Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-10-30
a Fcarrui Trot,ing Match.

CHICAGO, H., Oct. 22.-On the morning Of
that terrible Monday, when Onc-third Of the
Garden City went down in a maelsuom Of fire
and flame, there occurred one Of the stran gest,
aId probably most fearful, trOtting races on
record. 1t was a race wherein the fire feud and
the storm king went in double harness, with
death for driver, against Mr.. Fred Blac6mar
and his brown mare kittie, Il was a single
dash OF less than mile, contested with all the
frmness Of fate on one 81 lie and only hope Of
salvation on the other. There were no persons
present to witness the grandest contest in the
annals of the turf; no pools were sold on the
result; no crowd Of staggering, bullying
jockeys, whske, sellers, and small politicians,
were on the quarter stretch with their bias
phemOuS desires to bet Il few hundreds on the
foremost horse in the race; no crowd of ladies
in their gaY colored dresses and handsome car
riagcs, with lOOtmen and coachmen in liverics
Of gold and black, and no frequent adjourn
mcntS TO nei9hborng %in-millS with brief
speeches TO whic-aprOncd young men who
found more real enjoyment in dealing out
liquid poison than in asserting their manhood
by earning respectable living like other honest
folks. None of the usual attractions which 90
TO make the race-courSc SO exciting were pre-
pared for the race am about to describe.
Blackburn, who is or was junior partner in
one of the largest publishing houses in Chicago,
has for some time been the fortunate posses
sOr of one of the fastest roadSterS in the west.
There was no use in Josh Shaw, or Medows, or
Hank Niligan, or Pat 0'Neil, or Ira Holmes, Or
any of the other fast 'uns trying to give him the
go-bY when they were racing along the Lincoln
park boulevard with the speed of the wind
which came from over the blue waves of Lake
Michigan They had often tried to give their
dust to Fred, but the brown mare was too much
for them, and her handsome little feet sent the
pebbles flying in their faces on all possible occa-
sions.
Kittie, who had become well known equine
to all those who fTequented the bouleyards, was
stabbed in barn on Dearborn street, almost OPP
posite the post office. The fire had eaten far
into the heart of the city, and was rapidly Swal-
lowing building after building in its rapaciOGs
jaws. Southwark and northward along famed
Newspaper avenue, as Dearborn street was
sometimes called the fire was driven by the
fierce gale, which swept in eddies from over the
prairies. The lurd flames Haunted high in air,
"With passionate desire and an earnest endeaVor
Now, now to sit or never
BY the side of the pale-ficed moon"
Blackmar, who lived in the west division, had
gone down early in the fight to assist in saving
property from the store, and it was not until
Monday morning he thought of Brown kittie,
Then he started for the barn, only to find the
front of the building was one mass of flames.
Nowhere could he see the hOstler. Through a
back door he rushed into the stable, aud there
stood his pet shivering in every limb With a
cry of joy she recognized her master, and while
he was christening her halter the grateful crca-
ture placed her nose against his face and gently
rubbed his check. A moment later and the
mare was htched to the light road wagon, the
| back door was thrown open, Fred, sprang into
the seat, and willie the burning hay dropped
down upon him in fiery fakes he drove forth in
| a perfect hell of fame There was a narrow al
ley with buildings on fire on either side oil ii for
| him to drive through, and faster than Kitty
ever went before went she through that gaunt-
| let of fame. Once tongue of flame reached
across the alley and sCorGhcd poor Il titles hand.
| some name, and almost burnt out one of her
| bright eyes, which were almost human in their
expression, but Fred. spoke gently to her, and
with never q skip she went onward and onward
across State street, and no chance 10 turn to the
right or left, with buildings blazing IN in front
and death with the double team crowdiug him
closely In the rear.
Now Wabash avenue was reached, and like
lightning the little darling turned the corner
and flew with the speed Of thought southwark
along the broad thoroughfare whose western
side was already one row Of fame. With Il
straight road before him, perfectly level and
laid with Nicholson pavement, Fred sent the
mare along faster and faster, Away off toe
wards Jackson street he could see the black
smoke and the red flames reaching across, try
ng to seize upon the opposite side of the way,
and should they succeed before he passed the
| spot then all escape was impossible. Gently
| Kitte, gentlyp They were the first words he
| had spoken for some time, "Now, then, my
little lady, and for the FIRST time in all his life he
| touched her with his whip. The mare broke
into rum and there was no stopping her.
| Like a thoroughbred she sped before The wind,
| and almost IN 4 trice she had cleared the FIRE
and was still running desperately forward.
| Presently Blackmar succeeded in pulling her
| down to a trot, and finally he logged her along
at pace SO slow that no one would have sup
| posed her the best little equine in Christendom.
| Fred wouldn't take thousands Cfdollars for her
! now, aud when few DAYS after the fire he drove
| around in Ashland avenue and told another her
| of his escape, handsome Kittie was petted and
carressed by fair ladies until her owner was fan
compelled to wish it possible a change Of places
| might be effected between himself and his brown
mare.