The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-01-15


An Afternoon Among tho TrOtters.
TO Tue EDITOR OF THE HERALD.
'Huzza for the road" said my friend Lew, old
''road man. as he entered my Office about two, one
fine afternoon last week 'The sleighng 10 excellent
and we shall have chance to the sports and ro
ters Hurry up, he continued, s'for its going to be
one Of those rare afternoons for seghing that us New
Workers don't have too many or" can right" said ],
DOMINIC my overcoat; and few moments more found
me in the streets on my why up town Entering the
horse car ride OF half an hour brought 70 the upper
part Of the city and my friends stable whore his CHEEKY
cry Of glitch up' was quickly responded to by tho
''boys" and his fine and well known pair Of clipped
roadsters were brought from their stalls already har
messed in anticipation Of his coming and quickly attached
to Portland.
Ensconcing ourselves costly among the robes, the
horses were put in motion, and were soon in tho
avenue on our way to the Park. Looking around, We
found we were not the only who intended having
sleigh ride The avenue alive with single seighs,
double sleighs and every description Of Sleigh from the
graceful new styled cortland" to the clumsy old
'.Albany"
Now is the time to look out for style. Here Is
Jerome, with his dashing fourin-h hand; Hoffman, with
his grays and bays Belmont with his large coach tea M
Platt with his rangy well bred bays and host OF tan
dems, spikes and single teams with their veried coach
coachmen and al-within an inch Of their lives. How
many hours OF careful rubbing and scrubbng II has
taken to bring forth such polished patent leather trap
pings and gilt ornamental
Only the happy faces Of the ladies' young and old
who peep forth from the snowy robes. They enjoy
sleigh ride, I'll warrant you
Here at tho Park and the sleigh glides smoothly
over the snowy path, while the air resounds with the
hundreds OF tnkng BELLS with their lively sound adding
greatly to the exharang scene. The horses quicken
their gait, feeling the Bit and we recognize tens and
twentes Of teams jogging their way to the road that
we have so often speeded with. Everything looks
lively The Park, clothed in its winter garment lays
feelings Of pleasure and pride, and bless the man
or men who invented II. It is, in reality,
IT'S Hher and
thither they gracefully glide along The refreshments
saloons doing good business we should judge from
the crowds who constantly passing in and out Of their
DOORS This too, Is lively winter scene, and one well
worthy being The gray clad police
give the military salute they recognize my friends
we'll known face and we proceed at quiet rot past the
reservoir down the HILL and by the soldiers hospital
whose gaze out TO see the crowd as they drive
And now LUIS is reached, and Ned himself loom
ing up like sunnower in full bloom out to greet
quadrupeds. A moments stop and hot apple toddy,
and away we 90 again. jogging by the Deacon's Point
nse Of bs We look Around and nd
now and mate coming for US with rush. Our team
prick up their ears and Lew quietly lets them out We
are soon brushing the lane "ffty" gait but,
although the seighing is excellent neither team yet
used to work. and need more Of it TO make Thorn
steady Occasionally the other of the teams
again to their work. The DIR is rushing past us;
blown OFT; all four are putting their down some
purpose pass the Club House. We nearly neck
and neck-both drivers packing little 'brad which
the well trained animals understand. Il n q fine
"brush," both teams SO equally matched, that with
scarcely change Of position, we find ourselves at the
Artx,n pudov hAd n ID al vvtht
tiers, warmly wrapped up In their thick road blank
cts from ears heels to the precious ones from
taking cold Let New York roadman alone for taking
caro- Of his horses-the Arabs are nowhere
Let take a look at the sleghs. What variety all
color styles and shapes Hero is one that after care
full examination Of all we like the best II is Portland
STYLE sets up WE'LL is wide and long the runners has
good dash board and then the shafts that you
hitch horse up close 10 il you could 10 wagon,
making easier 70 handle and looking neat and
horscmanke than those whose shafts attached to the
sleigh about foot above the ground and to which one
has TO let out the last hole In the traces, putting the
horse long distance from the sleigh TO prevent his
striking the bar with his heels he should break
little talk with host Of friends, quiet drink Of
something hot, and the team are brought out and We
drive down towards the Club House
As rise Brcakncck hill Bonner with his gray
mare, Peerless. She is putting in some $50" strokes
which she does easily some horses walk Her
owners good natured face shows the pleasure he takes in
driving piece of horsehesh whose equal is not to be
found, and whose name indicates very Luthfuly her
merits which are indeed peerless
We reach the Club House drive into warm nook under
the she'd blankets are again produced and horses well
covered Now let take look The road is we'll filled
at the good deal than the speed looks at the
STYLE for this part Of the road is where the rong Ia
done All Try TO show well going past the Club House
The steps OF the hotel crowded with gentlemen who
looking out upon the lively scene from good stand
point the road can be seen for long distance both
up and down. from the front Of the house The rottng
one sees here is better than any track race as all
honest and the best horse generally wins What teams
are these just hsavns IN sieh Now they cut iSSse
throp Maid. Making for him is Patterson, with his
sweet gated brown mares. Dennison, with his
Up the road they 90, with nosiris dila,cd,
eyes flashing and tails up. Here another
crowd, all trotting we'll and steady. Commodore Van
derbt, with his ponies; Petty with Frank Temple Du-
bos and bays Butter Smith, with Breeze and mate Cash
man and sorres Richards with his brown team and big
ward they come each driver handling the rens In that
nay style so peculiar to tho New York roadman, each
Il is pretty sight Here's poctry Of notion for you'll
Such square, strides and swinging gait They by
in crowd, and their railroad pace takes them fur
up the road Here is Briggs with Gray Harry and run
ming mate; they are making good time How they do
cut loosel We turn sharply around upon hearing .
familiar Take carel" and Dan Mace with Vanderbilt
who is having setto with Dan sanfords bay Columbus
Both horses showing forty gate Here also is De
Forest with the Blanchard colt Lew Martin with Boston
Crazy with his new team Ben Mace, with the Country
man lbrother TO Vanderbilt; Ferris with his sorrels;
PAGER, and boast Of others Shades Of George
Patchen how they speed
NOW let us take . look into Vandewatcr's barroOm.
We find IL filled with roadmen who warming up for
their drive home and RECALLING themselves with few
drops Of something hot Everything quiet and orderly
all seeming to DO people who meet frequently. Ask a
question about any noted trotter who has lived any time
within forty years, and some one in that room
answer It, I'll warrant you II pleasure 70 hear
OF the ''old hands' spin yarns about animals whose
names will live In horse history forevcrmore
We 60 out on the piazza again Just In time 70
Frank Baker, with that world renowned Ethan Allen
coming up the road a lightning pace, closely pursued
by large gray horse, who s new conner, and making
sharply, leaves his feet but he loses nothing by his
break and the gray has to foot II mcrrily keep with
him. The gray carries two men, Ethan one the stall
lion has the highest hitch and after passing us up goes
the gray, and the stallion has the best Of It. II might
have been otherwise had they been weighted alike
It's getting late Ia brought out and in com
pany with Turnbull and sorre Gics, with his hay colt
and mate Tarren and sorrcs; DR. Baker and Alloy colt
and Icadbetier and Billy Carr, with their sorrcls pro
coed down the road at s,aving gait just before us we