The morning call., 1893-05-28
WHAT HE MUST Do.

WHAT HE MUST Do.
There is school of pseudo.scientsts in Ger
many, one of whose tenelS is that acquired
traits are not hereditary; that only those char
acefiSilcs are transmitted from ancestor to
descendant that IN their nature were inherent
10 the ancestor.
There are many known facts in the world
that prove, II would seem conelusively the
abSurdiry ot this doctrine. but none more ab-
soutely than the facts regarding the develop
ment Of the trottng horse.
Every horse can trot, but not all can trot at
speed. The horse in his naIur 1 state does not
tTot at all-Or Jr0tS but rarely. When grazing
about he walks. Ii anything alarms Lin, or be
is in hurry TO gei from one .lace 10 another
he runs. II not hurried, 4 band of horses walks
when migrating in search Of food or water
A Wild colt, a rule, has no notion of trotting
He jumps along beside his dam. but if several
generations of troltug ancestors have pre-
ceded him we Will often see a fOaI strike a trot
from the first day be begins.to get about, and
horsemen consider that they have reached The
acme OF praise when they say: "Why he's d
natural trOtter!"
The trotting horse. as the phrase is under.
stood today, Is purely artificial creature. The
horse who trots at speed is pre- -emnently an
American institution.
he racehorse proper which is the thorough
bred, belongs to England. BE is runner al.
ways, although one or TWO have been known 10
trot mile in 2:3O. The Trotting-bred horse,
on the contrary, is ralely fas runner.
We have to-day several distinct families of
trOllers all more or less famous all speedv
each Win Characteristic distinctions, but that
which makes them what they are, which dis
tnguishes them from all other hghly-bred
horses. Is purely an acquired trait-he tlotting
instinct
TIL trottar is said. In distinction from the
thoroughbred. 10 be ''cold- blOoded." He has
added 10 The generous impulse OF all good
horses TO put forth his strength in speed, aud
the spirit OF emulation that prompts him TO ex-
Gel. If possible. his fellows, certain self-con.
troll which prevents him from "bTeaking,"
that Is. going from trol 10 a run in desire 10
get ahead. This acquired self-contrO of the
ancestor has been Inherited by the descendant,
together with certain conformation which. in
th- former, came from the use of certain
muscles of lucUmotiOn TO the exclusion OF
others, and 10 the latter Is heritage The
muscles thus developed by use in tTotting dam
or sire, naturally tended, In tie foal, 10
Induce TO The rotllng gat. The fiery spirit of
running ancestor prompting the yOungster 10
speed. modified by the restraining influence Of
colder blood iu early forebears, and The ac-
qured muscular preGlspOsition TO move at the
trot. OF some intervening generation, all unite
degree what, for want of a better name, We call
The trotting instinct"
The trotter, as we see him to-day, is the most
remarkable instance known of mans power 10
mold and share circumstances aud conditions
to suit his own purposes. We nave not even
developed any other creature 20 such state OF
perfection, although we have tiled our hand,
with success in the Improvement OF every race
OF useful crea GIes-eXcept the human. II.
now. XOuu lpyiu The infplli.
eence. wisdom and practical sense in the ad-
Vancem ent OF mankind that We have exercised
IN developing the horse, we might In time.
succeed In evolving a race of beings fit TO be
the mas ers Of this magnificent creature that
we have virtually created.
But that is another matter.
Win horse ever trot a mile In two minutes?
There are great many people who believe
he VIII. There are others who do not consider
that such speed is within the possibility OF
equine achievement
There are great many points TO be consid-
cred in discussing the question.
Seventy-nve years ago the ffsi recorded trot-
ting race ever held in the United States took
place. Boston Blue" famous gray geldng
OF that lime, was matched 10 trOt better than
three minutes. THIS was deemed a feat impos-
sbe for morse TO accomplish, but Boston Biue
did it, and from that time tie interest in the
development of this gait grew. From three
seconds until for some time 1t hung at 2:32 12,
made by Edwin Forrest. Then came that
great old mare Lady Suffolk. who trotled under
The saddle, as they ali did llIen, In 2:26.
Then Flora Temple beat 2:2O, to which the
mark was finally lowered, ana see0Bd by sec
Dad the record has been reduced from =: 20 10
2:15. to 2:12, then 2:l0. ana finally Maud ),
pulling her sui around the Cleveland track In
2:oS94. set The mark for the whole trotting
world, and was hailed queen OF The turf
Strictly speaking, il cannot be said that Sunnl
broke this record The game little Californian
made a splendid showing. but the fe Of Maud
on IA regulation eIicuIE ouidid that of the
younger mare on the kite shaped rack What
SuEoi could not 10 no other irotter seemed
able to accomplish. and it began 10 look as
though Mr. BoDner's great mare would 90
down 10 her grave bearing The championship
when without any warning Nancy Hanks elec-
trifed Ihe horse-loving world by irottng IA
mile in 2:O714. Hardly bad tn excited turtles
recovered their breath when Nancy was again
SID from-this time ting her mark at 2:04.
y Ii woud probably be Impossible for any one
who does DOT take an interest IN tie troiter 10
understand the -greai wave of enthusiasm that
swept over the country when this news was
wired from East 10 West Horsemen literally
went Wild and L have a vivId recollection OF
one who, with tears in bis eyes. stood and
swofe roundly in sheer admiration OF the
wonderful little creature who mad done so
noby.
To hear the comments that week in turf cir
cles one might have imagined bat HE fate Of
the nation had hung upon Naneys fylng hools
as she MADE that great mile.
"Why should such fuss be made?" some one