Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1885-05-11
AN OLD-TIME TROTTING STORY.
HOW Dan Mace Drove Lady Thorn.
Mile i'm 2:Os Years Ago,
f"Halston" in New York Times !


AN intimate friend of Dan Mace has
neeh regaIng me with entertaining rem
inlscences OF the famous driver. One of
Ills stories may mildly be called a little
astonishing. l plainly manifested nv
shePVlclsm when L heard it, but the earn
esIhesS with which it was reiterated and
1Ile lndlsputable fact that other veteran
llorsemen among themselves have seri-
ousIy reclted and discussed it warrant me
IN making 1t public property now after
lapse OF years III which it has been treas
ured In confidence by Mace's intimates
Mace told the story to friend in whom
ne trusted, but secrecy was ALWAYS i'm
Posed upon by hearers, for, though it was
perhaps the text OF the chief boast of his
NE, there was some phases of it in which
Ior apparent reasons, he took no personal
pride. General publication of the story
even now Will doubtless provoke MANY
warm discussions in trotting circles
Billy Hunter, a conspicuous horseman
now living at Hartford, and quondam
crony OF Mace, vouches for the truth of
The chronicle, claiming personal know
ledge OF 1t, while other men well known
on the track recite the narrative as they
heard II from Mace's own lips. "Years
ago, began my authority, ''when forty
pound sulkies and shin and pastern boots
were unknown, Lady Thorne headed the
list OF trotters. Oh, she was a good one
IN her day, but she needed careful nurs-
ing and regular straight handling. Dan
was the only man who could ever get
the last loop out of her. Tricky |
and trltie mean when she was stale, the |
mare sometimes got Dan out of patience. |
and sometimes, as all the stable bows re- |
member, he went at her in a pretty lively |
way. One hot Friday morning in july !
when Mace went to her stall the animal
was unusually ugly. She had done fast
work the preceding Tuesday against time,
and had been in high feather ever since
now almost tiercely she turned on old |
Blue Jacket and fastened her teeth upon
his shoulder. Dan was hurt and Dan was
mad. He ordered his men to put strong
bride on the beast and take her into a
covered inclOsure. With the long bride
rein over the high stringer he had the
men haul the mares head high into the
arr, and then taking new driving whip
Dan laid It on with might and main,
and yelling 1T the mare contin-
ually. Break away she could not, and
before the Old man got through with her
she was covered with foam and tremb-
ling like an aspen leaf, Il wild, frightened
look WAS in her eve, and ii ever horse |!
heart broken Lady Thorne did
on that July day. But Dams ire was not
appeased Hook her up he said to
Billy Hunter, who was with him then as
his head groom; hook her up, and take
this watch and catch my second mile.
I'll loosen her up bit on the first mile,
and then Pm going to sent her on the re-
peat for all she is worth. You take that
time. Now, my old girl, I'll fix YOU he
said sternly, as he caught the reins be-
hind the atfrighted horse. He seemed to
hold her back with difficulty on the first
mile. She feared that cruel whip. Grad
ually letting her out she came down to
the starting post for the second mile like
a flash, and away she went. The watch
snapped as it began timing a mile, which
Dan Mace averred to his dying day was
the fastest ever spun by a trotting
horse in all the world. How he yelled
How he laid on the LASH He acted
like a maniac. Under every blow Lady
Thorne sped along faster aud faster,
while gaping, awe-stricken hostlers looked
On in speechless amazement, for such
rrotting as this not one had ever dared to ,
even dream of. Down the back stretch
ore the maddened animal, too frightened
o break, trotting squarely without skip
Around the lower turn and down the
stretch sailed the mare, white with foam,
speckled with blood Within a hundred
eet OF the wire Mace let out a screech
more hideous even than any that pre-
coded it. Lady Thorne flew through the
air faster still, and like lightning shot
under the wire. Hunter looked at the (
grew pale, and shut the case
with a vehement snap.
80 What was it?' breathlessly de-
manded the half-dazed Onlookers.
"' Never mind; wait till they come in
" Almost wholly white, trembling and
back logged the mare. Dams
ace was CHASTITY and the veins on his
orehead stood out like whipcords.
Take good care of her, boys; I've
been devilish rough with the beast" he
nuttered, as they led the horse away.
''' Hunter said Dan, you and | will
never live to see that mile trotted again.
Let me look at the watch When Hun
er obeyed Mace stared almost yacantly :
It the dial, and then of sudden, half in
he said simply, knew it,
"That watch marked 2:0S," said my
friend, and 2:08, it was"
Many horsemen know this; many be-
ieve it; some don't; but to my mind it -
eally true | am willing to take the
word of Billy Hunter and the word Of
Jan Mace that Lady Thorne on that day
rotted the fastest mile this world ever