Morgan. His dam
was by Cushing's Green Mountain, by
Green Mountain Morgan, by Clifford
Morgan, by Woodbury. Morgan, by JUS
lin Morgan. He traces to Justin Nor
gan S3 times, which furnishes reason
enough for his typical Morgan form and
s also proof that when used on the
mares at Bayside Farm he will sire
ot of foals that will do much towards
in placing the Morgans on the
plane they once occupied in the horse
world. A weanling colt also bought in
V vermont, to be raised for stud purposes
s a chestnut, by Billy Roberts, the sire
IF Fleetfoot, and out of mare by Ethan
Allen Ill. He is very fine looking colt
md traces to Justin Morgan over 80
lines. Mr.. Ely says he finds the de-
nand for Morgans increasing all the
lime. He has recently sold eight young
stations to breeders in various parts OF
he country and the sales of geldings
md mares have been SO numerous that
he number of youngsters at the farm,
,ther than weanlings and yearlings, is
not large. To take prominent part in
bringing back to its former glories the
breed of Morgan horses is no small
honor and all who take pride in the part
western New York has taken in pro-
lucinp trotters cannot but feel pleased
hat a breeder in this section OF the