Morning journal and courier., 1885-01-06
HIR. LayINGsToN,s CIRCUS.
A Rich And Eccentric New Workers
 Strange Perfornlances


 | Florence Letter in Louisville Courier J ournal Standing in front of the Hotel Washington one day soon after my arrival in this city ] | saw strange sight coming. A rather oldish but well-preserved looking man sat upon the high fore seat of an open vehicle driving six horses-a pair next the wheels and four tan ! dem. Behind were two vehicles, each drawn by six horses, with coachmen and footmen in livery. The coachmen were dressed in the regulation English costume, but the footmen woro green and black short coats, with caps to match, and cream colored trousers The old man in front with his plug hat~ and peculiar faceu handled the reins with skill and spoke occasionally to his gaily trapped and robed steeds. His mind seemed to be set upon his work. I said to the porter at the hotel: "What is that? Is it 8 cir cus?"
 The Italian who spoke English very we'll, smiled and said: Ut is Mr Livin gston an American" :"
 Of course I concluded that Mir Livingston was some vulgarian who had suddenly struck oil. 1 found out his full history soon after wards, and imagine my amazement when l told that he was of the distinguished Livingston family of New York and man of brilliant education, speaking several Ian guages fuently. But he is a crank, all the same, and good coachman.
 It appears that he has been living in Flor ence twenty or thirty years, and he has kept up this hippodrome or street procession all these years. Horses are his hobby, and he spends nearly all his surplus money on them They cost him. 24 head, about S1O GOO year. They soon eat their heads off, and the sums the old crank has squandered in this way is a shame. He is now sixty-seven years of age, and old enough to know better. His horses are splendedly groomed and quartered, aud give him no trouble, as he makes an annual contract with the head coachman, who re ieves him of all responsibility. On himself he does Lot spend thousand dollars year. He takes his meals at cheap cafe and takes his seat in the pit at the theater.
 Formerly he drove as many as twenty four horses in hand himself. He always drives himself and sometimes his ''leaders' would be far around the corner and out of sight before the vehicle got into the turn. He had a runaway panic few years ago and was thrown from his perch and his arm broken. This did not deter him, however, and it was not long before his string of steeds took fright again and dashed through the streets of Florence, scattering consternation and de struction as they went. A cab was utterly demolished and the driver so badly bruised that he afterwards died at the hospital. The authorities stepped in at this stage of the game and informed MT. Livingston that hencefoCth he should not drive more than six horses in hand through the streets. The old man was nearly heart-broken because his pet luxury had been so fearfully curtailed, but the officials were firm and six horses are all he now can handle. But he will have his stable out and has always from twelve to six teen head following his coach. This passion or craze seems to have taken complete pos session of the old Jehu.
 A few years ago he lost his wife, and short ly afterwards married 8 beautiful Italian woman with rather a soiled reputation It was not long before the young bride ran off with her stepson, youth hardly grown, but the old man kept on driving his horses. After round at Paris and about the guilty couple returned, and the old man has so far forgiven his beautiful bride as to settle an annual sum for her benefit! Now one of his sons IS lying at the hospital at deaths door, but the old man drives his horses just the same. Nothing short of Gabriel's trump would stop his prancing steeds.
 Robert Small, of Stafford Springs, was found dead in the woods late Friday evening, shot through the head, but alive and groan- ing. By his side was revolver with which he had shot himself. There was no hope of his recovery, and explanation of the cause of the attempt is given. He had left his store about 1 o'clock, and late in the evening his family became so much alarmed that a searching party was organized and found him as first stated.
 The latest rumor about the Hartford post office is that Levi Woodhouse, relative by marriage of the President-elect, is a candi- date for postmaster.