New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-05-06
1cnLLrLNG rNE LupOSSLELE.

Francisco Prralto diGn't do it on Saturday. The
fatcs were against him. The horses provided were
too few in number, and only five Of them were mus
tancs. 1t rliucd, and the track heavy. For
these excellent reasons. Francisco Pcralto, though
with all the pluck in the world, failed TO
ride 3OJ miles in fifteen consecutive hours
at the Prospect Park Fair Grounds, and went
home in a carriage disconsolatc lie had done great
things but there was a fly in his ointment, so 10
speak he had not done what he undertook to do.
and he gave mp with aching legs and smiling mourn
fully. But tins Is a world OF failure. Emulation
knows 40 limits. We amend the pioycrb,
and declare that whatever man has done.
man can exceed. "Thc beat time yet"
means better time next week or next
wear. No matter how well one may swim ride,
walk, vIoslr OF row. somebody Is sure to coyct his
medal belt, badge or other token Of supreme excel
lruco. and 10 wrcst it from him ut last. The
Napo!,ous of muscle all find their Watcroos;
and lie world is full of cX-chmnpous, mod
cstly keeping beer shops or training youth
10 make the best TING or EXHIBIT 1.-THE best
wind YETI Utility in these minor fields, as in the
greater field Of military glory, is little considered
Nothing would have been gained II SIR. Poralto Lad
succeeded except little money By himself. Ii can
never. al least IN these parts. be necessary for
n man to ride in the saddle 800 miles in
fifteen hours. The railway affords Us better
accommodation. There i, a person no present pad
ding tie hooi - who has undertaken to walk $4,000
miles IN two years. II IL were necessary to mans
happiness, social or moral or intellectual pro-
prc.s to be able to do so, this aspirant would be
sort Of missionary. But il isn't Should he succeed
he will only add 70 our stock of merely curious facts
will only ncitc somebody to undertake to walk
the same distance in half tic time, and to have the
stern question " For what good :" put to him IA he
is resting himself This comes Of human eXtraya-
gancc. Nobody doubts the advantage OF walking rs
a hcatAml habit any more than the advantage Of
sleeping within bounds, but what should we
say TO a champion scepcr9 Yet there was
"a renowned slumbcr'r of that sort in Addsons
timc-a somuamhulst mentioned in TIE SPECTATOR
who slept by the week for wager. Nobody
doubts the utility Of eating, yet when We read as
We sometimes do i'm English newspapers that man
has undertaken 10 dcyour bushcl Of beans with
bacon to match. within a short time, we feel
somehow that emulation has dcgeneratcd
into hoggi-hucsg. There was man once also in
England who wagor,d that lac could make one
million far up and down stroke, with pen and ink
without stopping, and he did it, though the
victory nearly cost him tho use of his
arm Only the other day, in this city, IA
dancing master Waited for, We FORGET how many
tcctotum Of The world lie showed what could be
done in that way. but is hardly entitled, for his
pains to be dubbed a bcncfactor Of his species.
Fortunately, human happiness does not depend
upOn doing that which has been considered impos-
sIblc but IN working wisely within the limits of our
ordinary capabilities. II is no doubt, wonderful
thing to play dozen games Of chess simultaneously
and bIindfolded, but it is sufficient accomplish
ment for most of us to be equal to u single
game with our eyes WIDE open. We are too
wise 10 venture upon the miraculous often. These
ambitions are luckily confined to c0tores. If all
New-Yorb should bc:ako itself TO riding mustangs
against time. distance, what quadrupedantic
CHATTER there would be! In the very height Of the
athletic mania, the majority goes mad nationally
lift, the smaller sort Of dumb-bels is content with
brief constitutional walks, plays all its games in
moderate amateur way, and leaves the champion
ships to those whose professional business it is to
tonish makind.