The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-09-18

tame finish, with Pointer fully a length and
a half ahead. They had gone to the half in
l:Olla and it was the bit of loafing in the
stretch that lost a second and three-quar-
tiers IN the last half, making the time for
the mile 2:04sa. At the finish one OF the
most remarkable scenes ever Witnessed on
q race track occurred. The crowd along
the stretch was so densely packed that
from the stand it looked as II they We're
driving right through the crowd, though.
as a matter of fact there was plenty of
room. AS the racers flashed by the crowd
closed in behind them and came running
up the track, a solid mass OF people. There
were thousands of them, and yet they left
no hole in the crowd behind They massed
themselves soidly about the judges stand
and patiently awaited the announcement or
the time. When the announcement was
made they melted away into the surround
After there had been another "rassle"
with the green trotters the PAGERS were
brought out for the second heat Marks
had not been sorry for the delay, for 1t had
given him time to change the Skoeing of
Patchen back to what he was accustomed
TO. Patchen had the pole, and they got
away at the first attempt. AIcClary was
fooled in this heat. lie had every reason
to believe that Patchen was out of sorts,
and he did not know that the cause of his
trouble had been removed. 1t was difficult
in the gathering darkness to keep track of
the horses as they flashed around the
track, but it was apparent Dckerson was
out for blood with Patchen, and that
Pointers driver was slow in becoming
aware of this fact He let things go as
they were for while and Patchen gain
ing the advantage given him by the turns,
forged slowly ahead until they reached the
quarter when Pointer began 10 edge up,
and they went up the back stretch almost
neck and neck Then McClary began TO lay
up bit for final rush in the stretch, but
g. moment later he saw that this would not
do, for Dickerson was pushing the black
right along, and there was daylight--or
rather, dusk-between them as they entered
the last quarter
LAST HALF MILE FAST.
Then Pointer began his final rush, and
there was about the prettiest drive up the
stretch that has been witnessed upon the
track. The noble Wilkes blood was show
ing its power of endurance and Patchen
was straining every nerve to hold his ad-
vantage, while Star Pointer, seeming to
realize that he was in danger of being van
pushed for the first time since he was
crowned king of the turf, was coming like
a veritabe whirlwind. McClary was bend
ing far over his back talking, urging the
horse forward, ard there was a tenSeness
about the struggle tnat kept the vast crowd
Silent until the great animals We're within
twenty yards of the wire, when the people
showed their sympathy in one mighty shout
OF 'Patchen! And they continued to yell
the favorite'S name like wild Indians until
he had landed the heat by the shortest kind
of nose. Had it been ten feet farther to the
wire he would unquestionably have been I'M
able to stand the tremendous strain. The
first quarter was made in g. rather slow
time, and the second was not so much bet
te~ the first half being covered in 1024.
TIL fight was made in the second half,
which was covered in 1:00A, making the
mile in 2:03 fiat, within half second of the
track record made by Robert j.
Again the people swarmed down the track
by the thousands, and when the result was
announced they cheered Patchen again and
again. The starter then announced that the
final Feat of the race would be paced this
afternoon, when the races that were on the
card for yesterday will also be witnessed.
The admission to-day will be reduced to 70
vast crowd moved out of the grand stand
as rapidly as its numbers would permit and
began the weary wait for an opportunity
to get home without being jammed to death
in the brushes at the electric and steam
railroad stations.