Johnsbury once told us she remembered his appearance perfectly and had repeatedly 

 ridden him, when a girl, to balls and other parties, and spoke with much enthusiasm 

 of his noble appearance, his high spirit, and perfect docility. 



It is exceedingly difficult to obtain accurate information respecting the changes 

 in owners that occurred to the horse at different times. To account for this uncer- 

 tainty, we must consider that, his fame has been almost entirely posthumous: that 

 although the champion of his neighborhood, he was little valued on account of his 

 small size; and it was not until after his death and his descendants were exhibiting 

 the powers of their sire, in speed, strength, and endurance in almost every village 

 in eastern Vermont, that people began to realize they had not properly appreciated 

 him. * * * 



At 29 years of age, no cause need be assigned for his death but the ravages of time 

 and the usual infirmities of years; but old age was not the immediate cause of his 

 death. He was not stabled, but was running loose in an open yard with other horses, 

 and received a kick from one of them in the flank; exposed without shelter to the 

 inclemency of a northern winter, inflammation set in and he died. Before receiving 

 the hurt which caused his death he was perfectly sound and entirely free from any 

 description of blemish. His limbs were perfectly smooth, clean, free from any 

 swelling, and perfectly limber and supple. Those persons who saw him in 1819 and 

 1820 describe his appearance as remarkably fresh and youthful. Age had not quenched 

 his spirit nor damped the ardor of his temper; years of severest labor had not sapped 

 his vigor nor broken his constitution; his eye was still bright and his step firm and 

 elastic. 



Justin Morgan's good qualities were transmitted not only to his 

 sons but to their sons and grandsons to such a degree that where 

 proper matings were made, according to the type, Linsley found 

 young colts that closely resembled him "in all respects except size, 

 in which there has been a decided increase." 



The horse possessed that essential qualification of a great sire 

 impressi veness. His blood "bred on," destined to found a family 

 and a breed. Such 'a sire was Hambletonian, such was George Wilkes, 

 such were Denmark and the Darley Arabian. 



THE MORGAN OF LINSLEY's DAY. 



The Morgan horse of Linsley's time was far more common than the 

 Morgan of to-day, although the breed was even then beginning to 

 be affected by the tendencies which in a comparatively short time 

 threatened it with extinction. The small size of the original Morgan 

 was undoubtedly objectionable, but, in Linsley's opinion, it was 

 being improved in his time. He gives the height of six grandsons 

 of Justin Morgan as ranging from 13.3 to 15 hands, with weights 

 varying from 1,000 to 1,075 pounds, and states that 'JJ Morgan 

 stallions exhibited at the I'nited States Agricultural Society's sho\v 

 held in Boston in October, 1855, averaged 1,040 pounds in weight. 

 This Linsley regards a> a fair average of the Morgans of his time and 

 as proof that the size of the breed had been increased. 6 



a Linsley, D. C. Morgan Horses. New York, 1867. P. 146. & Ibid., pp. 179, 180. 



[Cir. lii.-.l 



