The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1873-04-25
The Parsons Trotter.


over the first parish Of Rust6eld 70
several years, and a staid, solemn
and temperate man, verging to
ward the frosts Of three-score ant
ten. He was a kind-hcarted friend
q faithful counsellor, and very &C
ceptsble preacher. Once upon
time the parsons horse died, and h
must purchase another. His salar'
was small, and he could not spar
many dollars anything luxuriou
in the way ofhorseilesh. His neigh
Dor Richards bad a horse in pasture
which he thought would answer
the parsons purpose. Said horse
had been sent up from Portland by
Babcock, in the spring, with instruc
tions to the farmer that if he lived
to be worth selling, he might bt
sold for what he would bring,
The animal had come upon the
farm with SPAWN and heaves, and
to all appearances essentially used
up, and, more than this, he was
quite old, and blind ofan eye.
But by the coming Of autumn
the old horse had picked up won.
derfnlly and, Richards believed,
would answer the parsons purpose
as well as a better. Richards
wrote to Babcock, stating the case,
and George wrote back that the
parson might have the animal for
just what he was willing to pay,
and 50 Parson Bracket became
the owner Of the horse.
Now there was a bit Of history
connected with that horse which
had not been communicated to the
farmer, aud which was not known
in RuSt6eld. The animal had been
in his day, a noted trotter, and for
ten years, at least, he had been one
of the bright particular stars at
Cambridge, having been spitted
both against "NIac'' and "Lady
Suffolk" and it had been a remem-
brance of this brilliant career which
had led the former owner to secure
a good home for the beast in his
old age.
On bright, bracing Sabbath
morning October, Parson Brackett
set forth from his home to preach
in Dixford. The distance was
twelve miles, and he was thankful,
as he rode onward, that he had SO
good a horse, Tor the animal crept
over the ground at a grand rate,
considering his age and the price
which had been paid for him.
Upon the outskirts of the town
of DixEord the road struck a level
plain of intervale, reaching thus for
full two miles to the village, and
just as the parson reached this
point, two young bloods, with fast
horses and sulkies, came up behind
him, shouting in the heat of a race,
and attempted to drive past him.
The old racer smelled the battle in
a moment. He gave a prolonged
snort-Jhen shook his head--then
reared alolt-and when he came
down he closed his teeth against
the bit and shot off like a cannon
ball. The parson was a man Of
nerve and courage, but he knew
nothing about race-horses. He did
just the thing which he should not
have done, lie drew up the reins
with all lis might, and halloed:
"Whoa! Whoa!" as loudly as he
could.
Away went the old racer, at a
trot square and honest, but feartulIy
rapid, and behind came the youth
ful bloods, whippingtheir horses to
a gallOp; and the welkin rang with
the noise-the parson laundering
his "whoa! whoa r. while the pur-
suers whooped aud hurrshed,
The noise reached the village,
and the people were out to behold
the cause; and ere long Parson
Bracket came flying in behind his
trotter,' ,'leading the running horses
by several rods, aud when the par
son reined up at the public house
the old horse came 10 q stop as or
derly and quietly as ifnothing had
hN s,a0.onI 80 ~ AIa ,,...,