The Foundation Horses 87 



not cultivated to any extent until after bridle 

 paths had been succeeded by passable roads. 

 Messenger was a running horse and was brought 

 to this country for the purpose of improving the 

 running horse, but in temperament and action he 

 was plastic; and his colts developed an inclina- 

 tion to trot. Road-building did the rest. Few 

 horses recorded in the stud book are regarded 

 with a higher degree of interest or have been the 

 subject of more animated discussion. If we turn 

 to the great table of 2.30 trotters and 2.25 pacers 

 under their sires, which is now the accepted 

 speed standard, we shall find neither Messenger 

 nor Justin Morgan, because neither contributed 

 a son or daughter to this list and neither chal- 

 lenged attention as a track performer. Each, 

 sowing seed in different soil, laid the foundation 

 of a trotting structure and added incalculably to 

 the comfort, the pleasure, and the wealth of the 

 New World. I recall the time when the family of 

 Hambletonian, a descendant of Messenger, was 

 growing rapidly and so overshadowing all other 

 families that sneers were levelled at the Justin 

 Morgan tribe, but that day is past and the 

 impartial historian must recognize the potency of 

 both lines. Fable has made free with Justin 



