Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1907-11-15
THE AMERICAN HORSE
A Unique Tribute to the Late c. J 4.
Hamiin.

Ebert Hubbard, who publishes al East
Aurora, N. Y, The Philistine, according
to his own words meant to be periodi-
cal of protest, has the following to say
world around as the former proprietor
and founder of Village Farm. Fra Ell
burtus evidently profited by the near
ness of this great breeding establishment
where hundreds of trotters and PAGERS
were given start in turf career, many
afterward becoming famous. He also
repeats in the same issue what he wrote
some seven years ago about Ed Geers,
then trainer for Mr.. Hamlin. Both arti-
Giles appear in the November issue of The
Philstine. referring to Mr.. Hamlin
is as follows:
EAST Aurora has produced three great
men. These are Cicero J. Hamlin, Ed.
Geers and Charles A. Cyphers.
"In saying these things l fully realize
that 1 am laying myself open to the
acerbity of Ali Bahia, Deacon Buffum,
and uncle Billy Bushnell, all of whom,
even if not great men, are surely indus
trious persons.
"Great men are only great comparative.
ly. But he who surmounts obstacles
which have always been regarded as in
surmountable, doing things which have
never been done before, if the results of
work adds to the wealth and happiness
of the world, he can truly be accounted
great.
"Also, l would say that great men are
great in the ratio that they inspire other
men-they must not only be teachers,
but teachers of teachers.
"Cicero j. Hamlin did more to evolve
the American trotting horse than any
other man that ever lived. And the
American trotting horse is the best gen.
eral-purpose horse in the world-he is
good anywhere and source of joy to
the owner. He belongs!
"In the days of the high sulky there
was trotting horse called Great Eastern
and another of similar type called Gloster
that made good records, but they were
not the Hamlin kind of horse. They
were big, coarse, powerful, stupid and
ugly. Pa Hamin worked for beauty,
intelligence, docility, grace, strength and
speed. His horse was psychic. He,
himself, was great reinsman and his
triple team record made when he was
seventy, still remains unbroken.
81 own a mare of, the Hamlin kind
which raised. She is ten years old and
has never been harnessed, nor touched
with whip or spur. She has been used
exclusively for saddle. For this animal
l have repeatedly refused thousand
dollars. Billy Andrews once said to me,
Say, now John, when you throw your
leg over that one you are on horse, for
sure.
The late Elisha Morgan, gentlemen of
the old school and lover of books and
horses, once came here and left thirty
two hundred dollars for pair of seven
year. old Hamlin mares. These animals
weighed, say ten-fifty and were scant
fifteen hands. Not speedy but just nice
pleasant drivers that could make the
road run under your wagon without urg-
ing, at three-minute clip-no binders,
no check-rein, and the whip you carried
was only for ornament. In nineteen
hundred and one the Japanese govern
ment sent three commissioners here and
bought sixteen geldings to use as saddle
horses for army officers, at an average
price of seven hundred dollars. Just
these handsome, CHEEKY, cheerful, low
stepping horses with brains, that never
know the end of the road. The kind Ed
Geers talks to-talks to as he would to a
woman-talks to much more than he
does to men.
"a few years ago when the trolley took
the place of horse-cars, and bicycles, low
frame and diamond shape, replaced the
good old buggy-ride, the pessimists
prophesied that horse-meat would soon
be offered in the butchers stalls.
"Since then the automobile has become
but fine horses are in demand
and the right kind command price such
as the pescud pessimist never guessed.
Let the fact rest that Pa Hamlin did
more than and other one man to give us
the horse, which, even if it does not have
phenomenal speed, yet it is worth a
thousand dollars-and is not for sale."-
The American Sportsman, Nov