Trotting Horses.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1833, 5 April 1884, Page 5 (Supplement)

Trotting Horses.

It is now thirty-four years siuce the trotting mare, Lady Suffolk, astonished all American turf men by doing one mile in 2 minutes and 28 seconds, in harness. No turf even caused more excitement than that, and it was believed that her time could never be beaten, if indeed equalled. But ten years afteward the mare Flora Temple, destitute of a pedigree, made her mile just inside of 2.20. That was in 1859; and on these laurels she was retired, in the full confidence of sportsmen generally that they were imperishable, and out of the reach of rivalry. Seven years thereafter came the gelding Dexter, with his record of 2.17J, and the achievements of 1849 and 1867 were forgotten in admiration of the new star. Dexter reigned but seven years — from 1867 to 1874 — when the little and almost thoroughbred mare, Goldsmith Maid, after a long run of better time than Dexter's best, made her mile, in harness, in 2.14. " Surely," said the prophets, " this cannot bo beaten." It was 14 seconds better than Lady Suffolk, 5| lower than Flora Temple, and 3£ below the " worldbeater," Dexter. It would have distanced Flora, double-distanced Lady Suffolk, and left 42 yards of daylight between the Maid and Dexter at his best. Surely this would stand for all time as the trotting record. So thought the majority of turfmen ; but it only stood as such for four years. In 1878 Jtarus beat it three-quarters of a second, equal to very nearly 30 feet. Two years after that St. Julian lowered the record by 2 seconds, or nearly 60 feet ; and since then Maud S. and Jay- Eye- See have both cut that down 1 second, or nearly 30 feet ; while the pacer Johnston has done his mile in 2.10, or a quarter of a second better than the best trotters. The reduction of time, from Lady Suffolk in 1849 to Flora Temple in 1859—10 years — was a very small fraction over 8 seconds. From that to 1874—15 years — it was a little less than 6 seconds ; and from 1874 to 1883—9 years — it has been 4 seconds. We believe that in the next ten years there will be more trotters and pacers able to do a mile in 2.05 than there are now in 2.11 ; and this belief is grounded on the faot that every year's breeding of trotting stock infuses more and more thoroughbred blood into that stock. — The News Letter.

Discipline in the Anamese.army is illustrated by a story at Hue of an officer who had a ditch dug, and filled the bottom with swords and pikes stuck in the ground point upward. Hia men were then told to fling themselves into the ditch. Only oce man obeyed. He rushed in, and the swards and pikes collapsed before him. Tbey had beea hall by the most blender 01 threads.