Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1921-05-27
OFFICIALS AND BREEDERS
INSpECTS MORGAN FARM
Sculptor of Justin Morgan Chooses
Site for Centennial Statue

| On Wednesday OF last week the u
{ Morgan Horse Farm, at Weybridge
entertained a committee from the Nor
gan Horse Club, consisting OF l. l..
Stillman. of New York City, Secretary
and Treasurer Of the Club; MAJOR =
A Benton, of New York City; and II
R. Lawrence of Brattleboro, Vermont
who for the fourth consecutive yea
visited the Farm to inspect the Stao!e
of Morgan horses and to oner thel'
suggestions and criticisms in conhec'
ton with the work which is oeinS
conducted there
The Morgan Horse Club, with otheeS
at East 4lth Street, New York CITY
Is composed of breeders and others
who are interested in the developmenii
of the Morgan breed, and the annual
visit TO the Government Farm Oh
committee selected by the Club repre-
SCENTS in part their endeavor to coop
erata with the Federal Government
in the perpetuation and improvement
of the Morgan Horse
The Department Of Agriculture was
represented at this year conference
bv DR. John R. Mohler, Chief OF tne
Bureau of Animal Industry, and John
10 Williams, Senior Animal Husganu-
man, both Of Washington, D. T.,
As has heretofore been described III
The REGISTER the Morgan Horse CLUB
IS making arrangements to present 10
the Morgan Horse Farm a large bronze
statue Of Justin. Morgan, progen'Vo1
of the race. which is to be erected on
the Farm at Weybridge in commemo-
ration OF the centennial OF the aeaIn
of this noted stallion. Frederick T. r.
Roth, of Englewood, New ersey, tne
SCULPTOR who is executing this commS-
sion accompanied the representatives
Of the Morgan Horse Club to me
Farm on Wednesday, and made ar
rangements for a site for the statue
Il was definitely decided to place the
monument on the lawn directly IN
front Of the main barn. The work oil
hniIdinp thief oundation for the pedeS-
tai will be completed within the neNl
few weeks. The pedestal, which Is 10
y. of Barre granite, will IN all prooa..
bilitv be in place by the Fourth OIL
INV The unveiling of the statue Ea'
Geen set for October first, when 1t IS
expected that high officials OF the De
nartment Of Agriculture, among other
notables. will be present.
No portrait OF Justin Morgan or
figure was ever made from lie, 50
far as i, known, and the sculptor mas
worked entirely from descriptions OF
the horse. First hand descriptions are
few The one usually considered best
was written thirty years after his death
NV D. c Linsley, a man who never
saw him. Mr.. Linsley wrote a book
about Morgan horses in 1856 and had
unusual opportunities for drawing. his
description from original sources long
since cut off He said:
dustin Morgan was about IA hands
high and weighed $50 pounds. His color
was dark bay with black legs, name
and tail He had no white hairs on
him His name and tail were coarse
and heavy. but not so massive as has
hen sometimes described; the hair OF
both was straight, and not inclined TO
curl. His head was good, not extreme
" small. but lean and bony, the face
straight. forehead broad, ears small
and very fine, but set rather wide
anart His ewes were medium size,
verv dark and prominent, wieh a
spirited but pleasant expression and
showed no white around the edge oil
the lid His nostrils were very large,
the muzzle small and the lips close and
firm. His back and legs were perhaps
h, most noticeable points. The tor
mer was very short, the shoulder blade:
and hipbones being very long and
oblioue and the loins exceedingly
broad and muscular His body was
rather long round and wide with
breastbone projecting a good deal IN
front. His legs were short, close JOINT
ed. thin but very wide, hard, free from
meat. with muscles that were remark
{ ably large for a horse of his size, and
this superabundance of muscle exhib-
l tied itself at every step. His hair was
short and at almost all seasons SOFT
= and glossy He had a little long han
= about the fetlocks and for two or three
inches above the fetlock on the back
1 side of the legs; the rest of the limbs
1 were entirely free from it. His feet
were small but well shaped and he was
E in every respect perfectly sound and
= free from any sort of blemish. He wa;
. a very fast walker In trOtting hi;
1 gait was low and smooth and his steps
= Short and nervous. He was not what
. in these days would be called fast
:, and we think it doubtful whether he
= could trot a mile much if any within
minutes, though it is claimed by
: many he could trot it in three.
Although he raised his feet but lit
!, tie he never stumbled. His proud, bolC
and fearless style of movement and HI!
vigorous, untiring action have, perhaps
never been surpassed. When a ride
-, was on him be was obedient to the
= slightest motion of the rein, would wall
=, backward rapidly under a gentle pres
i sure of the bit and moved sideway
: almost as willingly as he moved tor
:, ward; in short. was perfectly trained t
!, all the PAGES and evolutions of a pa
= rade horse and when ridden at mil
tarv reviews, as was frequently tn
D., case, his bold, imposing style and spir
4 tied. nervous action attracted univer
cal attention and admiration He wa