84 THE TROTTING-HORSE OF AMERICA. 



since she was broken, and she is now " as fast as a ghost." 

 She is only five years old, and has trotted a quarter of a 

 mile in thirty-two seconds and a half. If she gets steady, 

 as there is reason to believe she will with further handling, 

 experience, and age, she is going to be one of our very best 

 trotters. 



Some people say, " What's the use of a horse going a 

 quarter fast ? " Now, they must go a quarter fast before 

 they can go a mile fast ; and, when I have one that can go a 

 quarter at that rate at five years old, I shall take very good 

 care that she don't go that lick any farther just then. I 

 drove Mr. Bonner's gray mare Peerless a quarter of a mile 

 in thirty seconds, and it was to a wagon. I mentioned 

 before that she was the fastest I ever drove to a wagon, or 

 that anybody else ever did. It was on the Union Course. 

 Capt. Moore timed her, unknown to me, or to any one 

 else but himself. He had his race-horses there then, and 

 almost slept with one eye open. Afterwards he came up to 

 my house, and began to question Crepe Collins, and some of 

 the others, about the gray mare " that Hiram had been 

 driving." The opinion of many then was, that, though fast, 

 she could only go a quarter of a mile ; and I wanted them to 

 think so. Crepe knew it, and made some misunderstand- 

 able sort of an answer. The others assured the captain 

 that she was of " no account." But he was certain that he 

 had timed her right ; and, to make sure that there was no mis- 

 take in the distance, he went and got his chain and boy and 

 measured the ground. This mare, that people thought then 

 could only go a quarter, carried me afterwards two miles to 

 a wagon, Hoagland's weight some three hundred and eleven 

 pounds, and finished well up with Lady Palmer, who is the 

 best-bottomed mare to weight in the world, and one of the 

 fastest. 



Gray Eddy was another of the kind that always amble 

 off; and a capital horse he was. Flora does not amble to 

 begin ; but, in jogging oif slow, she goes rolling and tumbling 



