National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-04-26
GO HIRE A BUGGY,
For the Driving Season is Upon Us This
Very Minute.
A Favorito Amusement for All Glasses OF
Our Population.

Tho national capital is peculiarly para
disc for carriage aud horseback riding. The
city supports more livery stables than any
place of its size in the world. In addition,
there are great numbers of private teams
Many of latter are owned by government
clerks and small business men.
A reporter Of THE NATIONAL REPUBLICAN,
made tour of the city livery stables yester-
day in search Of information concerning this
popular pastime Of driving.
There are more teams hired out on Sum
day than any other day." said veteran liv-
eryman. THAT is because Sunday is the
merchants and workinRman's holiday. Poo-
pie of tone and money consider il quite vul-
gar to ride out on Sunday. They don't want
TO mingle with the common herd you
know. The Sabbath is elso sparkling day for
young mechanics and store clerks, who con-
solidate the pleasure Of a whole week into o
few hours with their swocthcarts, glid-
ing rapidly over our smooth streets,
OF Jogging along the wooded lanes of the sur.
rounding country. OF course this class of
customers do not make princolv salaries, but
they Cheerfully divide their stipend with
their boarding house keeper and some livery
man"
"Do your customers, as a rule ask for tame
horses or wild ones"
"rherc is a decided craze in this city for
lively horscs--nags that will makegood time.
We can only hire plugs to old gentlemen
who take their families out for quiet drive.
1t makes no difference whether young man
is good driver or not; he invariably wants
a wild horse"
"The principal drives are the soldiers
home and Brightwood roads, Bladonsburg,
Great Falls of the Potomac, and Arlington.
The latter is not as much patronized now as
IL was five years ago.
"What are the ruling prices for carriages
and saddle horses"
During the week light ono.horso vehicles
are hired at 81 per day. while on Sunday we
get S. for the same teams. Two-hOrse teams
hire for So per day during the week and 50
on Sunday. For an afternoon drive we
charge SO for single team. A good saddle
horse hires for So per day, both on week days
and Sunday"
Tho most popular vehicles arc landaus
for four persons; coupes, for two persons; ex-
tension Surroys, for four persons village carts,
and the phaeton cart. The latter is some
thing new. 1t is n two-wheol vehicle, and is
almost fac smile of the old-timo doctors
gig. Phaetons have almost gone out of
fashion. Village carts are quite popular with
certain people. This is probably due to the
fact that they were introduced into this city
by people OF the upper ten."
Another liveryman, who makes n speciality
of hiring saddle horses, said: my business is
plluClpully Win young IuCu VI sOOu
They can show their physique of to better
advantage on a saddle horse than they can in
carriage or even on a bicycle. A largo
number of horseback riders 10 to the National
Fair grounds, and especially those who are
fond of hurdle jumping. They use the hurdles
in tho fair grounds. Good jumping horses
are always in active demand. Some
of the young men who are fond Of jumping
horses go out on the seventh street road near
the Schuetzen park and jump their animals
across tho numerous bitches in that locality.
Horseback riding is becoming quite popular
among department clerks who form major
ity Of the riders. Bay and black horses are
the favorito COlor5.'
Other livcrymcn stated that the driving sea-
son will begin in earnest on May l, and that it
will be a busy one on account of this session
Of congress being longer than usual.
In some of the stables warming to reckless
and cruel drivers is displayed 1t is a placard
printed in large type, and containing the
announcement of u case prosecuted by the
Humane society, in which the driver of a
hired team was fined Sl75 or six months in
Jail for 'overdriving and abusing horse"
The proprietor of one of the most extensive
hiring, sale, hack, carriage. and cab stables
in tho city said il was almost an impossibility
to estimate the seating capacity of all the
vehicles in Washington. There arc fifty
regularly licensed stables, besides many dr.
regulars This gentleman thought, however
that there are enough vehicles in Washington
TO scat the entire population, mon, women
and children.
Referring to the "night-liners," he said
They are like the Indians, doomed to early
extinction, The entry of herdic cabs anc
hansOms has proved too much for them
Night-lncrs' are as old as the city itself
They do thriving business during the
winter and suffer during the summer. On
account of their peculiar associations this
class of carriers invest their earnings largely
in the midnight luxuries of life, which pre-
vents them from becoming rich men,"