Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1903-11-19
New York Herald.)

by dispatches from Boston, telling that
Lou Dillon had cut the trotting record
to 400, unbounded enthusiasm pre-
vailed among the devotees of harness
racing, but there were many persons
to whom these announcements caused
more of bewiIderment than enthusiasm.
A clear perception of the difference
between the two fast harness gaits is
not possessed by everybody, nor is 1t
every one who can distinguish a trot-
ter from a PAGER as the representatives
of the rival types rush past on the race
track or the speedway.
SO nearly alike in many respects are
the two habits of action that so high
an authority as the late j. II. Wallace,
founder of the Trotting Stud book. al
ways maintained that they were essen
TALLY one and the same.
While the stride of the runner Is di-
vided into four parts, each limb taking
its turn as a supporter and propeller,
and no two of them acting in unison,
both the trotter and the PAGER move
their legs In pairs, and when they
strike the ground their rhythmic hoof-
beats sound to the ear as if made by
a two-legged horse.
At the trotting gait the horse adj
vances the two diagonal feet at the
same time, and they reach the ground
simultaneously in one respect as the
other diagonal limbs are advanced and
extended to strike together in their
turn.
At the pacing gait the limbs do not
advance in diagonal pairs, but in later
al pairs those on the same side moving
together and striking the ground in
perfect unison.
Pictured in profile or silhouette, it Is
impossible to distinguish the trotter
from the PAGER, and even when the liv-
Ing hopse is seen in this way an OBJ
server must possess quick eye to de-
termine at glance the gait at which
the animal is moving.
When the horse is either coming
toward or going away from the OBJ
server the merest tyro can instantly
distinguish trotter from PAGER. The
diagonal action of the one carries him
forward in direct line, like ship on
two feet on the same side at the same
time is forced to shift the base of sup
port from side to side is to give him an
ungainly. rolling. weaving, crablike
motion. readily distinguishable as far
away as the eye can reach. The posi-
tion in which the feet of trotters and
PAGERS fall is nearly on line and
nearly the same. Most PAGERS. indeed,
make tracks almost exactly in
straight line forward, owing to this
constant shifting of the base of sup
port, which must always be directly
under the body. Involuntary circum-
duction of the feet of the trotter in
maintaining his equilibrium at speed
cempels him to plant them near the
same base line when moving fast,
though close observation reveals a
slight difference between the footprints
left by trotter and those of a pager
The osciHating movement of the
PAGER has made him more or less lsh-
fnaelite among harness horses from
time immemoriar AS saddle horse.
however, he was once in the height of
fashion.
No connoisseur of fine carriage
horses would have a PAGER in his stable,
and high stopper that betrayed a
tendency to pace i'm the show ring
would get the gate" in short order If
caught I'M the act, The round, true.
wheei-like action of the trotting horse
Is the action demanded for carriage
purposes.
In Continental Europe where the
American sport of harness racing has
of late years gained'a strong hold. the
uacer has no place on the track, road
or breeding fran. Hundreds of high
class trottng horses have been pur-
chased here by German, French ana
Austrian exporters, but they nave
taken not a single PAGER and will have
none at any price.
Until about twenty-five years ago all
important harness races in America
were for trotters. PAGERS were rarely
saap on any of the leading tracks, ex-
oan+ in occasional match races, until a
s,roun of extremely fast goers or the
lateral gait attracted attention oy then
sDeed contests on the minor tracks oi
the middle west. and were. ensaseu io'
a. series of races in the grand circuit
A foothola: once gained. the PAGERS
steadily increased in numbers ana I'M
nortance. The largest winner OF TINS
rear in 1899 was a PAGER. and TO-DAY
there are about as many pacing race
aa srotting. races in the grand circui'
while on the minor tracks PAGERS AM
nacing races are in the ascendancy. Il
the last ten years more PAGERS ina
trotters have gained records OF 2:zo
better,
she, is By no means the only cham
MON trotter that has exhibited teno
ency to pace. Nancy Hankst 2:o4' an
Maud s., 2;Oe%. were both inclined
mace. while Jay Eye-See, the hrst hors
to trot in 2:1e gained pacing reeoi
Of 2.O6A when he was fourteen yea