Litchfield enquirer., 1881-09-08
N On A Trotting Track.

description OI Ainerlcan trOttlnR huu Mduu S.'s effor Est Chicago appears Mr Hasson writes :' -~ '. Co '
 Let me tell the story of the latest defeat of time, if cap; the triumph of Maud s. over St. Julieh tue fastest .trottiBgi horse in Stht. world until this performance of Saturday, which was privileged to wtBess4 It was what might be called an average London day. The sun was hidden behind gray rolling clouds A cool breeze sweptover the broad flat Chicago could De faintly seen in the distance Afew s.grand stands were sparses ly occupied. Only handful of carriages were tethered in tberspace devoted to vehicles lery wasaccupied bg afewdadiesg and gentle- men. There had been rain in the earlier part of the day, which had kept people at home who would otherwise have been there. In England race goers would have paid no at- tentioD to the weather except to dress for sun or shower. In America big. crowds detnapd fine weather, and, as a rule, so likewise do trotting horses. A hot day with no breeze is most suitable for trotting speed, which IS pro- noted by free precipitation. It had been an- nounced that Mand B. would tfot the mile course on Saturday; but Chicago, looking at the weather, felt pretty certain that the affair would be postponed, or, if it were not, that the gentleman in charge of the mare would make no effort to beat St. Jullen's time on such an unpropitious day. Therefore, the knowing ones and the cautious of Chicago did not gOtothe races on, Saliirdas. Thsre were several spins dhfing the afternoon, how ' ever that lad all the excitement of prize com. petitions, though the crowd accepted them with calm noacllalapce that l confess sur prised me when 1 remembered with what enthusiasm the humbles: race IS followed by the crowd on an English course. Between the heats of the last competition of the day, Maud s. was brought out to make sort of dress parade. Sbe tappedat once the, pent up feelings of the audienee.1 No prihaa' donna on the lyric stage evef had aSheartier recep. ton from a small house. Mile. Maud S. paced quietly along with an unconscious grace My wife thought the lovely creature seemed c5gnizant of the general enthus iasm. On the contrary, she appeared to me utterly innoceDt. altogether unaware of her beauty or the acknowledgenlent of it. Shepassed.walk- ing, and presently broke into trot was cheered blythe crowd, and in due course re. turned to fier stable. The swind twas chilly and gusty, but, as the sun looked out from the clouds and began to sink towards the west, it moderated and gave promise of calm with drawal with the sun.
 ''If the wind goes do wn, !" said thy friend of the jockey club, ''she will give us show" On the strength of the good prospect we "took a drink" mention this small detail of the day for the opportunity of saying that wine. lager beer. andeAppollipars water, weresthe liqiofs mostly censuned~ at the sbar on the stand On an English course brandy and whiskey would have been the chief drinks modified by soda water, have often said thai Lager beer is the. salsatfoh of America from 6 temperance point in view. did not see a drunken man al, the Chicago races Our con. stant consumption of spirits and strong beer in England gives us an overwhelming percentage of drunkenness on holiday occasions compared with similar affairs in the United States. l am often told the difference belongs tscimatic cOnditiones do not believe it. America1 used to intOxicate herself quite as much as England before lager beer became the popular and general drink of the country. g, ss---ys- ,
 Presently it was publicly 4anneunced that as many persons had come there to see Maud $: trot, the manager Of the horse, on the part of the owner, was not willing that they should be disappointed. She would therefore gd' over the mile course; but the weatherbeilg altOgether unsuitable for testing her speed her performance would not necessarily be con- sidered as competition against previous time. This was greeted with turst of applause. II Captin Stone had i. controlled the, weather ats that moment he.cnuld not have done much more than Nature did for him. The wind dropped net a leaf stirred The temperature rose 1t was awar,n evening. K \ Ei, !!
 ''i should not wonder if Maud s. made her fastest time to day, not " itlstanding, the eau. tions declaration just put forth" ~I -; ,e-,
 It is hardly necessary to say'that St Julien's record was 211A. trE Wc v A5
 Vanderbilt will he proud man if his mare can head it Her driver looks this moment as if he would not change places with the, Presi- dent of the United States" +'' 0~ a ..,e "Can sn you tell me the best six records ito.
 ''Yes; St. Julien. 2:114; Hopeful, 214s; Smuggler, 2154; Hattie Woodward, 2:15j Darby, 216t Charley Ford, 2:16s"
 By this time the mare had passed under the wire at the cry of "Go H'sY She went along with still body and quick legs, head erect, shoulders and trunk immovable except for their forward motion. It was like an opera dancer in difficult pas who confines her actiDnpta her feet. Maud S.'s legs carried herb6dy as if each anatomy was dependent of the other But at tue first bend, in,thep track she sudden ly brcke @hto ga liop and had to~be recall ed. AA " EAAL
 She went round the track like a machine. Her head and back formed a straight line all the way. The eyenhess waa never once brokehJ It seemed to me as if the pace was all the same. though step-watches showed tRatit varied. When she passed the three. quarter of miIe>poie. LtIT TIl
 .'The fastest time ever made !'' exclaimed my jockey club friend .'1 minute .36 .sec- onds i' kE8
 Turning into the shome-streteh,z ,zthe. allare came along evidently quickening her speed, and she was watched in breathless silence, as if the entire concourse was one man watching the seconds on one stop- watch. It was an anxious crowd, it's heart beating with hope, as if the fate of a nation depended upon Maud S. and her driver, whose volce was suddenly heard breaking in upon the elgeneraf siience The driver was urging the mare on, not with whip, not with spur, bntgwith an earnest eager cry, to which she responded On she came.s with an easy stride thatsdd not suggest speedsd >asuchsas grace and elegance, Esfh ya ]" shouted her driver. and the next mo. ment she had passed the wire, orwinning- post in triumph of enthusiasm t7' 't
 A negro groom in attendance on the mare flung up his watch and bis hat, and rushed after her. B N FF .&- Sl
 great cry went up all over the place La dies waved itheir lmndkerehiefs, f,en flung iiu their hats and shook hands with each other 1.-Two. ten.and- .half!" ''Twe-ten-and-three quarters " cried one to another. In the midsi of the joyous commotion the piare .and hei driver came back topes clothed aud asinsjreti. Sine vas surrounded by crowd They raised ucf oiaihel us pal Her witl ioau hands. darkey lalggei her One man kissed her She received these attentions as meekly and gently as pet pony might submit to the caresses of children. Then the time was officially announced, the crowd cheered ono, mOre.i and Maud s. disappeared while her performance was being telegraphed ito al parts of the civilized world and Russia a. Mir Sutherland Edwards putsir s.,s
 "You have seen the biggest lhing Americ, can show you, said my pleasant companlo, of tl.e jockey clah, taking me by the hand
 T congfatuIste you" 9 uI A 4 Il
 ''AEgeline, my dear, yon should not sit ol the verandah. in the. edge of the evening Ton will contract malaria,' said a ca:efn mother
 Il ksow it. ma" was the cheerful reply ''That's what I'm trying to do. sAn ours
 have the malaria. 1t. is quite the idea, as ssare Wutl." ~ What eo,,ld mamma sav2