CHAPTEE XXYI. 



THE MORGANS. 



If there ever was any horse entitled to the distinction of having 

 founded a family and imparted to them the strongest possible linea- 

 ments of form and character, that horse was Justin Morgan. The 

 family had its origin three-quarters of a century ago. It became the 

 dominant horse of New England for a third of a century, and has 

 been prominent in numbers and popular in the esteem of horsemen 

 and home circles in more than half of the States of this Union. 

 It is a family which has been marked by greater uniformity in form, 

 character and general utility than any breed of horses ever known in 

 this country. While in their original and pure state they combined 

 no elements of real greatness, they eml^raced no lines of inferiority 

 — their excellence, if only mediocre, was universal. 



THEIR PKOGENITOE. 



I make the following extracts from Linsley on the Morgan 



Horses : 



The different accounts that have been circulated in regard to the origin of 

 the jNIorgan breed of horses, agree that they are descended from a horse called 

 the Justin Morgan, who derived his name from Mr. Justin Morgan, of Ran- 

 dolph, Vt., once his owner. As to the origin of the Justin Morgan, however, 

 they differ widely. 



The fact that little or no interest was felt in the su1)ject until after the death 

 of Mr. Morgan, and indeed until after the death of his horse, will account for 

 this diversity. 



Almost half a century passed away before any serious effort was made to 

 determine the origin of an animal, whose value was daily more and more 

 appreciated. After the death of Mr. Morgan the horse passed through several 

 hands, and was kept at different places, and wlien at length serious inquiry 

 was awakened on the subject, it was found that Mr. Morgan had left no written 

 pedigree of his horse, and different reports of what he said in relation to it 

 got into circulation. 



We think it may be considered as certain, that during Mr. Morgan's life and 



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