OLD OPINIONS OFTEN CORRECT. 
77 
lie went off rapidly from the start. Sir Henry being 
now entitled to the inside, took the track, and kept 
the lead, followed closely by Eclipse, whom Mr. 
Purdy at once brought to his work, knowing that 
game and stoutness was his play, and his only 
chance of success, that of driving his adversary up 
to the top of his rate, without giving him the least 
respite. Henry went steadily on, nearly at the top 
of his speed, keeping a gap open between himself 
and Eclipse of about 20 feet, without much variation, 
for about two miles and seven eights, or until 
towards the conclusion of the third mile, they had 
arrived nearly opposite the four-mile-distance post. 
Here Purdy made his run, and when they had ad¬ 
vanced forty rods further, which brought them to 
the end of the third mile, was close up, say nose 
and tail. They now entered upon the fourth and 
last mile, which commences with a turn or sweep, 
the moment you leave the starting post. Here the 
crowd was immense. I was at this moment on 
horseback, stationed down the stretch or straight 
run, a short distance below the winning post, in 
company with a friend and Buckley, the jockey, 
who kept close to me during the whole race. We 
pushed out into the centre, or open space of the 
ground, in order to obtain a more distinct view of 
the struggle, which we saw making for the lead ; 
everything depended upon the effort of Purdy: 
well he knew it; his case was a desperate one, and 
required a desperate attempt; it was to risk all for | 
all; he did not hesitate. When the horses had got 
about one third of the way round the sweep, they 
had so far cleared the crowd as to afford us a distinct 
view of them before they reached the centre of the 
turn. Eclipse lapped Henry about a head and girth, 
and appeared evidently in the act of passing. Here 
Buckley vociferated, “ See Eclipse ! Look at Purdy ! 
By heaven, on the inside!” I was all attention. 
Purdy was on the left hand or inside of Henry. 
I felt alarmed for the consequence, satisfied that he 
had thus hazarded all. I feared that Walden would 
take advantage of his position, and by reining in, 
force him against or inside one of the poles. When 
they had proceeded a little more than half way 
round the sweep, the horses were a dead lap ; when 
about three fourths round, Eclipse’s quarter covered 
Henry’s head and neck, and just as they had finish¬ 
ed the bend, and were entering upon the straight 
run, which extends along the back part of the 
course, Eclipse, for the first time, was fairly clear, 
and ahead! He now with the help of the per¬ 
suaders, which were freely bestowed, kept up his 
run, and continued gradually, though slowly, to 
gain during the remaining three quarters of a mile, 
and came in about two lengths ahead. As they 
passed up the stretch, or last quarter of a mile, the 
shouting, clapping of hands, waving of handker¬ 
chiefs, long and loud applause sent forth by the 
Eclipse party, exceeded all description ; it seemed 
to roll along the track as the horses advanced, re¬ 
sembling the loud and reiterated shout of contending 
armies. Time, this second heat, 7 m. 49 s. 
Third Heat .—It was now given out, that in place 
of the boy Walden, who had rode Sir Henry the two 
proceeding heats, that Arthur Taylor, a trainer of 
great experience, and long a rider, equalled by few, 
and surpassed by none, would ride him this last 
and decisive heat. At the expiration of 30 minutes 
the horses were once more summoned to the start¬ 
ing post, with Purdy and Taylor mounted ; the word 
being given, they went off at a quick rate. Purdy 
now taking the lead, and pushing Eclipse from the 
score 3 evidently resolved to give Sir Henry no 
respite, but to cause him, if determined to trail, to em¬ 
ploy all his speed and strength, without keeping any¬ 
thing in reserve for the run in. Sir Henry con¬ 
tinued to trail, apparently under a pull, never at¬ 
tempting to come up until they had both fairly 
entered the straight run towards the termination of 
the last mile, and had advanced within sixty rods 
of home. Here Sir Henry being about five yards 
behind, made a dash, and ran up to Eclipse, so far 
as to cover his quarter or haunch with his head, 
and for a moment had the appearance of going past; 
he made a severe struggle for about two hundred 
yards, when he again fell in the rear, and gave up 
the contest. 
Thus terminated the most interesting race ever 
run in the United States. Besides the original 
stakes of # 20,000 each, it was judged that upwards 
of # 200 , 000 , changed hands. 
In this last heat, Sir Henry carried 110 lbs, being 
two pounds over his proper weight; it not being 
possible to bring Arthur Taylor to ride less, and al¬ 
though a small horse, and wanting twenty days of 
being four years old, he made the greatest run ever 
wifnessed in America. Time, this heat, 8 m. 24s. 
Thus the three heats, or twelve miles, were run 
in 23 minutes, 50£ seconds, or an average of 7 minutes 
57 seconds each heat; or 1 minute, 59 seconds per 
mile. 
OLD OPINIONS OFTEN CORRECT. 
An opinion very long since prevailed that the bene¬ 
ficial effect of snow on vegetation was produced by the 
nitre (saltpetre) contained in it, and that the same 
salt existed in hoar frost. Thompson undoubtedly 
entertained this idea, when he wrote his “ Winter,” 
in which he alludes to the fertilizing influences of 
snow. 
Chemists, however, some years since, exploded 
this notion : but the nicer analyses of modern inves¬ 
tigators have detected alike in snow and in rain 
water, the nitrogen which was dissolved in the at¬ 
mosphere, showing that “ there is nothing new un¬ 
der the sun,” and that our forefathers were not so 
ignorant as we idly think them. The most profound 
researches of chemists, also, now prove that the old.; 
practice of fallowing was based on the soundest 
chemical principles ; and that, in the days when cat¬ 
tle were principally maintained on common pastures, 
and manures consequently rare, nothing could be bet¬ 
ter for the soil than freguent fallows. 
How to Render Night Soil Inodorous. —By 
mixing this substance with burnt mud or peat, and 
finely-pounded charcoal, its odor will be instan¬ 
taneously removed, while they will retain the am¬ 
monia, by means of the power they have of ab¬ 
sorbing that substance. The quantity of charcoal 
or burnt mud necessary to be used, will depend on 
circumstances, and can only be determined by actual 
experiment. As a general rule, one part, by measure 
of the charcoal or peat, to five parts of the night soil, 
will be sufficient to remove the smell and fora* ■ A 
rich manure. * ? 
