Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-09-06
One Quarter of a Second.
From the New York Hour


1t is a matter of curious speculation. II we
think for a moment. what our highest rate Of
trottinS speed is coming TO in this country.
1t has already reached very fine point. We
forget precisely the rapidity with which its time
has been decreasing; but it cannot be, on an
average. more than at the rate Of second a
year tor the last 40 years. If 2:40 horse was
the speediest one in lS44. in order 70 gain sec
ond year. some horse now ought TO be able TO
trot mile in two minutes. But no horse has
done that yet. and no horse is likely to do it very
soon. The one nearest TO it is still over nine
seconds away.
1t is only recent thing. however. that a
quarter OF a second has been made term of
measurement in "A trotting contest: and the idea
of yaluing one horse over another for gaining
that small space Of time in miles distance is
based on grounds that seem somewhat sngu-
lar 10 the nol-trottlrg turn Of mind. For In
stance: If the driver of the winning horse (were
ii supposedly had stopped 10 chat with a friend
for nve-siXteenthS OF a second on his way around
the track. he would have lost the race by oue-siN
teenth OF a second. Or il he had made one single
fault IN driving. OF if an Instants Lack of atteu-
ton had occurred, or j any one of the slight
things had happened. the result might have
been different. If ''Jay-Eye-See" beats Maud
s. and Maud :" wins back Ter iaurels and
even in better time. how are We to know GER
tainiy that all this IS not owing 10 some con-
Sideratlnn nj the personal equatiOn-nOt 10 say
what might happen in the disturbed moral
equation-Of the driver?
Other things being equal. the horse which the
Judges decide TO be the fastest is rated as IL he
were. potentially the fastest He NAV be- or
he may not he: and it should take as We must
suppose. a variety of long and differing trials
tests of speed-to approximately determine this
matter The result OF this is that the owner of
. horse that can trot mile in 2;o9si need not
feel greatly discouraged over being diStanced
10y mere quarter Of a second. Nor does he
. feel much discouraged He has hone all the
While OF breaking the better record up and of
some day owning the fastest trotting horse in
the world himself.
The trott!ng lover will tell US that this at
tempt To lower time and increase speed may be
uniluportant in Itself. but il is the only way TO
have fast trotterS. II what We gain is little by
itself. and frivolous matter to the non-eXpert
In trotting, ii is in itself step toward greater
speed. So much speed you can crowd into
the race or blood of horses will stay there. and
can hereafter be depended on. The fact that
J the time has been now reduced in q few decades
from 2:40 to 2:O934 has made 230 and 2:40
horses common. If the trottjng constituency
had been satisfied with 2:40 as the extreme linn
. it, which is now common one for road horses
and is hardly noticed. the common one would
have been compelled to retreat to SOC or 3:0S
perhaps.
OF course there is limit beyond which the
time in trottng mile cannot be reduced. We
have not reached it: but the subtraction of sub
! segment seconds is naturally becoming slower
and more difficult. We suppose there are those
who think it will 90 down to two minutes
Does any one suppose it will ever go to 1890: 1t
is not lay opinion. but an expert one that is
valuable on this question: and as this particular
writer does not assume 70 possess the latter, he
will not undertake to decide it. But even the
present rate Of speed is not available on the
average country road. 1t is not needed to take
produce to market: it cannot be used except
with a specially prepared vehicle. and by spe-
cially trained driver. on a track also made for
the purpose. 1t is force bottled up. and being
intensified second 10y second for future benefits,
which would not appear if the struggle to d.
minish time should abate