The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-12-31


LIFE ON THE ROAD-THE FAST ME
AND FAST HORSES OF NEW YORK.
The New York Herald devotes one of i
/ six column pages to a full and minute de:
cription of the drives and turnouts of til
metropolis, a few clippings from which ma
serve to inserest the reader
VINO DRIVE FAST AND FANCY HORSES.
The patrons of the road may be divide
into classes almost as distinct and strongl
defined as in common society. 70 be re
ceived into good society upon the road, o
drive with gentlemen, man must observ
certain rules. When fairly beaten, he mus
not renew his attempts to pass another
This 10 soon learned from parties quietl,
holding up and refusing to drive in his com
pany. II the novice attempts to run hi
horse by another, he is Immediately cut, an
in this way be is taught the rules. If he i
a careless and reckless driver, he is soor
known and marked. A certain class of fam
lily carriages stop at watering places on tn,
road, where they expect to meet thei
friends and another class, their own ex
change on the road. The Dutch grocery.
men have their lager bier exchange. The
few loafers who are able to ride or win
'spelter," have their favorite stopping
places. Merchants aud men Of business shul
the low and fancy resorts, and form a class
by themselves. These are by far the larg
hst class of patrons on the the road.
There are, besides the business men Of The
city, large number Of broken down politi
clans, loafers, and gamblers, and do moth
ing sons of rich men, whose only merit i.
that their fathers lived before them, who
appear upon the road with fast horses. The
expense of keeping up au establishment in
New York necessarily confines this kind of
luxury to persons of means. with the excep-
ton, Of course, of those who like Hunting
ton, Lane and others, cut dash on the
funds of other people. A thousand dollars
per team, each year, is fair estimate Of the
expenditure thus incurred.
Besides the fast horses, there are a great
many snowy teams, owned by what are call
ed the "nabobs" of the city, who keep a
carriage and pair and from ono to four sad-
for display and comfort, and are not noted
for speed. 1t is stated that not less than
500 turnouts of this description went from
this city to Saratoga last summer, accom-
panied by large number of saddle horses.
The people who keep such establishments
must of course be very wealthy. as other
wise they could not stand the expense
These horses are invariably high priced,
style being the recommendation. Vim. b.
Astor, Hamilton Fish, Watts Sherman,
Simeon Draper, Mrs. Codding,on, Mrs.
Nelson, NJ. Langdou, MIR. Kittlcdash and
j. W. Gerard, are representatives of this
class.
There must be in the nei ghborhood of FIVE
millions invested in this class Of horses
Most of these persons keep saddle horses
for their daughters and the female members
of their families to ride, an exercise that is
quite fashionable amongst our wealthy fam
lies. Many Of these fair ones manage
their horses with great skill. VIM. B. Astor
is at present erecting private riding acad
envy, and other wealthy citizens, are prepar
ing to initiate his example.
HARLEM LANE.
The real fast driving is done on Harlem
Lane, where there is a long and level road,
unencumbered by heavy vehicles. Here peo-
pie drive at the greatest speed their horses
can possibly travel. Private races are con
stantly being got up, usually for the fun Of
the thing seldom is there any betting, un-
less it is by a few fancy characters, whom
the fast driving may attract out of curiosity.
The horses driven here are valued according
to their speed that is considered the first
qualification, and if they have showy ap-
pearance in addition it greatly enhances
their value. But show without speed is
recommendation merely with those who
maintain stylish equipages for their fam
lilies.
There is n society called the " Elm Park
Pleasure Ground Association" numbering
four hundred members, and composed of
many of the best people of the city. Their
track is in Elm Park above Ninetieth street,
near Bloomingdale. tbeing but half mile
track, and unequal in surface, it is not as
good for fast driving as Harlem Lam. The
members Of this association are particular
as to whom they admit as members, and
though they mingle with the B!oomingdale
hdbitues, they form quite set apart. They
have on an average two horses apiece, kept
principally for their speed, but many Of
them own from eli ght to ten. Here we have
at least eight hundred fast horses, which,
taken as they run, good, bad and Indifferent, ,
will bring under the hammer a sum that
will average twelve hundred per head, or
nine hundred and sixty thousand dollars
This is not by any means the aggregate Of
all the fast horses owned in New York.
There is at least one hundred thousand dol
lars invested in fist horses 10y those who do
not belong to the association, making over
one million of dollars in horse flesh, kept
for pleasure alone, without counting those
kept for sporting purposes. Morg H..
Mott is the President of the Elm Park Asso-
citation and John Harper, Robs. Bonner,
Cornelius Vanderbilt, John l.. Kelley,
William Judson, ". X. Knapp, Joseph Hall,
II. Durkee, ". Jones, NJ. and ID. eastman,
G.. Conever, ex- Alderman Compton, Col. j.
c. Burnhan, Mr.. Stephenson, &C., are
among its leading members. This class
of persons invariably hold the reins them
selves.
BLooMINGpALE ROAD.
The Bloomingdale Road, furnishing as it
does one of the best drives about the city is
teeming with life from morning till night.
At ve:y early hour in the morning gentle
men of wealth visit that locality with their
saddle horses, to enjoy the fresh air. At
half past six in the morning the lady
eques,rians begin to make their appearance,
many having gentlemen escorts, but net a
few of them being alone. The ladies often
get up an interesting race, many of them
guiding the swift footed steeds with skill
that would do credit to the most noted horse
men of the day. For few hours they ap-
pear to have full possession Of the road
then they disappear to AXE way for the
carriage people. The nabob turnouts arc
seen approaching Bloomingdale about ten
o'clock, and they hold possession Of the
road until about P. NJ, when those tha!
draw reins over feet steeds begin to make
their appearance and the snowy equipages
file OFF to the pleasant drives of the Central
Park, where their owners nerves will moi
be upset by the fas, driving. By P. Nit
would seem as if all New York had sudden
ly be ONE owners Of fast horses, and were
all out on BloomingGale on gra d spree
This rushing to and fro Of ship commo
dores, book and newspaper publishers
BANKERS, builders, merchants, gamblers, ant