LIFE WITH THE TROTTERS. 121 



l^roved to me that what I had said about the Buffalo track 

 was right. Knowing that the track was very hard at 

 Buffalo, I was extra cautious in the way of care, and the 

 attention that the horse should have after the race, and in 

 bringing him out free from soreness, etc. But when we 

 arrived at Rochester, and I went out to work him, I found 

 tliat in spite of all the attention and care he was sore, had 

 no speed, and I was certain could not make a good per- 

 formance. My arrangement with the association at Roch- 

 ester was that I was to try and beat 2:18. They came to 

 me and wanted to make a new contract, and have me try to 

 beat the horse's new record. I told them 1 could. not under- 

 take to do it, and explained why. I was sure my horse 

 would not be able to beat 2:14, and I did not want to an- 

 nounce to the public that I was going to try and do some- 

 thing that I knew I was unable to accomplish. I told them, 

 liowever, I would try to beat 2:18. Of course, the public 

 and the pool-buyers thought that to do this, Rarus had 

 only to Jog around the track. The sequel will prove that 

 they were wrong, as the best he could do was three heats 

 in 2:18, 2:19, and 2:17|, thereby losing the race. 



The following week, at Utica, he had recovered a good- 

 deal of his old-time form, as he went the lirst mile over the 

 Utica track, which was never considered fast, in 2:15; the 

 second, in 2:15^; and came back the third time, in 2:17^ — the 

 best three heats ever trotted over that track to this day. 



From there we went to Hartford, the following week, 

 where Rarus trotted the three best heats he ever went. He 

 also beat Goldsmith Maid's best record in two of the heats, 

 and made what was looked upon by most people as his best 

 performance up to that date. At Hartford we had a good 

 week, the weather being line, and the track in good condi- 

 tion. This year Gus Glidden brought out Edwin Forrest, 

 and, before going any further, I want to say a few words 

 about Gus as a horse trainer. There was one point in wdiich 

 I think Gus excelled every man I ever saw. You give him 

 one of those double-gaited, shifty, x>acing horses that are 



