554 THE HORSE OF AMERICA. 



agitating for a revision of the rules. But nothing could stem that rising 

 tide, and at first the opposition to any change in the rules was vehement 

 and general. The obviously easy gateway into the standard was through 

 rule seven, and this became the storm center of the discussion. Mr. Wal- 

 lace led in the call for the abolition of ; his rule, and did it so persistently 

 and well that gradually the leading breeders and thinkers were won over, 

 but the outcry against a change was so earnest and so general among the 

 smaller breeders that the National Association hesitated long. Though a 

 Committee on Revision was appointed as early as December, 1885, it was 

 not until December 14, 1887, that a revision was finally effected, the 

 standard being then adopted as printed on pages 520-21. 



Every reader can observe, by comparison with the previous standard, 

 that there was a wise and conservative strengthening of the rules all along 

 the line. The next step contemplated by Mr. Wallace was not only a further 

 restricting revision on blood lines, but also an increase in the speed rate 

 required, an advance from 2:30 to 2:25, then ultimately to 2:20, his pur- 

 pose being that the standard should keep pace with the progress of the 

 breed. But before any of these steps were made the "Register" passed 

 into other hands and other theories and practices have prevailed, with 

 the result that the standard is to-day held in derision and the value of the 

 "Register" has sunk to the vanishing point. But before reaching this 

 phase of our history some account of Mr. Wallace's other publications is in 

 order. 



"WALLACE'S MONTHLY." 



At a very early period in the history of the " Trotting Register" Mr. 

 Wallace perceived the necessity of there being some medium of communi- 

 cation with the breeders which he could control. This was one of several 

 reasons, which need not here be detailed, the outcome of which was the 

 establishment of the publication which has played a greater part than any 

 other in developing tue trotting literature of to-day, and in leading Amer- 

 ican thought on the science of breeding Wallace's Monthly. The first 

 number came out in October, 1875, with Benjamin Singerly, publisher, 

 and John H. Wallace, editor. Mr. Singerly was an uncle of Hon. William 

 M. Singerly, of the Philadelphia Record, and had large printing establish- 

 ments in Harrisburg and Pittsburg, Pa. The first twelve numbers of 

 Wallaces Monthly were printed in Harrisburg, though published from the 

 outset from New York. Benjamin Singerly died in August, 1876, from 

 which time Mr. Wallace carried on the publication himself, from the little 

 office at 170 Fulton Street, overlooking St. Paul's churchyard. 



In accordance with the time-honored custom in journalism, the first 

 number of Wallace's Monthly contained a salutatory outlining its purposes 

 and its policy, and in almost every detail that policy was honestly lived up 

 to while Mr. Wallace controlled the magazine. The horse was to be made the 

 leading, but not the exclusive feature; full trotting and running summaries 



