APPENDIX. 411 



Jeed, moBt of tlie people thought that it was a real effort and fail- 

 ure. After being scraped and cooled out, Dexter was again har- 

 nessed, and brought on the course at four o'clock. With him there 

 came Ben Mace and the thoroughbred mare Charlotte F., 

 who had aided Ethan Allen at Morristown. She was under sad- 

 dle, Mace riding ; and it was his ofSce to lay at Dexter's quarters, 

 to keep up his emulation and determination to conquer. A little 

 jog or two, and then the trotter in harness, and the runner under 

 saddle, went up the stretch, and came along for the word. As 

 Dexter was seen to be going very square and weU, it was given. 

 The pace was fast. He trotted the first quarter in 33|^s., made the 

 half-mile in Im. 07s., and came home in 2m. 17^s., in good wind, 

 and with a stroke of commanding power. This performance 

 capped the climax of his fame, so far as public trotting in races is 

 concerned. The sale to Mr. Bonner was made known, and also 

 the condition that Dexter was not to be delivered until after he 

 had fulfilled an existing engagement at Chicago. The price was 

 thirty-three thousand dollars ; and considering the income he had 

 earned, and might have continued to earn, by trotting in public, 

 Dexter was one of the cheapest horses that ever was sold. He 

 was not only a means of wealth, but of distinction, to Mr. Fawcett. 

 Although the time Dfeter made at Buffalo, 2m. 17^s., capped 

 the climax of his fame, it was not the fiill measure of his capacity. 

 He had steadily improved up to that date, and there is no rea- 

 son to believe that he then attained the greatest excellence of 

 which he was capable. He has improved since he came into the 

 possession of Mr. Bonner ; and facts warrant the belief, that he 

 will some day, when he is at the pitch of condition, and other 

 things are favorable, trot a mile in harness several seconds faster 

 than 2m. 17^s. In estimating his present powers, it is material to 

 consider the fact that the Buffalo Course was slow when Dexter 

 made his fast time there. During that week many fest horses 

 trotted over it, and only one of them made a heat as fast as 2m. 

 30s. It has since been drained, and otherwise improved, and ia 



