The Wichita daily eagle., 1891-10-23
R0TTER BEATS PAGER.
FAMOUS MATCH FOR $4,000 AT
A DISTANCE OF TEN MILES.

Six Miles Were Covered In Fifteen Min
utes Fifty-five and One-half Seconds,
| When the Running Horse Quit-Tne
! Victor Made the Tenth Nile in z:3S.
Ny mind wanders back through an in
terval of years to a day in the long ago,
before the majority of the present genera
1 tion OF racegoers were born, and to a race
! that was at that day sensational, and one
! that would tomorrow draw such crowd
as would fill the Golfers of the association
! giving it as they were never before filed.
The race was at ten miles mot ten heats,
remember) for purse of $4,000, and the
horses that measured strides were the trot-
ter Prince, driven by the late Hiram Wood
ruff, and the PAGER Hero, handled by the
renowned George Spicer. The meeting
took place on the cid Centreville course in
the fall OF 1853 can remember the day
quite distinctly. The weather was fine,
the atmosphere clear. cool and bracing.
Within the grounds and in the trees and
on knobs surrounding were assembled
fully 10000 persons, VINO came from far
and near to see the event that had been
held in lively anticipation for months.
Among the throng that packed the stand
and overtiowed the lawn were politicians
Of national prominence, lawyers of great
repute, solid men of business. sporting men
pure and simple, and even clergymen, and
ladies God bless 'em) And what would
you say today to see men at the track
dressed in swallow tail coats, with wide
expanse OF shirt bosom, and cravats that
could in an emergency be used as table
covers. That was the way we dressed in
1853, and the wide brimmed tiles worn then
would appear ludicrous now.
THE FIRST TWO MILES.
The race was called about o'clock. The
track was in excellent order, and the horses
appeared in superb condition, trained, as
we say now, to the minute. Hero was the
favorite, and 500 to S75 was staked on him,
probably TO the amount of SIC, 600 or $780,
600, in those days considerable money.
The judges called the drivers up to the
stand and stated the conditions of the race
and cautioned them in much the same
manner sometimes practiced nowadays re-
garding any violation Of rules, and then
they were given the start, the PAGER having
the pole and leading round the first turn
In my minds eye can see the raceas plain
=
of nearly forty years ago.
On the backstretch the PAGER waited for
the trotter and let him come alongside it
being apparent at this early stage that
Spicer did not intend to go any faster than
Hiram would make him, at the same time
keeping tho latter on the outside all the
way round, thereby making him go
greater distance in the race They kept
Ci1 Inv do ID tIo
turn, when Hiram pulled in behind Hero
and waited until he reached straight work
on the homestretch, while he came out, and
the two came to the stand with the wheels
of their sulkies as close together as it was
possible to get them without touching |
The first mile was done in 2:44.
On the second mile Hiram, seeing
through Spicer's tactics, began to crowd |
him. The pace Of both horses now became |
accelerated, and it WAS evident that Hiram
intended to force his adversary TO break |
down, believing presumably that his horse |
would prove the better slayer. Spicer |
kept the PAGER we'll in hand, and would not |
go any faster than he was absolutely COM |
PEELED to. The trOtter again fell in behind |
on the lower turn, and again made brush |
up the hOrnestretch, the pair coming TO the |
stand head and head. The time for this !
mile was 2:3G
HOW THE RACE WAS WON.
On the third mile Woodruff pursued the
same tactics as in the two preceding miles,
only putting on little more steam, which
the PAGER TO add little more
pressure, and away they dashed around
the upper turn and down the backstretch
at killing pace. They came to the stand
on even terms in the third mile, Hiram
to friend as they passed, I've
got him, sure" Time, 2:33 Is.
The fourth and fifth miles were run in
precisely the same manner, both horses
coming to the wire like a team The time
for the fourth mile was 2;39 and the fifth
2:31 On the sixth mile the trotter became
the favorite, any amount of money being
offered on him, without takers. He took
The pole on the first turn, in spite of
Spicers efforts TO force the PAGER to extend
himself, and the latter began to show
symptoms of distress. He struggled brave
~, however, but the trotter opened the
gap at every stride. At the half mile pole
ne was fifty yards in 'front.' without the
slightest abatement of his speed; but on
5he lower turn Hiram let him up, and took
t more moderately up the homestretch,
coming to the line in 2:46. having per-
formed the six miles in l5:J51%, an average
If less than 2;40 for the six miles.
When the PAGER reached the stand it was
evident he had enough, and he was stopped
1t the wire. a more exciting race, as long
IS it lasted, / have never seen.
The trOtter was then slowed to an easy
gait, as it was unnecessary to drive him up
o his speed any longer, and he was walked
Ind logged the next three miles, keeping
IS fresh as possible for the last mile, his
owner having a wager of 500 that be
would make the tenth mile in less than
hree minutes. The time of the seventh
nile was Sos the eighth 6:1S and the ninth
SIG, but he was let out on coming to the
wire and started to decide the wager. dash
pg off at an astonishing rate of speed,
which he kept up throughout the mile,
the distance in 2:39-the great
st feat ever known
How many horses are there in training
ioday that can trot six miles in less than
sixteen minutes, jog along three miles fur
her and then wind up by doing a mile in
1892 Who are they?-Judson Jay in New
York Sun.
How Pearls Are Sorted.
The average diver thinks it a fair days
work to secure loo pearl oysters in fifty
feet of water. After being taken ashore