The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-06-26
TaoTrINe HORSES.
The Growth and Developments
of This Animal.
Continued. J

passed. Years ago trotting races OF
three, five, ten, twenty, fifty and even
one hundred miles were in order, but
since 1859 those kind of races have been
few aud far between. In fact they have
been stopped by the Society for the
Prevention Of Cruelty to Animals, and
we think it is just and right The no.
BILE animal was called upon to overtask
his nerves and disposition, and many a
good one was ruined and made worth
less by so doing, although the writer
was in the swim himself in the days
when long distance races were fashion
BILE and participated in them to quite an
extent.
Still felt it was wrong and for the
past twenty years have looked upon
those races with disfavor. think that
the horses we had on the turf twenty
five and thirty years ago could stand
more hardship and were tougher than
the horses of to-day. We think that the
custom of too much inbreeding has
caused weakness in the Vitality and
it seems to me that the men and women
of this generation are in the same boat,
and the question often arises in my
mind, Are we not degenerating?" 1t
certainly seems so.
Forty and forty-6ve and even fifty
years ago horses of unknown breeding
achieved tasks which to-day, it seems,
would be impossible tor the horses of
to-day to perform, even with the i'm
proved tracks and other new appliances
which from day to day are invented and
introduced to gain speed and comfort TO
the horse.
Let us look back forty years and see
what was being done and accomplished
by the trotting horses. In 1S40 Tom
Thumb trotted one hundred miles in
ten hours. In 1851 the gelding Con-
queror covered the same distance in the
same time. Both the races were against
time and were over regular race
tracks. A number of other horses have
tried to do the same trick but failed.
Controller trotted fifty miles, in San
Francisco, CAL, in 1866, in hours and
80 minutes. The same horse trotted
ten miles in &c minutes, and pulled a
wagon weighing 100 pounds.
Six horses have trotted twenty miles
within the hour, viz: First, Trustee
trotted over the old Centreville course,
=. c., in 5952]4; next, Lady Fulton
covered the same distance in 59.5Osl
next. Matte Howard trotted at Sacra-
mento, Cal, in 50.40; this was in 1850 CT
thereabouts. The next horse to make
the trip was the roam gelding, Captain
McGowan, who trotted over the River
=
tember), in 58.25, and he holds the
record lat twenty miles" The River
side track was then q half mile track
Captain McGowan was a desperate run
away horse. He was bred at Louisville,
Ky, and was sired by Pilot, Jr.. out of
thoroughbred running mare. He was
wilfull and obstinate brute and had
ran away with every one that had
tackled him until he fell into the hands
OF Robert johnson, hack driver in
Louisville. johnson got the hang of
MCGOWAN, and in his hands trotted some
good five and ten-mile races in Louis
Vile and Lexington, Ky. Johns on took
his horse North in 1864 and disposed OF
him to some New York parties, but
they could do nothing with him.
He was taken to the great mas ter
driver, Hiram Woodruff and the first
mile he skipped off with Hiram and
Hiram ran him into the fence, tied him
TO the pailing and walked to the stand
and told them to take the damned horse
away from his grounds, which they did
at once. The next man that got hold
of him was Jock Bowen. of Boston. and
then the roam horse found his master.
| always thought that Jock 'hoo-
dooed" Nc iowan in some way. Any way
nn1y In 80 ~ ~
merson who owned the horse matched
him to trot over the Riverside track 90
miles within the hour for $1,000 We
all thought Emmerson and Jock Bowen
had gone crazy. To think Of that
noted runaway horse who would Jump
over a fence at the bark OF n dog and
who had beat every man that had tried
to drive him, being matched to trot
twenty miles within the hour over a
half-mile track and in crowd of people.
But the roam horse and his competent
driver got away with the baggage in
good shape, and made a record tor 90
miles that will stand for years, perhaps
until old Gabrial blows his trumpet and
calls us to the far beyond.
At the time Emmerson matched Nc
Gowan to trot that twenty mile race, he
(Emerson) was financially en- barrassed
But the roam came to his rescue like an
angel in the dark, and when the race was
being trotted 10000 people passed
through the gates, and paidthe 81 tc
witness the fastest 90 mike rdce ever
trotted; and that night Sam Emmerson
cried Richard is himself again." and al.
though we were on the other side OF
fence and backing time against the
horse"
Still, many of those who were in the
same boat were glad to lose our few
dollars and see our friend Emmerson
on deck once more, with enough to pay
all his debts and have good fat pocket