The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-09-09


head upon Dean s back, went the mile
out without falter or false notion
z He was then taken in for the final cool
ing out before. the supreme effort.
The crowd watched the harness
events in the final heats and remained
& to see Dan. 1t had been expected that
he@Would go at O'Clock, but at that
suit the experts. AS it showed symp-
toms of dying away, the trial was post
poned At 4:45 Charley Dean appeared
again with his runner. Two more of
thes Nharnessed jumpers appeared and
these fellows were warmed up thoroly
before Dan was brought out: The
track had been scraped until it's sur
face. looked hard and fast, smooth
enough for billiard play.
4f And Now the Start.
The runners retired up the stretch
and Dan, hooked in behind the Dean
bike and with a runner at his flank,
swept down the straight, 1t was only
q trial score, and at the turn all
checked and again retired to near the
head OF the stretch. The trio moved
down upon the judges stand once more
at an Increased pace. Dean had worked
his runner up to lather. but Dan Patch
was as cool as tho just coming from
trife, but the first eighth marked the
end of the sprint for the runners and
as they moved back by the stand Her
sey, raised his whip and notified Judges
and timers that he was ready. : 49,.
whirled. Dean dived, in to the pole and,
Jersey deftly sent Dan in behind the
blue coat of Dean. The second runner
came up on the outside and fanked the
PAGER. Dean gave the runner his head
and lifted him once or. twice with the
whip. The trio came down the stretch
IL swhirling cloud Of dust, q seeming
incarnation of the spirit of speed. The
humping of the hoofs Of the runners
lntermingling with the regular tattoo Of
those OF the splendid PAGER were the,
only sounds heard as the compact squad
ron Of record breakers swept by the
Judges stand. u ~ =
The watches clicked and the assault
upon the world s record was on. The
leading runner was down to hard going
when the trio passed under the wire,
and Dean gave him no peace. He was
eating up the ground in mighty bounds,
with Dan, his nose almost against
more suggestive Of a machine than the
effort OF thing Of flesh and blood.
His great stride was equal to the leaps
shaken off. - j..
Dean was driving to make the half
IL 500. 1e gave tuo runner never
chance. THE second runner, travelling
the far distance, was struggling to keep
up. The trio disappeared in cloud Of
dust at the first turn to emerge at quar-
ter with Dan still pacing like wrath
and holding the pace behind the runner !
trial heat rather than in the fastest
performance the world has ever known.
They flashed by the quarter in 1854
and were on for the half. Here they
were traversing the most friendly por-
ton OF the track and altho in that part !,
where speed is always OFFICIALLY lessened
to the watcher it could be seen that !:
reached the half in :57 and the flag in !,
the wigwag tower near the barns /
dropped to notify Dean and Hersey
that they were within the work, as ]
planned.
to1 1n they bs gus1 fsms to the ffG Snd
dropped out Of sight for moment be-
hind the cut and when they showed
again on the curve it was seen that
nothing had changed. Into the head
wind they came to the three quarters
and sped by the third pole with the
watches stopping at l:261a.
j. To Greet the Monarch: j.,
Here at the corner: as]third runner
was waiting and his driver sent" him
into the rush. The crowd came to it's
feet to a man, and the picture was the
greatest ever seen on racecourse. :
The dust clouded behind the flying
horses. The sun shone thru the haze Of
dust and smoke, silhouetting the horses
50 that they formed the central point of
the picture, with everything else in the
landscape blotted out, At first they
appeared no larger than black speeks
in the haze, but not for long They
rushed down the stretch, an avalanche
Of speed and effort. AS they neared
the stand. the roll of the hoofs of the
horses and the cries Of the drivers added
a new life, transforming the panorama
into living spectacle. The runners
were raised out by their drivers for
the supreme effort. They responded
nobly. Hersey sat immovable upon the
white "bike' Of the PAGER and did not
by any motion betray that he was call
ing upon his charge for an increased
effort. Dan Patch was going as easily
and as freely as when scoring in the
preliminary trials. His stride was as
true and his reach as time devourihg
as when he had started the great trial.
There was, an instant Of craning of
necks, of riveted attention and the
quartet had whirled beneath the fin!
tshing wire. The work was done. The
official watches stopped at 1855 fat.
Watches in the stands in the hands of
under 1855.
+ Dan Patch had paced the fastest mile
in the history Of harness racing. He
had brought the record to his Mime
sofa home. It is small wonder that he
was acclaimed with regal honor by his
friends. -