St. Landry democrat., 1878-09-14
THE TROTrER RARUS.

Ills Great Feat the 6cssip OF Local Crcles-
"reminiscences Of Fast Time.
The unprecedented performance of
Rarus at Buffalo on Saturday, trotting
mile in his thi, j heat in 2:134, and strip
ping the regal honors Of the trotting turf
so long and honorably worn by the brave
old mare now engaged in maternal cares
at Fashion Stud farm, was fruitful
topic of conversation among the turfmen
in the city on yesterday. Naturally
the records of the past were brought
up by way OF comparison, from "2:40
on the SHELF down. The triumphs of
the now dead queen of her time, Flora
Temple, were recited; how her record of
2:l92, the first that had passed below the
twenties, remained untouched for years
till bettered couple of seconds by the
blaze-faced son of Rysdyk's Hambleto-
Man, Dexter, now retired from the turf,
and an inmate of Mr.. Robert Bonner's
stables, with record of 2:173. Bonner
bought him in the belief that he was the
best horse in America, and offered the
round sum of 100000 for any animal
that could equal his record. Everybody
looked upon it as piece of cheap elbow"
that never could cost him cent, and it
never did; not for the reason that this
record was never equaled, but because
he didn't care to, or was not given
an opportunity to invest. While
his much-heralded proposition was
scarcely dry in the ink that
printed it, Goldsmith Maid, the trim and
speedy daughter of Alexander's Abdal.
lab, did her mile over the Milwaukee
course in 2'l6 and fraction. This was
another unprecedented piece of work,
and little confidence was put in the re-
port of it. A cry was raised that either
the track was short, or the time was in
correctly given, for, it was argued, no
horse could do it, Disbelief was carried
to such an extent that an eastern sport
ing journal, in order to determine the
matter, sent out especial commission
err" and had the track carefully meas
ured. It was a seven.days wonder. But
the mare had not shown her best pace
yet. Barred in the .free-for-all, she took
to herself running mate, and, having
no record but her own to trot
against, began whiting away at that,
cutting it down by degrees till, at Mys-
tic park, Boston, September 2, 1874, she
made her best time and record that
remained untouched till the performance
of the big bay gelding at Cleveland,
when it was duplicated in a third heat,
and was, to that extent, better than the
mares which was made in second heat.
And she showed her breeding none too
soon, for the fast ones began to appear
thicker and thicker, close in her rear.
The twenties had become slow, and a
dozen horses were cutting into the teens.
August 10, 1876, the get of Alexanaer's
Norman, Lula, came very close to her,
making the best third heat on record, 2:15,
over the Buffalo course, the scene of
Rarus' recent triumphs. A year
later, August 81, 1876, the wonderful
stallion, Smuggler, at Hartford, made
the fastest first heat on record,
and the fastest time ever made by a
stallion, being accredited with 2:l53.
These remained untouched till the
mighty offspring Of Conkling's Abdallah
let himself out to take ell the honors. At
Cleveland he stripped the honors of the
third heat from Lula with IA, and
paled the lustre in the crown of the
queen, besides taking from Smuggler the
honors of the first hest in 1:144, three
quarters of second faster than that of
the stallion. Not satisfied with that, at
Buffalo he escaped all other perform
ances, and went to the front Of trotting
horses. Besides this, it being practically
a fourth heat, as he had received the ego"
four times, he robbed Lula of her re-
naming honor, the fastest fourth heat on
record, PIT, made by the mare at Ro.
chester, August IA, 1875. His honors
are then summed up thus: The fastest
mile on record the fastest first, third
and fourth heats; the fastest two and
the fastest three consecutive heats.
Surely his name was prophecy.
1t should be understood that the time
made at Buffalo was record notwith-
standing the fact that he trotted against
a running horse, just as it would have
been if he had had trotting competitors.
The afixing of record depends upon
the performance being made for some
consideration, no matter how small. A
wager OF bottle of wine is as potent to
that end as one of $4,000. The ques.
tion now is, will he, like Goldsmith
Maid, having nothing else to beat, beat
himself. There are not wanting those
who believe that he will, and that before
the circuit is closed, the best record will
not be above 2:12, possibly less. 1t is a
big thing to whittle of the little seconds.
Il Chicago Times.
six reindeer are to be imported from
Lapland into Manitoba next autumn.
They will be accompanied to their new
home by Lapp, who will have charge
of them during the journey, and also for
some time after their arrival THO ,,