Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-08-08
NELSON'S FEAT.
A e,reat Exhibition Of Equine speed
at Fee eport-The Famous staIlian's
r,tat Ira N

at Frteport-The Famous s,aIiinn'.
li,Ie IN 2li 1 4.
The Freeport Bulletin thus describe:
the feat of tue famous alton. Nelson in
reducing his mile record to III:
New laurels for Taylor's driving park
and Freeporyl The mighty Nelson yes
terdsy lowered the track record one sec
| ond, and also, TO the writer's best re collec>
| ton, made the fastest mile ever trotted in
| the state He covered the mile 10 ala
within half a second of the stallion re
ord, which be holds, and e9ualing the b s
time made IN the United States this year.
| This was at Detroit we. K before last and
the same horse accomp ish ed the feet
Nelson was driven by b owner G. a Mel
son. of Watervilie, Me. A running com
panion hsrnessed to a sulky, to force the
pace. appeared at the same time While
the horse was warming up, betting on the
grea, event proceeded. The bookseller
announced that the basis for bets would
BE- 2:t2I-that is. that the horse should
equal or better that figure. The horse
and time sold at so each, but bets on
time were made with the greater avidity
Mr.. MCElroY, the star .er, wanted to
announce that the horse would be
driven to beat the track record of 212I.
but Mr.. Nelson strenuousiy objected 10
this and wanted 9t4 announced instead
which, after considerable argument. was
finally done. Il was just 20 minutes past
when the driver nodded for the word
and the great horse comm enced his race
against Father Time. He showed what
is meant by the phrase poetry of mo
ton" as he sped along with free. open,
powerful strides He covered the first
quarter in 49,. Then he quickened his
pace and travelled the back stretch in
81. The third quarter was the fastest
OF the mile and was made in 3l-a 204
gait. Then he slackened up. His speed
was again increased Just before the wire
and his driver made II grand stand finish
using the whip, shouting and saving the
lines The horse passed under the wire
amidst loud acclaius, which we're iucreas-
ed when the time, 2:114 was hung out
The fourth quarter was Urotted 10 94l the
slowest of any. The entire mile was
trOtted without a skip. Immediately
horse and driver were surrounded by an
enthusiastic crowd. the horse WAS taken
from the sulkY aud a beautiful dJral
wreath, with the word Nelson inscribed
thereon. was placed around his neck. The
animal did not appear TO relish this last
attention and resisted il for quite
while. He wss then led back to his stable.
after having earned his owner 50 in
Just 2114. The official time
i as follows: $50, 1861, 1861.
2:1li; by quarters, 334, 81 :. 81, 344
jay Eye-See's great mle of 2:12i,
which re trotted here on Aug. %, 1887,
is well remembered. 1t was the fastest in
the United States that season. For pur-
poses OF comparison his time is appended:
344, 1911. 1:39. 2:124; by quarters. 34!!,
333, 3l3. 33l II will be noticed that the
third quarter of each is the fastest; also
that although Nelson beat Jay-Ege See
one second for the entire mile vet the lat
tes Travelled the home stretch one s1cVuu
and = half faster. The act on OF the two
horses is entirely different. Jay>Eye See
is uudersiZ ID and has pit.a-pat style of
going. He would be described by the
ladies ss.cute. Nelson, or the contrary,
covers the ground with long, free,
powerful stride, and his whole appear
a1ce in motion is grand and masculine.
Nelson is bay horse anG was foeled in
1882. making his age nine years. His
breeding cannot he exactly called fashion
able. He is by Young Role; dam G-et-
chen BY Gideon. Young RDlfe is By Tom
Rolfe, he ty Pugh's Aratus by Aratus
Nelson's service fee is $3.50 and he Was
limited TO 30 mares this season, and
his owner says he had to turn 400 away.