THE TROTTING- HORSE OF AMERICA. 383 



2m. 26^8., 2m. 23s. Chicago was the next place ; and there 

 Dexter and Patchen trotted in harness, on the 5th of Sep- 

 tember, for a purse of $5,000, of which the second horse 

 was to have $1,000. Dexter won the first heat in the 

 thirties ; and, when the time was announced, the crowd grew 

 turbulent, and began to hoot and yell. Thereupon Mr. Trus- 

 sell and Doble made up their minds that it was better not 

 to wait for Eoff and the stallion. In the next heat, Dexter 

 went on, and trotted it virtually alone in 2m. 24s. This 

 restored good humor ; and, when he completed the third heat 

 in 2m. 23s., the people of that part of Illinois perceived 

 what sort of a horse he was. 



But his only defeat that year was now at hand. On the 

 8th of September, he trotted against Gen. Butler under 

 saddle. The course was very bad going, and the cinder 

 slack of which the track was composed flew up and hit him 

 at every stride. He won the first heat in 2m. 33s. But- 

 ler won the next two in 2m. 27s. and 2m. 26|s., and then 

 Dexter was drawn. The track was no doubt bad ; but the 

 horse must have been very much off, because the going was 

 as good for him as it was for Butler, who beat him. He 

 came again quickly ; for in a week, at Milwaukee, he beat 

 Patchen, jun., in great style, in harness, in three straight 

 heats, time, 2m. 24|s., 2m. 22 |s., 2m. 29s. Patchen 

 was said to be forty yards behind in the fast heat ; but, 

 as his time was taken as 2m. 29s. in his fastest heat, 

 I think he must have been eighty yards behind, instead of 

 forty. 



In another week, McKeever was killed at Chicago, while 

 driving against Cooley ; and that was a heavy blow and 

 great discouragement to trotting in that neighborhood. On 

 the same day that this tragedy occurred at Chicago, Dexter 

 beat Patchen, jun., in three heats at. Adrian, Mich. ; time, 

 2m. 32s., 2m. 27js., 2m. ol^s. Toledo was the next place 

 at which Dexter and Patchen appeared. Dexter won again 

 in three heats, 2m. 32s., 2m. 22|s., 2m. 31s. The farce of 



