内容简介：
PREFACE. FOR thirty-eight consecutive years I was a visitor at breeding farms and a close observer of horses at speed on the trotting tracks of the country, and in this way I gained knowledge of the subject discussed in this volume. I was an unwavering advocate of movements which established system where chaos had reigned, and it would be mock modesty for me to pretend that my acquaintance with facts is distant. The evolution of the trotter took place during the active period of my life. The fortunate owner of a good library on the horse counts his books by the hundred. Whole volumes have been surrendered to one family or tribe. It was no easy task to condense, from thousands of letters and printed pages, the facts which I present. I have tried to give a birds-eye view of the situation, and have not spun yarns in which a pound of fancy paralyzes one little grain of truth. It has been my aim to give a compact history of development. V Some who idly turn these pages may think that, if I have erred, it is in conciseness of statement hut people of inquiring minds who refer to the book for information, having faith that fiction has been subordinated to fact, trill thank me for an error of this kind. HAMILTON BUSBEY. NEW YORK, June, 1904. CONTENTS CHAPTER I. 111. IV. VI. v1i. VIII. XI. XII. XIII. XIV. xv. XVI . XVII. The Introduction of the Horse and the Gradual Increase of Speed . . . . . . From 2.10 to TWO Minutes and Better. Tracks, Vehicles, and Wind-shields . . . . The Two-minute Horses of 1903 . . . . Primordial Streams of Speed . . . The Lady Suffolk Era . . . Flora Temple, 2. gqa, n d Dexter, 2.174 . . Goldsmith Maid and Smuggler . . . From the 2.132 of Rarus to the 2.031 of The AbbotCresceus Reduction of Stallion Record and Double Harness Rivalry . . . . . The Foundation Horses, Imported Messenger and Justin Morgan . . . . . . Three Energetic Sons of Justin Morgan, Bulrush, Woodbury, and Sherman Morgan . . The Morrill Tribe and Other Descendants of Justin Morgan . . . . Mambrino Chief and his Descendants . . The Pilot Family . . . . . . Messenger and the Tribe of Hambletonian . . Prepotent Sons of Hambletonian, including George Wilkes . . . . . . The Family of Electioneer . . . . . vii .. . V l l l CHAPTER PAGE XVIII. XIX. XX. XXI. XXII. xxv. XSVI. XXVII. XXVIII. XXIX. XXX. XXXI. XXXII. Volunteer, Aberdeen, Happy Medium, Dictator, Harold, and Strathmore . Cuyler, Egbert, Jay Gould, Edsnrd Evere t t, and Other Members of the Hambletonian Tribe . The Star Family . The Clay Family . The Blue Bull, Royal George, and Other Subsidiary Families . Great Producing Mares Green Mountain Maid, Miss Russell, and Beautiful Bells . Other Great Producing Mares, including Clara, Alma Mater, ancl Dame Winnie . The Era of High Prices The Dawn of Systematic Breeding Track Government . The Growth of Discipline Horse Shows . Road-riding Movements . . Amateur Driving Clubs . . The Pacing Horse . The Multiplication of the Pacer . Breeding and Breeding Establishments ILLUSTRATIONS Lou Dillon . . Fronti. iece FACING PAGE E. E. Smathers, driving hlajor Delmar . I4 C. K. G. Billings, driving the Cl a npioTnr otter, Lou Dillon . 14 Pace-maker with Wind-shield 24 Wind-shield and Dirt-shield . . . . 24 Major Delnlar . . 30 Dan Patch . 34 Prince Alert . . 35 E. T. Bedford, driving York Eoy and Bemny. m 35 Flora Teinple . 46 Beautiful Bells . . 46 Dexter . . 48 Goldsmith Maid . . . So Nancy Hanks. . 50 Maud S. . . 68 Sun01 . . . . 72 Alix . . . 76 The Abbot . . . . 76 Cresceus . . 78 Kre nlin . . . 78 PaloAlto . . . ...