IV 



JUSTIN MORGAN 



(CONCLUDED) 



In illustrating the pedigree of Justin Morgan, we have given Mr. 

 Linsley's description of the horse and have also followed his history 

 up to the transfer by Jonathan Shepard of Montpelier to James 

 Hawkins of the same place, on the I4th of February, 1797, 

 when the horse was coming eight years old. We will now give some 

 further descriptions of the horse and his characteristics, and a sketch 

 of his further history from that time until his death. Let us continue 

 the letter of Mr. Solomon Steele, in Mr. Linsley's book, part of 

 which was given on page 105. Mr. Steele proceeds: 



"While Evans was engaged in piling this timber, the remark- 

 able powers of this horse, it would seem, were in a measure devel- 

 oped, as he was then found able to out-draw, out-walk, out-trot or out- 

 run every horse that was matched against him. An instance was re- 

 lated to me by Mr. Nathan Nye, who was an eye-witness, and whose 

 testimony was never questioned. I noted it at the time, and will re- 

 late it in his ow r n words. 



"At the time Evans had this horse, a small tavern, a gristmill 

 and a sawmill were in operation on the branch of the White River 

 in Randolph, and at this place the strength of men and horses in that 

 settlement were generally tested. 'On one occasion (says Nye) I 

 went to those mills, where I spent most of a day, and during that time 

 many trials were had, for a small wager, to draw a certain pine log 

 which lay some ten rods away from the sawmill. Some horses were 

 hitched to it that would weigh twelve hundred pounds, but not one of 

 them could move it its length. About dusk, Evans came down from 

 his logging field, which was near by, and I told him the particulars of 

 the drawing match. Evans requested me to show him the log, which I 

 did ; he then ran back to the tavern and challenged the company to 

 bet a gallon of rum that he could not draw the log fairly on to the log- 

 way, at three pulls with his colt. The challenge was promptly ac- 

 cepted, and each having 'taken a glass', the whole company went 

 down to the spot. 



