THE TROTTING-HORSE OF AMERICA. 209 



inare Peerless is just about as good. In a public trial, there 

 being about two hundred people present, Sim. Hoagland and 

 I drove them two miles, wagons and drivers 3111bs. Palmer 

 won it in the amazing time of 4m. 59s., but I was close to 

 her at the finish with Peerless. Palmer is one of the ex- 

 ceptions to the rule, that long-striding horses are not good 

 to pull great weights. She is a very long strider ; and no 

 one would take her to be the weight-puller she is, until he 

 had experience of her wonderful power in that regard. In 

 everything except her stride, however, she fills my notion 

 of what a fast weight-puller should be. She is medium in 

 size, about fifteen two inches ; in nothing bulky, but with 

 good substance, and when in condition seems made of wire 

 and whalebone. But her long stroke is unfavorable to the 

 pulling of great weight fast ; and nothing overcomes the dis- 

 advantage of it, but the energy with which she shoves her 

 haunches in, her very strong loin, and the terrible resolu- 

 tion with which she all the while goes up to the bit. Blood 

 tells here. 



Her old antagonist Columbia, afterwards called California 

 Damsel, was another famous weight-puller. It was a great 

 treat to see these capital chestnut mares trot their races on 

 the Union Course ; Palmer driven by Hoagland, and Colum- 

 bia by the late Horace Jones. The first match between 

 them was in November, 1860, mile heats, three in five, 

 wagons and drivers 3301bs. Palmer won it in four heats, 

 of which Columbia got the second. The time was 2m. 33s., 

 2m. 34Js., 2rn. 35s., 2m. 38s. Three days afterwards they 

 went again, two-mile heats, same weight. Columbia won 

 in three heats, Palmer getting the second of them. The 

 time, 5m. OSfs., 5m. 07s., 5m. 08js. The mares Palmer, 

 Peerless, and Columbia were as good weight-pullers as have 

 been known since Kemble Jackson's time. But in comparing 

 what he did in the three-mile race against O'Blenis, Boston 

 Girl, Pet, lola, and Honest John, with their speedier and 

 more modern performances, it must be remembered that he 



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