The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-10-03
The Death OF American Girl.

American Girl, who died yesterday at FL
mira was a horse more fortunate than the
vast majority Of mankind. Although she
died young, even in the computation of
equine lives, her career was full of splendor
and success II was bright and swift, like
comet, and the time of her circling course
was calculated with almost as much mathe-
NAUTICAL accuracy az the orbit of q celestial
body. One-quarter of second was as inn
portant in the measurement of her speed as
it would be in that Of the transit Of Venus
She was waited upon like a princess
she lived in stable which was more
comfortable than many Italian palaces
when she appeared in public it was amid
the reclamation of admiring thousands,
and she was worth twenty-five thousand
dollars, which is greatly above the CONNER
cial value OF most men, excepting Congress
men and Legislators. Her personal quail
ties were excellent; she was gentle, kind and
modest; victory was never known to turn
her head indeed, she often won by a neck,
and, with more consistency than many pol
itcians, she never was known to bolt.
Garrick, will sadden the gayety of nations
So far as sorrow is concerned, the world
could have better spared O better man.
Wherever the horse is loved this magnificent
specimen of the race will be lamented but
regret will be softened by the superb dra-
matte effect with which her career was closed.
As it was iguratively said of Earl Chatham,
Thaddeus Stevens and other distinguished
statesmen, so may it literally be said of her
that she died in harness. Death and Gold
smith Maid were almost the only brutes that
could beat her. The old Queen Of the Turf
has kept full length in front Of Death for
nearly twenty years, trll, baffied in his at
tempt to catch her. he entered invisibly in
the Elmira races, and, mounted on the " g.
Pale Horse, distanced poor American Girl in
the first heat. This defeat broke her heart;
but let US trust that the rainbow which, &C
cording to the high authority of the Associated
Press, rested upon the head of the dying mare,
is typical of her radiant future If there is
indeed a horse heaven she has gone to it.
There she will meet with Bucephalus, with
the horses of Achilles, with Balaam's ass,
Rosinante, Dapple and all the mighty steeds
Of antiquity to sport with them in fields of
immortal bloom and feed upon celestial oats.
The ghost of Alexander may be proud to
mount her and race against all other quad
ruped shades, with infnity for course and
eternity for time. When we remember
American Girl in her prime and all other
good horses like Eclipse Fashion, Flora
Temple, Goldsmith Maid and the stallion
Patchen, then the terrible satire of
Swifts "Gulliver," where he tells Of the
Houyhnhnms, or horses of superior rea-
son, who had men for servants, seems
deprived of much of its sting and Bit
terness. The ipferiority of humanity to the
equinal race ceases to be so humiliating.
Farewell, then, American Girl May the
monument which shall be raised to thy
memory fifty celebrate thy deeds and vir-
tues Well may it be said Of thee, Screen
be the turf above thee y for in life never was
there a horse who stepped more lightly
upon il.