THE TURF AND THE TROTTING HORSE. 553 



nette and Bruno, one of the most promising young horses in the 

 country. 



This concludes a survey of trotting in America from its rise to 

 the present time. It will be seen that it is at present stronger in 

 popularity, and in the number and quality of its horses, than ever 

 before in its history. The progress in speed has been gradual, 

 and can be better appreciated by referring to the tabular state- 

 ments of the best performances, commencing with the first public 

 trotting race, on pages 523 and 524. 



Trotting horses have increased in value even more rapidly than 

 in numbers or speed. Since 1830 that increase has been about 

 one hundred per cent, every ten years. The amount paid by Mr. 

 McDonald, of Baltimore, for Flora Temple in 1858, $8000, repre- 

 sents the value of the best trotting horse bred in the country up 

 to that date. In 1862, Mr. Sprague, of Rhode Island, paid 

 $11,000 for California Damsel. Mr. Bonner paid $18,500 for The 

 Auburn Horse in 1864; $25,000 for Young Pocahontas in 1866; 

 and $33,000 for Dexter in 1867. The great stock horse of Orange 

 county, Hambletonian, was valued in 1866 at $100,000. It is 

 now no unusual thing for fast trotting horses, and fine stock horses 

 of the best trotting blood, to sell for amounts varying from ten to 

 twenty thousand dollars. 



The events which have transpired in the country during the 

 past few years, affecting all values, have had an effect in bringing 

 about the change in the value of horses; but a great deal must 

 also be credited to the legitimate rise caused by increased demand. 

 The increase in the demand becomes apparent when the source 

 from which it now chiefly emanates is considered. The highest 

 prices paid for trotting horses are paid by those who have no inten- 

 tion of placing them upon the turf. They are bought for pleasure- 

 driving. The taste for this pastime has already deprived the turf 

 of its greatest ornaments, and it absorbs nearly all the promising 

 young trotting horses as soon as they make their appearance The 

 market thus created by a taste which makes nearly every man a 

 driver and every road a course is infinitely more extensive than 

 that which existed when the only field for the display and enjoy- 

 ment of speed was the regularly appointed race-courses. The 

 race-course in America is, in fact, gradually becoming merely an 

 exercising ground for developing and training horses previous to 

 their passage into the hands of gentlemen who keep them solely 

 for their own amusement. 



In proportion as the cultivation of the trotting horse has been 

 encouraged by the demand for him for driving, the practice of 

 using him on the turf for the purpose of gaming has declined. 

 Gaming is not a practice in harmony with the calculating and 

 careful acquisitive character of the American people. Their 

 47 



