Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1894-12-27
THE HISTORY OF HIS DEVELOP
MENT.
BUDD DoBLE's'INTERESTING RE
VIEW
BY Slow, Patient Labor the Harness
Racer Has Become What 1t Is
Eighty Eight Years Of Progress
How Long Trotter VIII Last.

WoIhs are accomplished. This applies
with much force and truth to the
American trotting horse OF TODAY. 1t
was ON October 10, 1859. that 30
was beaten for the first time in the
history of the trotting turf. on that
day small, bob,tailed bay mare
known as Flora Temple trotted L mile
in the third heat of a race at Kalama-
zoo, Mich, In what was then thought
the incredibly fast time OF a.193-4.
Previous to that day the worlds best
tfotting record also made by Flora
Temple, in u race on September .,
1886, had been pa L.. II was on
September Is, 1892, at Terre Haute.
Ind. that Nancy Henks trotted a mile
in 2.04. 1t will thus be seen that a
period of 33 years elapsed between
the day when 2,20 was first beaten
and the day on which the worlds
trotting record was placed at its pres
sent mark-2.04, The American trot-
ting horse has been evolved from the
thoroughbred and the draft horse in
a period of less than 100 years.
The first trotting mark Of which
we have any record Is $50, made at a
short mile track in Harlem, NJ ", in
the year 1906. At Philadelphia in
1910 a trotting record of 2.4S 1-2 was
made. For long period thereafter
the aim of trotting horse breeders
seems to have been the production of
animals that could travel long dis
tances in moderately quick time. rath-
er than those which could, go a mile
at very high rate of speed. AS n
consequence, for a very considerable
period all races We're at long distances.
and we do not hear much more about
mile records until 1915, when Lady
Suffolk reduced the marke to 2.29 IL,
which was not lowered until 1S49,
when horse named Pelham, thought
to be a converted PAGER, lowered ii n
second and a half. Then Highland
Maid put it at 2.27. Flora Temple
then came to the front with her mark
of 2.24 IL, and her still better one
of 2.19 Sd, as stated above. 1t was
not until June 30. 1867. that Flora
was deposed from her proud position
of queen Of the turf by Dexter, who
on that date shaded the record to 2.19.
and on August IA of that year he re-
duced It to 2.17 IA, which was re-
duced to 217 in 1871 by Goldsmith
Maid, who gradually reduced her mark
until In 1874 IL stood at 214. This
was not shaded until August 3. 1878,
when the figures "2.13 IA" were put
up to the credit of Rarus.
In October of the following year st.
Julien, California trotter, reduced
the record to 2.12 "a, and on August
IL. 1880, he put it at 2.11 "a, Maud S.
making the same mark on the same
day, both records being made so sep
arately against time and over the
track at Rochester, N. Y. Maud S.
on September IS of the same year
trotted against time in 2.103-4 at Chi
cago, and at Rochester, n. ", on Au-
gust g. 1881, she reduced the record to
30 IA. This remained unchanged till
August /. 1884. when jay Eye-See
trotted mile in 210. On the follow
ing day, at Cleveland, o., Maud s. re-
duced the record to 200 "a. and on
July 80. 1885. not quite year later,
she trotted again Mt Cleveland against
/ time in 2.0S 81. This mark remained
unchanged until October 30. 1891,
when Sunol reduced II to 20S IA, but
1t must be borne In mind that Maud's
record was made over regulation OF
oval-shaped track. while Sunol's was
made over a kite-shaped track, so that
| Maud's performance was quite as
| good as, If not better than. that OF
| Sunol. This mark was not beaten TN
til September %, 1892. when Nancy
Hanks, driven by myself, trotted a
| mile over a regulation track at Terfe
Haute, Ind. in 2.04. This mark has
never yet been surpassed or even
equaled by a trotting horse and still
remains the trotting record. 1t will be
seen from the above that It required %
years to reduce the trotting record fom
| $50 at which II stood In 1906, to
2.193-4. made bv Flora Temple In
1859. a gain Of 0.39 IA, while il re-
| quired a period of 80 years to reduce
| 1t from 2.1934, at which it stood In
| 1859. to 204, made by Nancy Hanks In
1892, a gain of only Ole
The first steps toward making a
/ trotter are taken at the stock farm
where he Is bred There are great
enclosures about 20 by 100 feet, OF
often much larger, In which the young
stock is allowed to run about during
the day. The youngsters are separae
cd according to their age. yearlings
! In one paddock, two-year-olds in an
other and so on. Mothers milk at frs
forms the sole sustenance Of the lit
tie equine. His mother Is fed from
a fiat, shallow vessel placed upon the
ground, and when her colt has AT
1 tanned the age of about one month hf
will begin to nibble nj the contents
Of his mothers dish, and Is allowed 4
do 50 without hindrance He Il en-
| tirelfy removed from his parent. ans
| thereby weaned when he has reached
the age Of six months, and carrots
turnips. potatoes and crushed oats ant
wheat then comprise his diet He /
n -