THE TURF AND THE TROTTING HORSE. 541 



Woodruff," published in the " Spirit of the Times/' have been 

 consulted, most of the first trotting horses of the country, of the 

 twelve years of her life on the turf, have been noticed. During 

 the period of her ascendancy there was a great development of 

 the taste for trotting, and the number of trotting horses had con- 

 stantly increased. During the past five years that taste has 

 become still more marked, and diffused over the whole country. 

 The number of trotting courses has multiplied until nearly every 

 town of three thousand inhabitants is supplied with one. The 

 attention of farmers is largely given to breeding trotters; and the 

 amount of money, care, and intelligence bestowed upon that one 

 branch of rural economy is almost incredible. In one county in 

 the state of New York Orange county, on the Hudson there 

 are millions of dollars invested in trotting stock farms. At the 

 Stony Ford establishment alone there are one hundred and twenty- 

 five horses of the Messenger blood. So many fast trotters have 

 consequently been produced since 1861, that it is possible, within 

 the limits of this article, to mention only the most celebrated. 



The fast noticeable race of the year 1862 was that of Lady 

 Emma and Jilt, on Long Island. Lady Emma was a grand- 

 daughter of Abdallah, and every way worthy of her descent from 

 that patriarch of trotters. In the race with Jilt she made the 

 following surpassing record, 2 m. 28 J s., 2 m. 29 J s., 2 m. 30 s., 

 2 m. 31 s. This was followed by the race between two great 

 horses, Ethan Allen and Robert Fillingham, or George Wilkes, 

 as he is now called. The latter is by the celebrated Messenger 

 horse Hambletonian of Chester, with one exception the only son 

 of Abdallah living, and the sire of more great trotting horses than 

 any horse that has ever lived in America. George Wilkes has 

 all the characteristics of the Hambletonian stock. fine size, great 

 muscular development, smooth long stride, and superior endurance. 

 He beat Ethan Allen in three straight heats, in 2 m. 24f s., 2 m. 

 25f s., and 2 m. 31 s. 



In October of the same year the first race between the horses 

 General Butler and Rockingham was trotted, to wagons, on the 

 Fashion Course, Long Island. General Butler is a very remark- 

 able horse. He developed slowly, and came to his great speed 

 only after long and careful training. He has shown lasting powers 

 equal to those of old Top Gallant. Rockingham was bred in 

 Massachusetts, where he was known as the Granger colt. He 

 was a large, flea-bitten gray horse, of very stylish appearance, and 

 a great trotter. In this race five heats were trotted, Rocking- 

 liarn winning the first two, in 2m. 30 Js. and 2m. 29 Js. ; and 

 General Butler the last three, in 2 m. 28 s., 2 m. 27 s., and 2 m. 

 30 s. The second and third of their races were both won by 

 46 



