340 THE TROTTING-nORSE OF AMERICA. 



trcss of them all. Therefore it seemed to be probable that 

 she would get a period of repose. But. though one horse 

 could not beat her. two might ; and Joel Holkam, who had 

 control of Ethan iUlen, had found, that, assisted by a run- 

 ning-mate, he could trot in double harness at an immense 

 rate of speed. Flora met Ethan Allen and his iTinning- 

 mato S^cks for the first time on the Union Course, July 

 35. Flora went to a wagon. 



I sliall not describe these races at any length, because I 

 do not consider them trotting-races ; and I have my doubts 

 whetlier the system of training a horse to trot by means of 

 having a runner hitched up with him to pull the weiglit is 

 a good one. I know that by such means some moderate 

 horses may be made to do what appears to be a very re- 

 markable feat; and this makes me think that the system 

 may be deceptive and mischievous. The truth seems to 

 be, that, in that way of going, it is the running-horse that 

 furnishes the moving-power. The trotter is almost as 

 literally pulled along as the man who drives and the wagon 

 are. The team beat Flora the first race in three heats, — 2m. 

 22^s., 2m. 22s., 2m. 23|s. But inasmuch as the team 

 only beat the mare by a short length, in 2m. 22s., it appears 

 that she never made a winning-heat to wagon as good as 

 she showed then. On the 25th, they met again, on the 

 Fashion Course, Flora in harness. The team won the first 

 heat in 2m. 21is., and was distanced in the second heat, 

 because Ethan, as well as Socks, ran for n^pre than half a 

 mile. A viler and more disgraceful transaction was never 

 witnessed than this affair ; and it is greatly to be regretted 

 that the judges did not declare the bets off, and so defeat 

 the ends of the promoters. 



On the 8th of August, they met again on the Union 

 Course ; and this time the team was driven hy a man who 

 never threw a race, in my judgment, — the late lamented 

 Horace Jones, who was drowned in the Delaware Kiver. 

 The consequence was, that they won easily in three heats, — 



