Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-10-17
SPORTING.
Occident's Wonderful Trot of q Mile
in 2:16 3.4.

Occident's Wonderful Trot Of q Mile
in2:16 ga.
For the following exceeding in
teresting report of the great trial
heats Of the wonderful California
horse, Occident, we are indebted to
the San Francisco Chronicles Sac.
ramento correspondent:
1t was announced, some time ago
that Ex-Governor Stanford's horse,
Occident, would trot!for 81, 900 plate
offered by the Society for any horse
that wonld beat the fastest time ev-
err made in the State-2:174-by
Goldsmith Maid. A general hope
has existed that he would accom-
plish the great feat, mingled with a
great deal of doubt as to the result.
Yesterday morning, it was report
cd that the horse would not 90 for
the plate but would only be speeded
over track, SO as to satisfy, in some
degree, the general desire to see his
pace. But this report proved un-
founded, and everybody was on the
qui rire when it was announced
from the judges stand that Occi-
dent was entered for the plate,
and would make an effort to mark
down the fastest time ever recorded
on a California track. AT $3.50 Oc-
cident appeared on the track, and
was greeted by welcoming shout.
He looked well, and murmurs
of admiration arose from almost all
of the 1000 or 5000 who had been
drawn together by the magic of
his name. The ladies all smiled
swectly upon him; and the men
that had been filled with doubt con-
corning the issue Of this great effort
of his life, now noted his fine apper-
ance and hoped that, after all, he
now might give warranty in public
to the splendid promise of his pri-
vatc trials. His young driver,
George Tenant, quietly held the
reins, and no sign of lack of conf
dence was to be found in look or
act of his. Col. Stanford was on
the reporters stand, little anxious,
of course, but hopeful of the horses
success. He said that Occident
could certainly beat 2:l7, but that
he might not be in fit condition to
do it on this trial. AS Occident,
with clock-likc motion, trotted down
the track in front of the grand
stand, he was loudly chcered by
thousands of voices. 1nnumerble
stop.watches were procured; there
were jostling and skirmishing for
the positions from which the best
view of the track could be obtained;
and then the cheering died away
into silence and then they all wait
cd nervously for the event.
The running horse, Brown Dick,
was brought out to keep him COM
pany, and after little preliminary
scoring, the bell tapped, and Occi.
dent shot past the score with Dick
some distance behind. Tenant man.
aged the horse with matchless skill,
the crowd with breathlcss interest
watched the little beauty as he went
"striding onward" to the quarter
pole. With honest, iaultless trot-
ting he passed the pole in just s64
seconds, and without apparent ex-
ertion, and went on without effort,
increasing his speed in the second
quarter q seconds, passing the
half-mile pole in l:lOf, and Dick
following CALAMITY on. On the
third quarter Tenant put him down
to his work, and the pace was in
creased, the far turn being rounded
in noble fashion, and the horse
swung into the home stretch at a
terrific gate. AS he came tearing
down the long stretch not an excla-
nation was heard; but when he
passed under the line without a
skip or a break, to the wonderful
time of 2:l6a, the suppressed ex-
citemcnt of the vast concourse found
vent in loud and ringing shouts in
honor of the great triumph of the
gallant little favoritc of California.
For some time wild and almost
ludicrous enthusiasm held posses
sion Of the crowd, manifested by
cheers, waving of hats and hand
kcrchiefs, and all manner of exhi-
billions of delight. The crowd ran
to the quarter stretch to hear the
authoritative announcement Of the
time made by the little flyer, and
when the figures were hung out on
the blackboard, and it was an
nounced from the judges stand that
Occident had made the best time
recorded on the annals of the Cali
fornia turf and won the plate, the
enthusiasm broke out again, and the
great throng, not forgetting Stan
ford, chcered him heartily, until
that well-pleased gentleman ad-
vanced to The front of the stand and
bowed his Acknowledgements of the
compliment. Nor was the driver
forgotten for a large number gath
cred around him and congratulated
him on the successful manner in
which he had held the reigns be-
hind the turf monarch.
Gov. Stanford, whose gratifica-
ton over the success Of the horse
was exhibited without any attempt
at concealment, ut once went to the
judges stand and presented the
plate to society with the under
standing that it was to be offered
each succeeding year for competl-
ton until the time just made by DC
cident should be beaten. This gen.
erous act was announced from the
stand, and was greeted by applause.
After a while at the solicitation
of several persons on the ground,
Occident was again speeded around
the track. He went handsomely to
the quarter pole in 354 seconds, and
reached the half-mile pole in l:O94,
one second less than in his other
trial; and it was thought that he
would exhibit even more remarka-
bic speed before he reached the
score. On the third quarter he was
trotting splendidly, going at a re-
markabIe rate, but, unfortunately,
and to the regret of the people who
were watching his progress down