AMERICAN TROTTING HORSE. 511 



made but one in his twelve miles. That was trotting;; and though 

 both the horses afterwards acquired more speed, they never ex- 

 hibited more obstinate game or more thorough bottom than in this 

 race." Rattler was soon afterwards taken to England, and was by 

 all odds the best trotter ever taken there. 



Dutchman's greatest performance took place over the Beacon 

 Course, on the 1st of August, 1839. On the afternoon of that day 

 he trotted, with Hiram Woodruff in the saddle, three miles in 7 m. 

 32 s. His driver, Hiram Woodruff, says of this race : " I am posi- 

 tive that, if he had been called on to do so, he could have trotted 

 the three miles in 7 m. 27 s., or better. This is no light opinion of 

 mine, taken up years afterwards on inadequate grounds, and when 

 those who might be opposed to it had gone from among us. It 

 was the judgment of those who saw him in the feat, observed him 

 all through, and noticed how he finished. * * * The truth is, 

 that he was a most extraordinary horse. There have been many' 

 trotters that could go as fast for a little way ; but the beauty of 

 Dutchman was, that he could go flist, and go all day." 



The last race but one which Dutchman ever trotted took place 

 at the Beacon Course, in 1843, and is so graphically described by 

 Hiram Woodruff in his " Trotting Horse of America," that we 

 cannot resist the temptation to quote it entire. 



" In a week or ten days thereafter, we went three-mile heats in 

 harness, over the Beacon Course, and it was a tremendous race of 

 four heats. The first was won by Dutchman. The second was 

 stoutly contested, but Americus won it. The third heat was very 

 hotly contested, and resulted in a dead heat between the old horse 

 and Americus. Lady Suffolk was now ruled out for not winning 

 a heat in three, and the betting was heavy, Dutchman having the 

 call. 



" The long summer day had drawn rapidly to a close. At 

 the same time the heavens were overcast; and with fading gleams 

 of dim, yellow light, the sun sank into great banks of clouds. 

 They mounted higher and higher, and seemed to lie like a load 

 upon the weary earth. The heat was intense; and not a breath of 

 air was stirring to break the ominous repose. With the last flicker 

 of day, the swift scud began to fly overhead, and the solid-seeming 

 clouds to tower up and come on like moving mountains. It was 

 dark when we get into our sulkies ; and, soon after the start, the 

 storm burst upon us with a fury that I have never since seen 

 equalled. The wind blew a hurricane, and the pelting rain fell in 

 torrents, as though the sluices of the skies had opened all at once. 

 Nothing could have overpowered the mighty rush of the wind and 

 the furious splash of the rain but the dread, tremendous rattle of 

 the thunder. It seemed to be discharged right over our heads, 



