New-York tribune., 1886-01-10
TROTTERS IN THE PARK.

Ii is proposed In sporting paper 10 lay out
road for speeding trOtters in Central Park
where the "opulent residents of Gotham VINO
own great flyers can take their airing in perfect
safety" This project is not a novel one. BE-
fore the Park was constructed 1t was urged
that race track wOuld prove an attraction OF
absorbing interest, and the argument that the
entrance fees would go far toward providing
money for the maintenance OF the pleasure
ground was one worth considering. Indeed,
the history of this same pleasure ground SHOWS
that il has been considered as especially adapted
to almost every conceivable use by some one.
Persons of quality who delight i1f steeple chas-
ing and those who pursue the fleet anlse seed
bag to its lair have had an eye upon the rolling
meadows and dense coppices OF the Park as an
inviting field for manly sport. Commissioners
have been pettiOned to throw open the Park as
a parade ground for our citizen soidlery, ana
space has been asked for tents and enclosures
for popular exhibitions circuses, shOotlng
matches and trials of strength and SIKH.
Eminent educators have urged that the Park
should be planned on the model OF map OF
our native land with miniature States, lakes
and rivers, with every physical and geological
feature complete SO that the children OF the
public schools could be turned loose thereon 10
study geography i'll its most attractive form. IL
has been proposed that each religious sect
should be invited to build places of worship
here that one section should be set apart Tor
a Worlds Fair and another section as den
for wild beasts, and again that vast Dulldlng
should be erected here as "a sample-rOom ana
advertisement for al the wares the merchants
of the city have to sell that the lakes should
| be enlarged so as to float full-rigged snip
where the great maritime city of the continent
could train sailors for our merchant marine
| that it should be TRANSMITTED into buTlal-place
| for the cOuntrys distinguished dead, an EX-
| perimental Farm i'll the interest OF sclentihc
agriculture and permanent Metropolitan falr
! Ground.
| Now,lf the Park is only big scope of unin-
| proved ground, it is natural that people ol
| different tastes should desire to precmpt
| quarter section here and there for the partlcu-
! lar business or pleasure in which they are chiefly
interested. For this reason the people who
drive their own carriages. or are able to mre
| one occasionally, have clamOred for widening
the w1eelways to give them ample space to
| roll around and be SEEN Other citizens III less
| fortunate circumstances have asked that
| street railroad be run up through the centre oi
! the Park, so that they might view 1t from tho
| economical and democratic hOrSe-car. Ana
now the gentlemen who own "hyer5" win
! hoofs too delicate to touch anything rougher
| than velvet ask for a tack from which car
riages shall be excluded. Of course trotters OF
! cold blood or those that were not OF the speed
lest would also be ruled off to enable the very
| elite OF our opuleDt residents to take their
airing in safety" TO avoid crowding them
some qualification of speed, breeding and pr1ce
would need to be lald down as requisites Tor
admissiOnup upon this chosen track. For example,
all PAGERS might be ruled off as unfashionable
and the drive restricted to the use of horses OF
| a HambletoDtan and Star cross with a dash
| of Pilot IT, blood from their dams that could
trot in 2:O9l. and cost $4,000. 1t could not be
properly objected to this that the "plain peO-
Die" would be robbed of their rights in the pleas
ure ground, for the journal which advocates
this scheme observes that the gentlemen who
drive these marvels could hold the ribbons in
the presence of applauding thousands" The
very sight of this brave show would suffice TO
exhilarate the masses.
| The only objection to tins project is that the
Park was not originally designed for any such
purpose. 1t was planned to provide broad,
quiet, rural views, to bring refreshment to those
ings. TO this end repOseful effects of scenery
have been prepared and the whole wrought
together into consistent work of landscape
art 1t is melancholy enough that such state
ment as this needs to be made after the Park
has existed for thirty years and that there are
people of fair intelligence in the city to-day who
do not realize that tins is the only justifying
reason for the existence of so large pleasure
ground in the heart of busy city. Provision
has been made for people on foot, III carriages,
in road wagons, in sulkies if they like, or on
horseback, to enjoy these refreshing pros
poets. But it is not prepared primarily as a
collection of tracks and paths to ride or drive
or walk in. The people who ride in carriages for
the sake of riding do not view the landscape.
When the roads are crowded they can drive in
festal procession at Riverside or wherever else
they choose. When driving 2:10 trotter is
its own exceeding great reward the surround
ing scenery is of little account. Let these
wealthy gentlemen buy land somewhere, build
a track of their own, and keep an official timer
in the stand to tell the world how fast they go.
This ought to satiate the nOblest ambition.
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| BTSMARCKS NEW POLICY.