St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-05-16
A Wonderful Trotting Ok.

That an OK, in some circumstances,
may show speed i'll striking contrast
with its usual slow gait is proved by
the following story told by a CORE
spondent of the Cincinnati Enquirer: !:
A member of party of miners, named
Green, disgusted with prospect at Pixies
Peak took, as his portion of the camp
outfit, an OK and the fore part of a cart,
and out of the latter he made IL sulkey.
With this he drove eastward and squat
ted on some land near Denver which he
cultivated. One day, as Green was
driving his OK into Denver, some fell
lows on horse back attempted to pass
him. The OK, moved by some account
able freak, quickened its steps until it
went off in swinging trot leaving the
horse behind. This was the first init
nation Green had that his bob tailed
OK (it was bob-tailed) could trot. The
idea then presented itself to him that
if he could only accustom it to trotting
short distance on certain piece of
ground it could out trot any horse in
the neighborhood. There was gam
bier named Randaie in Denver at this
time who owned horse that could do
his mile in 2:40. Randale was ac-
quainted with Green, and would occa-
sionally drop into his quarters and
praise his horse. A day or two after
Green's discovery of his ox's powers
Randale dropped in as, usual, and be-
gan ''talking horse" Green remarked
that he had an OK that could beat Ran
dale's horse for three hundred yards.
Randale laughed at first, then got mad
and ut last offered to bet ten to one that
it could not be done. The bet was
promptly taken, and they adjourned to
the prepared place. The OK was backed
up to little handcart. When every
thing was ready, away they went.
Sure enough at the end of four hundred
yards the OK came in ahead. On the
spot Randale bought half the OK for
$500. The next day it was pitted
against two horses, and the whole city
turned out to see the remarkable phe-
nOmenon, n trotting OK. Again he was
victorious, and amid the widest excite
meut passed the line six lengths ahead.
Every day thereafter the OK defeated
Il horse or two, and there soon became
Il popular demand for a share in the
animal. Accordingly il company was
formed with joint stock of Sc, 400 be-
ing siXty-four shares of 800 each. The
stock went like hot cakes, and soon sold
above par. In week, during which
the OK won several more races, the stock
was quoted on the dambling table, and
passed fOI 81 600 share.
At last Il horse sired in San Francisco
came along and trial of speed was
made up between him and the OK. On
the appointed day it was estimated that
there were ten thousand people present.
The OK took the lead from the start ;
at the one hundred yard pole he was Il
length and half ahead at the one
hundred and fifty it had become three
lengths; at the two hundred and fifty
the distance had widened into five
lengths and the OK still gaining. But
when within dozen yards of the win
ming post the OK became tired and
made up his mind to stop. According
ly he planted his front feet and refused
to bulge. Moral suasion, profane abuse,
physical iIl-usage, all failed to move
him, and the horse quietly trOtted past
and took the race. From that minute
the stock sank from $1,000 a share
down to one siXty-fourth OF the value
of the OK as meat. Many efforts were
afterward made to cOerce the animal
into trOt, but all enticement and per-
suasion, gentle or otherwise, failed, and
he never trOtted again.