Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1910-11-30
THE MORGAN HORSE.

received and printed by the Rider
and Driver"
To the Editor of the Rider and Driver ::
In 1853 was held the first state fair
in Vermont. An old print of the time
shows five open sheds and fair sized
grand stand. A few cattle and sheen
can be seen standing under the sheds,
but the exhibit at the fair in 1853,
which held the attention of the people
If judged by this picture, was the
Morgan horse. Upon the track in
front of the grand stand a race be-
tween two trotting horses is in prog
ress, which the people are encourag-
ing by waving hats and even coats,
and in the enclosure one can-see vari-
Gus horses being led about, each sur
rounded by his interested critics; in
fact, were it not for the words print
ed underneath the engraving, Ever
mont State Fair, September Is, IA, Is,
1852" it might be a depicted scene
race track a half century later, with
horse race taking place, rather than
an engraving of State fair with it's
hundreds of exhibits.
Whether the Morgan horse is indebt-
ed to Vermont for his care or Yer
mont to the horse for his reflected
glory is the interesting question.
While at times the state has been
faithless for period of years in the
craze for speed bringing in breeding
lines of other horses to mingle with
Morgan blood, still her heart has been
true to the little horse and his pro-
geny, and she has invariably gone
back after these lapses to the inbreed-
ing of the Morgan families. For the
state, the Morgan hvrse has done
much, dividing the honors with the
Merino sheep of being the finest prod
uct. From these two industries Yer.
r'Ont has reaped magnificent return,
and it is but justice that Vermonters
have built in their hearts monuments
which are reproduced in each succeed
ing generation and are as enduring as
the granite of their hills.
At the state fair of 1910 just over
the exhibition of the Morgan horses
was, as in 1858, the feature of the fair.
The sheep were there and won en-
thusiastic admiration, but a fine horse
wins more than admiration always he
compels bit of reverence with in
stinctive love. The day appointed for
| the Governors Day" dawned bright
and brought thousands of loyal Yer
monters to the tair, and brought back
| to memory the same day of the fair a
| half century ago. when Secretary Sew
ard was speaking on the grounds in
behalf of the call for the union cause.
His audience would have been more
respectable in point Of numbers had
he not been obliged to divide his hon.
Ors that day, at least, with the great
horse Ethan Allen, who was holding
his court on another part of the
grounds. The sympathy of Vermont
was with the union, but the horse held
her heart. The sons, perhaps, and their
sons, of these same Nermonters who
admired Ethan Allen then were at the
state fair this past month and cheered
Justify when the voice through the
megaphone announced that the Govern
or of the state would then review the
state cadets. Their drill was inspiring,
for the young manhood of the state
never showed to better advantage
than as they passed the thousands Of
spectators and their governor standing
to receive their respectful salute.
Following the parade the voice through
the megaphOne announced the Grand
Cavalcade of the premium stock.
Glorious, indeed, were the prize bulls
and cattle, oxen, coach and draft horses,
and constant applause greeted these
splendid blue ribbon winners as they
were led slowly by the grand stand,
but when the last cheers were over,
as the twenty-five yoke Of oxen maj es-
tically swept by, the voice through the
megaphone announced with an impress
i've dignity, 1.-The people of the state of
Vermont will now review the Morgan
horses, " hush of expectancy came
over the spirit of the grand stand, and
even the hucksters stopped their hoarse
cries. joining the general silence; one
felt it to be a moment in state history
The people assembled there were in
terested heart and soul, and voices
seemed as out of place as they would in
the midst of a symphony concert. AS
the horses were lea by, some one nun
dred and fifty Of them, the voice
through the megaph0ne would an
nounce the name and often his family
breeding.
When the last satiny coat had
passed in review the tension gave
way and men were shaking hands,
congratulations were everywhere and
one heard nothing but we'll known
Morgan names above the general chat
| ter. Listening to all the anecdotes
would have taken hours. Every farm.
err present seemed to feel personal
pride in an old stage coach horse who,
at thirty-fve years of age still gaily
walked in the parade; his years of
hard service had kept him in fine con
dition, and you were proudly informed
that he had outlived eight horses ir
his partnership duty. If you fingered
with your informant you were remind
ed of an old mare in the parade who
at twenty-eight foaled her last col
which trotted by her side, her years o.
work not interfering with her occa
sionally winning local horse race no
her maternal duties. Perhaps as goo
story as any was told by farmer 0
Sheffield; it seems that IN the earl
seventies, when wood was being draw
for the use Of wood burning locomc
tives, thousands of cords were haule
from the side of Wheelock Mountai
to Greensboro Bend Station in the ST
Johnsbury and Lake Champlain raj
road. Hundreds of teams were er
gagged in the work and there was grea
competition as to which pair shoul