The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-06-16

that time. st. Julien was an cratic
brute, although very fast. Orrin Hickok
had been at work on him for three wears
trying to get him steady. Very few of
the knowing ones thought the horse able
to do the trick, and odds were against
him. A feverish excitement peryaded the
community in view of such a possible
event. The stands on the grounds for the
reception of spectators were crowded to
excess. and the whole inside track was
lined with people. Not less than 40, 900
spectators were in attendance, and every
thing seemed to favor the occasion, as the
day was propitious and the track was in
Iirst class order. After TWO or three pre-
hm1nary races, St. Julien was brought
out for his effort to beat the trotting
record. Hickok got the word on the first
score. The horse went from the wire to
the flrst quarter like a ball from gun,
ana to the half mile post in LILO IA.
When he struck the third quarter we
could see from the stand that the horse
was Wabbllng and trying to get UP and
H1ckok was plainly trying to hold him
back to prevent his. breaking. Not know
ing what was the trouble, he finally got
the horse settled to Shis trot and gave
him his head again. The pace in the
third quarter had visibly decreased.
upon entering the last quarter the horse
darted OFF like lightning and came down
uAiS iAC4ilO oolCOSll Ike d IOCh6u LIZ
crossed the score in PIP "a, thus clipping
another silver lock from old Father
Times scalp.
1t was later found on entering the
third quarter the upper strap which held
the hind ankle boot had broken, and the
horse trotted the balance of the mile with
the boot whipping his other leg, which
prevented him from fully extending him
self, although he trotted the last quarter
in 81 seconds, (which in those days, nearly
20 years ago, was unprecedented. Had
the boot not broken and impeded his
action St. Julien would doubtless have
come home in 2.09 H.
The joyousness and hilarity which fol-
lowed the announcement that ST. Julien
had broken the trotting record was every
where visible. Hats, canes, handker-
chiefs and umbrellas went into the air,
and the excitement equalled the wonder
full performance of little Flora Temple at
kalamazoo in 1859 when we saw her stop
the watch at 2.19 "a in a regular race
against other horses.
No one in the whole crowd seemed to
be more elated at the performance than
Gen. Grant. He rushed from the box
in the grand stand, where he and his
friends were located, and pushed through
the crowd to the cooling out STALL reach
ing the spot before the horse did. He
remarked as he came into the stall: II
WdnG TO see the cOnQ1U1On OF the morse
when he comes in after his severe heat"
/ was in the stall and watched him close
ly, and he took more interest in the horse
than he did in the reception that was be-
ing given him. He gave Hickok's hand
afhearty shake and congratulated him
saying:
Y "What was the matter with the horse
on the upper turnY'
Hickok showed him the boot, and at
once the general said:
= THE breaking of that strap lost you at
least three seconds. You would have
come home in 200 "a but for that acct
dent. I timed you the last quarter in 81
seconds myself"
Il Gen. Grant remained in the stall and
saw the horse cooled out, and, while
him carefully, remarked:
. 1t looks as if another heat would not set
him back any
L shall never forget his face and man
ner as he came into the stall. His face
was flushed with ardor, and he even ges-
ticulated little when speaking of the
The incident struck me
very forcibly, for to see a man noted for
his reserve and quiet manner, who, in
the most ferocious battles, was always
cool and reticent, subdued, as it were,
and yet t he hinges of his tongue loosened
by a horse, seemed strange 20 me.