The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-20
G0THAM'S GALA DAY.
Winter in Central Park and
on the Avenues.
SLEIGHING AND SKATING
Tens Of Thousands Enjoying the Sab
bath on Snow and Ice.

IL
availing themselves of its delights. OF the 100000
people who made early start yesterday morning
fun four-hfths bound to one of three places
church. Central Park or Prospect Park. in Brooklyn.
The prophets had announced fair weather. and, al
though in the first hours Of the day the damp clouds
threatened snow, the broad avenues beyond tho Park
and the we'll packed drives within the Park itself Of
fered entertainment attractive than the average
Gothamite could resist Hence throng, crowd
rushing multitude of eagereyed men and redcheekcd
women all sanguine of days sport which no police
mans whistle could subdue.
THE PARK APPROACHES.
Although the snow brigade has cleared away thou
sands of chilly tons from of the narrow streets
down town tho approaches to the Park yet
blockaded hemmed in and rallied of. it were. by
huge heaps of dirt and snow, some of which extend
for blocks and blocks. broken here and there by
larriage cut in front of private residence. The
street railroads have made sad work Sixth Seventh
and Eighth avenues. where the snow ploughs. aided
and allotted by an army Of shovellcrs, have barri-
caded the corners, making it matter
of skill and science to drive around
them. On the right hand and the
left piles, or rather winrows, Of heaped up
stretched the long length Of the streets, rendering
the passage of two vehicles at any given point an
impossblty. Through these lanes. narrow and
deep with lumpy snow all and kinds Of seighs
from the light and airy cutter to the ponderous hired
vehicle sped from morning till night and inRled the
bells of winter sport long after the clock in the tower
struck There was no pretence OF official prepar-
alton all the city. AS the fell it lay upon the
ground except where it interfered with the surface
roads, and there it recklessly and rudely pushed
from the iron rail, heaped in the gutter or
piled upon the pavement On Fifth avenue. where.
yet there ties or cars. the fast going
ners had beaten the snow somewhat into shape; but
there the ups and downs of life aptly typi
fed, and manya sleigh encountered the rub of out
raseous fortune that upset its equilibrium and scat
tered its human load upon the street.
MORNING.
1t is popular deiuson that it is "the thing" to
take the air in the afternoon only Hthat be hun
dreds and thousands of New Workers already on
record as against 'the thing" for by noontide yes
terday the several lines leading to the Park
were well filled, and of New York sleighs stood
at the gates of the ferries leading Brooklyn and
Prospect Park 1t may be open to doubt whether the
custom of butcher boys and grocers clerks exercis-
ing their masters Emitting needles" fine Sunday
mornings is conducive to the moral growth Of the
boys the happiness of the horses but there be
doubt of the fact of their appearance in full feather
yesterday morning. Where all the ''pun9s." sleds,
cheap sleghs and so-called cutters came from was
mystery. There they were, however and although
but few Of them cavortcd in the Park itself they kept
the avenues lively and excited visible approximations
i'll many an otherwise calm and sober breast. 1t
also noticed that sundry family seighs, having duly
deposited the heads of the family the church door
WERE later on, doing duty for the younger members
OF the family. and adding their quota to the noisy
merriment of the Park.
THE AFTERNOON.
This beats ALL said one OF the Park gatemen
"why. in all the thirteen years I've been here never
see such pourin' in"
.Do you mean there more S eighs p
Eyes, and more people, and more general dvil-
day. and ii you'll take the pains 20 look in the faces
Of those who come he on Sunday. rule you'll
teetotaly different set OF folks from those who
drive regular through the week..
That the Vanderbilt. Bonner, Frank Work, Lindsay
Kearney Varan set, with their recorded flyers, are
not Sundays is a fact; but there hundreds
Of well known horsemen who never permit day, the
FIRST any other to pass without trip behind their
favorite teams. And many horse whose owner is
known by name simply because lie IL the possessor
OF noted speeder takes its constitutional in the Park
and down the road Oh Sunday as well as any other
day in the week.
Yesterday was an exceptional OCCASION In the first
place the heavens peacefully. beautifully blue
and the air was undisturbed by the fantest breeze.
Light overcoats were ample protection 10 pedestrians
and furs were by no means essential to the comfort
drivers. 1t may be doubted IL there chilled
nose or n benumbed thumb the entire island and
every horse drenched his hide with profusest per
sptration With such day who could resist the
temptation OF u drive over well packed snowy The
humps and bumps and awkward niazes of avenue
driving endured in patience in view of the joys
ahead and when the smooth pathways of the Park
were reached quick chirrups started of the nags and
the tun OF the day began.
SCENES IN THE PARK.
That there should be frat class sleighing warm
and sprng-likc day was rather an anomaly: but the
tact afforded those who cared or perforce were COM
PEELED to be lookers-on in the speedy Vienna ample
opportunity to witness in comfort the amateur
racing and registering rollickngs that characterized
even the most decorous of the throng. The bronze
statue of Daniel Webster looked down on a current
pointed ears and waving tails. The Indian aud
the Union soldier. crowned with virgin snow at
'racted no attention from the merry crowd. Both
sucs OF the Park lively and the sweep about the
reservoir was kind OF hippodrome ring, where
young New Workers. cracked their whips. The Mall
hhorueti hospitality to thousands. The Casino and
Mount st. Vincent there were tso si"ishs 81 yarc,s
grades at six o'clock The parlors we're filed with
lades ana ter escorts and the occasion resembled
IN me jerome Park Club House. The long, deep
piazzas looked they do on an autumn day Men
prominent IN public and Official life sat and smoked
aud chated ~ the flyers passed along the road be-
You'd the hill No day in the past three months has
seen such gathering. and every one seemed full Of
the oxygen OF the occasion
slower; IN vain they brcsthed official warnings
through their willow whistles; in vain endeavorcd
Ia catch the tautpulled brides of Offending drivers
Horses would 20 fast and drivers would permit them
to have their own wild way. in spite of curves police
turnous the drives but the 1.-The graceful cutfers
were numerically largely in the ascendant. Straiaht-
backed, puaktr-cut sleiBns, with dark robes. were
numerous. and great, many family conveyancos
containing three seats, were seen In the line.
WHERE THE FUN lay
But willie the Park affords much comfortable
pleasure tho real fun--silc splitting old fashioned
'hi-hi' fun--can best DO enjoyed IL was on tbis
occasion, beyond the limits of the Park the broad
straight snow-clad avenues st. Nicholas and jerome
avenues-bouleyarls, in fnct-wcre In tiptop condi-
ton. Mover better. On the frozen ground the pack
able snow had fallen fast and thick. Then came two
days tramping. Then the thaw, and then again tho
vigorous pourdings of thousands Ut lively hoofs.
Bay gedngs. sorrel mares teams. tandens,
tours-inhand, matched spans, calico teams, PAGERS.
trotcrs nags of all conceivable colors, PAGES and
pedigrecs--trom the speedy thoroughbred. with
low down record. to the family team, to whom
moderate joy Is an effort aud funeral trot spree
literally crowded the space Portland cutters, slight
and fragilc New Haven runners with seats for four
great party seighs with double runners, and hun
dreds of less ambitious sleds divided the road and
made the gay with colors and thrilling with
excitement. Although there were no professional
matches or preafranged trials of speed there wcro
many glorious spurts and of born of tho
moments opportunity. In other words, human ma
tnrc unuuic to cope with the oftrecurring temp
tation to- test the mcttle OF its ncighbors horscesn