AMERICAN TROTTING HORSE. 549 



sped on his way and reached the three-quarter pole in 1 m, 40 s., 

 or the third quarter at the rate of 2 m. 19 s., but when well into 

 the home-stretch he again increased his stride, and, urged to his 

 utmost, he came along with a magnificent stride, and passed under 

 the wire in the unprecedented time of 2 m. 12f s. without the 

 slightest skip or break, the last quarter being made at the superb 

 gait of 2 m. 11 s. to the mile. Of all the spectators of the feat 

 no one showed himself more interested than General Grant, who 

 watched every step of the horse, especially on the home-stretch, 

 puifing his cigar vigorously as the match between horse and time 

 reached its conclusion, and when the record was pronounced cor- 

 rect beyond cavil, he shook Dr. Pardee, the president, by the hand, 

 thus congratulating the managers of the Gulden Gate Association 

 on the honor achieved by it of having such a grand trial made 

 successfully on their track, while mentally he might have made use 

 of the exclamation, ' Carry the news to Bonner.' The declaration 

 of the record was received with great applause, in which the 

 General joined heartily, and the gallant horse and his skillful 

 driver were received with rousing cheers as the latter returned to 

 dismount and to show by the scales one pound overweight. 

 General Grant was so delighted with the achievement that he 

 went round to St. Julien's stables between the heats of the 2 m. 

 29 s. trot to look the horse over and to congratulate Mr. Ilickok. 

 St. Julien appeared none the worse for his arduous feat, save that 

 he had displaced his boot on the off hind leg, and this was mainly 

 the cause that with another boot that did not fit well he could not 

 make as good time in the succeeding trial. This was also made 

 without a skip or break in 33i s. to the quarter, 1 m. 6f s. to the 

 half, and 2 m. 15^ s. to the mile, amid immense applause." 



The following brief statistics will show at a glance the wonder- 

 ful improvement in the speed of the trotting horse : 



In 1818 the best mile in harness (Boston Blue), 3 m. 00 s. 



In 1824 the best mile under saddle (the Albany Pony), 2 m. 40 s. 



In 1834 the best mile under saddle (Edwin Forrest), 2 m. SIJ s. 



In 1839 the best mile under saddle (Dutchman), 2 m. 28 s. 



In 1849 the best mile under saddle (Lady Suffolk), 2 m. 26 s. 



In 1853 the best mile in harness (Highland Maid), 2 m. 27 s. 



In 1859 the best mile in harness (Flora Temple), 2 m. 19i s. 



In 1867 the best mile in harness (Dexter), 2 m. 17i s. 



In 1874 the best mile in harness (Goldsmith Maid), 2 m. 14 s. 



In 1878 the best mile in harness (Rarus), 2 m. 13:^ s. 



In 1879 the best mile in harness (St. Julien), 2 m. 12J s. 



The results of the Grand Circuit of 1879 are still more con- 

 clusive. At each of the five meetings embraced in it there were 

 purses given for nine classes of horses; from those who had 

 never trotted in public better than 2 m. 30 s. to the Free-for-all 

 and Special Speed Purses. At Cleveland there were thirty-six 

 heats trotted and paced, and the average time was 2 m. 21|| s. • 



