THE BLACK HAWK OR MORGAN FAMILY. 385 



he could not take up the weight and "hold the clip" for the full 

 inile out. His most famous performance was made in 1867, and 

 as I had the pleasure of witnessing it, from a very eligible posi- 

 tion, I will here repeat the description as then made: 



"On the 21st of June, 1867, on the Fashion Course, it was 

 my good fortune to witness the crowning event of his life. 

 Some three weeks before, with running mate, he had beaten 

 Brown George and running mate, in very fast time, scoring one 

 heat in 2:19. This made horsemen open their eyes, and there at 

 once arose a difference of opinion, about the advantage to the 

 trotter of having a runner hitched with him, to pull the weight. 

 This resulted in a match for two thousand five hundred dollars 

 to trot Ethan Allen and running mate against Dexter, who was 

 then considered invincible. As the day approached the betting 

 was about even; but the evening before the race, word came 

 from the course that Ethan's running mate h&5. fallen lame and 

 could not go, but they would try to get Brown George's running 

 mate, then in Connecticut, to take the place of the lame runner. 

 As the horses were strangers to each other, it was justly con- 

 cluded that the change gave Dexter a great advantage and the 

 betting at once changed from even to two to one on Dexter. 

 Long before noon the crowd began to assemble; the sporting men 

 everywhere were shaking rolls of greenbacks over their heads, 

 shouting "two to one on Dexter." I met a friend from Chicago, 

 who sometimes speculated a little, and when he told me he was 

 betting two to one on Dexter, I took the liberty of advising him 

 to be cautious, for I thought the team would win the race, and 

 that its backers knew what they were doing. Before the hour 

 arrived I secured a seat on the ladies' stand, from which every 

 foot of the course, and the countless multitudes of people, could 

 be taken in at a glance. The vehicles in numbers were simply 

 incalculable, and the multitudes were estimated at forty thousand 

 people. Upon the arrival of the hour, the judges ascended the 

 stand and rang up the horses, when the backers of the team 

 came forward, explained the mishap that had befallen the run- 

 ner, that they had Brown George's mate on the ground, but, as 

 he and Ethan had never been hitched together, they were un- 

 willing to risk so large a sum, and closed the race by paying one 

 thousand two hundred and fifty forfeit. When this announce- 

 ment was made there was a general murmur that spread, step by 

 step, through all that vast multitude. The betting fraternity 



