The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1865-11-06
Che Murfolk 2ost.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1866.
THE BOSTON HoRsE-TRoT.
1.-THE QUICKEST TIME ON RECORD

-..-.. BosToN, Nov. ], 1865
Yesterday afternoon the roam gelding,
CAPTAIN MCGOWAN" owned by
Samuel Emerson and John Stewart, of
this city, trotted twenty miles in har-
ness, over the Riverside Trotting Park,
in the unprecedented time of JDty-eight
minutes and twenty-five seconds Me-
Gowan was foaled in Kentucky in 1866,
and is said to be a Thoroughbred. / do
not know his exact pedigree. He was
driven by Mr.. J. J. Bowen, to a
common trotting sulkey. The odds
against the horse at starting was about
2 to /, with the outside public, but the
immediate friends of the gelding readily
took all such odds, and finally bets were
made even that the horse would win.
The original bet was $4,000 to 81 800
that he would not tr0t twenty miles
within one hour. There were oil least
ten thousand persons present to witness
this most extraordinary performance,
including old sports, young sports,
gentlemen of leisure, merchants, doc
tors, lawyers, parsons, poets, statesmen,
politicians, butchers, bakers, drovers,
horse jockeys, breeders, agricilturists,
brokers, note-shavers, Jews and Cen
tiles, to say nothing of editors, report
ers and amateur horse-trot critics All
seemed perfectly delighted when the
noble steed came in on the twentieth
mile, looking as fresh as four mile
race-horse, after brush of single
mile under couple of blankets! His
owners were confident he could trot Ave
miles more, at the same rate of speed,
without injury to himself. 5i..
AS the gallant MCGOWAN passed the
judges stand on the twentieth mile, the
immense concourse of people that had,
up to this moment, stood almost breath
less, gave vent to their wild enthusiasm,
in one loud, universal and volcanic
shout of delight, that made the welkin
ring, and was echoed and re-echoed
along the hills and through the hollows
and woods that surrounded the park |;
while the very waters of Charles river,
that is near the course, seemed to ripple
and boil from the effects of the shouts
going up from the immense and excited
multitude. When the fact is taken into
consideration that the course is only a
hdJ mile track, the performance is still
more marvellous. The great feat OF
trotting twenty miles within the hour,
was performed by Trustee, on Long
Island, some years since, but it was
over mile course. Lady Fulton also
trotted twenty miles over one of the
Long Island courses within the hour
The formers time, think, was SO min
utes $50 seconds, while Lady Fulton's
was SO minutes IS seconds. Captain
McGowan's performance was more re-
markable than either, inasmuch as it
was over half mile track, and, conse-
quently the corners and angles are much
sharper. MCGOWAN never made break
during the race until entering the first
half mile of the seventeenth mile, when
Mr.. Bowen purposely caused him to
break, as was supposed, to give rest to
the muscles that had been in action for
so long time. This was dou btless good
judgment. Throuhhout the entire race
Mr.. Brown showed great GOODNESS and
remarkable skill in handling his horse.
He sat in the sulky as steadily as though
he were an automaton, but fooled his
nag with the skill and genius of
"Chefring." The name of the roam
gelding, captain MCGOWAN" and that
of his skillful driver, J. j. Bowen, will
occupy prominent place in the racing
annals Of America. During the whole
time occupied in the trot the vast assem-
blage were as still and quiet as a Meth
odist meeting, such as we used to fire.
quentin days long since past in Brom-
field street. na a+
After the race, it was amusing to
watch the effect the hours quiet and
pent up excitement had upon different
individuals. Some were shouting "Bul-
ly, for MCGOWAN !" Bully for Bowen ="
"Hurrah for Mel" Hip! Hip! Josh!
for BowenW "Three cheers and nine
times three for both MCGOWAN and Bow
enW "Go it boysr" Then some ex-
cited individual would throw high in
air his hat, and shout in stentorian voice,
p" Let US weave an immortal crown of
glory and renown for Captain MCGOWAN
and Jack Bowen!" Some one in the
crowd shouted, "They have done it for
themselves" Instantly some jolly fell
low would strike the air of 1--WE won't
go home till morning." and the i'm
mense multitude would join in the cho-
rus. The " essence OF rye" was in de-
mand some, and hats, with "bricks in
'em," were plenty on the road to Boston
last night.
During the evening, the habitues of
the fremont House could be seen assem-
bling in squads of half dozen, and
slipping quietly into I'D. Pailour,"
would there discuss the merits of Capt.
MCGOWAN and Bowen, over humber of
Rhoderer's Imperial. No sporting event
has occurred in Boston for many year
mot since Lady Suffolk trotted mile
over the Cambridge Course in 2 261) has
caused so much excitement among the