Connecticut western news., 1879-04-02
A Pike's Peak Wonder.
A TRoTTING OK BEATS ALI THE HORSES
 IN HIS NEIGHBoRHOoD.

That an OK, in some circumstances, may show speed in striking contrast with it's usual slow gate is proved by the following story told by correspon-
 dent of the Cincinnati Enquirer: A
 member of a party of miners, named
 Green, disgusted with prospects at Pike's Peak, took, as his share of the camp outfit, an OK and the fore-part of cart, and out of the latter he made sulkey. With this he drove eastward
 and squatted on some land near Denver which he cultivated. One day, as Green
 was driving his OK into Denver, some
 fellows on horseback attempted to pass
 him. The OK, moved by some apparent
 freak, quickened it's steps until it went
 off in swinging trot leaving the horse
 behind. This was the first intimation
 Green had that his bob-tailed OK Git was
 bob-tailed) could trot. The idea then
 presented itself to him that if he could only accustom 1t to trotting short dis
 tance on certain piece of ground it
 could out-trot any horse in the neigh bolhood. There was 8 gambler named Randale in Denver at this time who owned horse that could do his mile in 2:40. Randale was acquainted with Green, and would occasionally drop into his quarters and praise his horse. A day or two after Greens discovery of his ox's powers Randale dropped in, and, as usual, began " talking horse. " Green remarked that he had an OK that could beat Randale's horse for three hundred yards. Randale laughed at first, then got mad, and at 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 hand-cart.
 When everything 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, trotting OK. Again was il
 victorious, and amid the widest excite.
 ment passed the line six lengths ahead
 Every day thereafter the OK defeated
 horse or two, and there soon became
 popular demand for a share in the ami
 nal. Accordingly a company was formed
 with joint stock of $6, 400, being sixty four shares of $1OO each. The stool
 went like hot cakes, and soon sold abov' par. In 8 week, during which the O.
 had won several more races, the stool was quoted on the gambling tables, ant passed for $1,OO0 8 share. At last , horse sired in San Francisco came along ] and trial of speed was made up be tween him and the OK. On the appointed day it was estimated that there were tel thousand people present. The OK tool the lead from the start at the one hun 5 dred yard pole he was length and
 F half ahead at the one hundred ant } fifty it had become three lengths 8 l the two hundred and fifty the distanc
 had widened into five lengths and tn OK still gaining. But when within
 , dozen yards of the winning post the o: 8 became tired and made up his mind t
 stop. Accordingly he planted his iron feet and refused to budge. Mora
 suasion, profane abuse, physical ill g usage, all failed to move him, and tn e horse quietly trotted past and took tn race. From that minute the stock san l from $1 ,O00 share dawn to one sixty
 fourth of the value of the OK as meal j. Many efforts were afterward made t e coerce the animal into a trot, but all CT Q ticement and persuasion, gentle or other o wise, failed, and he never trottod agair ,. C,D,-.>-,, ,.-a NF ,u--, r1loL 1L