The New York herald., 1922-11-05

horsemen to take a long look backward
at the factors which have contributed
20 the production OF filters like Peter
Manning, SO "a, and Media, l :5s Ia
that now go their miles in minute
less time than the best ones OF a cen
tury ago for while the limit of speed
was being lowered sixty seconds and
more a new breed of horses was being
evolved.
The first time ever horse trotted
in public for a stake'-l quote from
Iorter's Spirit of the Times of DeceIn-
ber 90 1S56-was in lSlS ana that
was in match against time for $1,000
The match was proposed at Jockey
Club dinner where trotting had come
under discussion. and the bet was that
no horse could be produced whlch
could trot a mile in three minutes. II
vas accepted by the late Major William
Jones of Long Island and Col.
Bond Of Maryland, but the. odds on time
were immense. The horse named at the
post was Boston Blue. who won cleveriy
and gained great renown."
This performance took place on the
old Jamaica turnpike. now Jamaica
avenue, not far from the present West
Bridge station of the Long Island Rail-
road. where three transportation sys-
TENS are piled one above another ana
business buildings line the historic
highway Wllnln lut ClNy AHiiiNS Va -'N"
York Tradition says the horse that won
The match was brought on from Boston
In a sloop or schooner and that he came
originally from Maine, where he had
been used in towing boats up the kenne-
bee River from Augusta to WaterVllle
before his speed became known! Moth
ing whatever has come TO light con-
cer ming his ancestry. but we know that
the province. which is now the Pine
10. tfc fa aGf H.
during road horses even before the days
of Boston Blue.
Boston Blue in Horse History.
lust at the time the paragraph above
quoted appeared in Porter's Sp1rit
Henry William Herbert C'Frank Fores-
tern was writing his Horse and Horse
manship of the United States and he
Incorporated it in his book, from which
nearly everybody who has since as
sumed to write the history of the trot-
ting horse has copied it. indorsed it and
dated the beginning of things from the
advent of Boston Blue. Nothing IN
horse history is more certain. however,
than that fast trotting horses were
numerous and trotting contests COM
mon amusement long before Boston Blue
was foaled.
The widespread impression to the con-
trary doubtless grew out OF the iact
that until the beginning OF the last
century next to nothing was ever pub
lished i'm American newspapers concern
ing horses and horse racing. except an
occasional announcement of race 10
come or the advertisement OF morse
strayed or stolen. or OF one kept IN tne
stud These advertisements. with the
laws Of the colonies and States, con-
stitute almost the only source OF inior-
,nation concerning early American
horses and while they are mcager ana
lacking in details. they are neverthe-
less convincing that trotting as sport
&c AZ least two centuries old on this
side of the Atlantic What horses won,
what time they made and from what
sources they derived their speed IN tnat
.'prehistorc' period are questions "hich
probably must remain forever uhah-
swered but they will always De iruit-
ful and interesting subjects OF inquiry
and speculation ..t,,,
rho earliest reference to uottihs
horses and trotting races in America
that has vet come to light Is an act oil
i've provincial Legislature or the coiohF
NJ New Jersey dated December % 90
declaring that "all horse racing paclh T,
or trottinp OF horses for lucre or gam
except at fairs and on certain hofua, >
,ere public nuisances' ana snouiu po
prosecuted as such. Maryland, one year
earlier had passed a law prohlpithR
,.aeir- and running races. but trottinS
VAS not mentioned. Pennsylvania Mas
.achusetts Rhode Island and New YORK
.lso nassed laws at little later perlod
prohibiting horse racing In genera
Terms which probably conprehended
tiotting and pacing as well as running
though usually no particular gaits were
specified. All these colonies are known
rxlN
10th. and there is reason 10 believe thel@
n,yners often matched and raced them.
English Trottcrs I'm 11s2.
prof william H. Brewer ot Yale Col
iore about forty years ago starched ths
Ulcs of the Connecticut journal, coluhh
~ column from the Revolutionary War
down TO the year OF Boston Blues per-
iormance for scraps OF Information
phout the trotting horse, and among the
Interesting items he discovered was an
advertisement of a stallion called Game
leg. owned By William Fowler IN lioo
pnd supposed TO be the switest trotter
IN Cuilford" This Is the eac lest adver-
tisement Of trotting stallion IN
America that has yet come To hght.
m any impartial inquiry concerning
che origin OF speed in the American
trotting horse the old English trotter
must have a place or tne llfSL hIlpvi- .
,anre. II was not until this action Civ
,rr element became fused with the blood
~ the English race horse that our iirst
,,reat sire OF trotters appeared. ana 10
,bis sire can now be traced so vast
,natoritv of all tho fast performers OF
,he present day thar his descendants
may almost be said TO constitute the
breed. a..
There we're horses in England that
uisplayed ability and inclination to trot
notlceably faster than the common run
~ cattle before Columbus discovered
America This Is attested by William
1.itz-Stephen's Dissertation OF the Clty
~ fondon." written in Latin prior to
1tS2. and thus rendered in English by
Robert Seymour as to an allusion TO the
ancient Smithfieid horse market;
'erhere you may see Trotters tit TOT
Men Of Arms. 49,
Ana IN one OF the celebrated Pastor
etters. dated 1879, Is chronicled the pur
,ase of "A horse priced for "trotting oI
own courage. without force OF
rsv Again, an act OF Parliament
,ed IN i5i2 plainly distnguishe1
ing ,orses from other types an !
30 taken 10 indicate that they
tben regarded as a distinct breed.
vlJed that every archbishop AMI
Nm realm shall have. find.
- and maintain seven stoned
les for the saddle" Also u,