Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-04-12
DRIVING As An ART.
\ AORSEMAN'S CRITICISM OF THE
MEN WHO HANDLE RElNS.
An Imitation Of Foreign Nonsense e-Judg-
m-nt in Selecting Drivers Harness
Should BE Inspected y Various
Points Worth Remembering.
Now Nnrk TrihIInr ;

Points Worth Remembering.
New York Tribune
"Jump in here" was the hearty greeting
given from a hight wagon bN reporter :
lurs,.- dealing friend aS he pulled up Ill
Harlem lane Jump in here and III show
,ou how fast horSe can't 20 that got
1ig record The reporter took a seat in the
top wagon. and the horS, logged at "A COM
portable gait up the aVrI.ue.
"Tm exercising this brute for customer
IF mine who has gone abroad. continued
he horseman He gave "a rippn' price for
aim at some country fair last summer lr-
aus he had a recur' of 30 can't say
he never trotted it, br III bet or swear he's
reformed or thinks its wicked 10 do 1t
again"
The we'll filled thOruughfarr caused the re-
porter to remark that the business of driving
was cnlarglng yearly.
That's 81. said the hor>eman, land
ion't know of any other line where safety
Of life and limb is concerned that allows
the employment OF - MANY inexperienced,
incapable PERSONS Nou'll See them at all
times ON the road and in the streets IN
charge of public and private turn"utS and
it seems to be know nothing, fear nothing
SuNF FOREIGN NONSENSE
"NOw l,"l at this fancy affair alongside
If US, sand he, pointing To light->tePplng
nervous lrav team before an elegant carriage
and driven 10y man Eurg""u~ly clad III
livery do YOU know that money wouldn't
hire me to ride i'll n closed rig like that with
such a driver. too much stvle, too little
sense That fellow has been told To sit up
straight and stiff - that his t0ggcry oan be
seen, and to initiate some foreign nonsense
in holding elbows close to his ribs and his
lines up near 10 his chin He has the reinS
in one hand and the whip in the other;
now suppose one Of them nice horses
should stumble or slip. he might get a
bad scratch or spram, for there's
no pull on him 10 Recover his bit. Then
again. if spirited team like that
should take fright and want to run, what
control over it has a man in that position:
Why, before he could gather his lines and
get himself into Shape. such pair of horses
Cuold make from three TO tiv" jumps, and
that's where the luck would have 10 come
IN.
1T seems 70 me that people who are bright
enough 10 make wealth and direct wOrkmen
should have better Judgment in selecting
drivers OF course there are many expert
drivers in the employment of our lest
families; they get good pay, know their
business. and are allowed to manage it. The
trouble with many private drivers Is that
they have 10 put up with low wages and
perform mixed duties at that FIr>t-claSs
men will not submit to such terms; tip-top
American drivers kick at wearing livery
iuds at any price
DRIVERS FITNESS
''Driving ought Ia at least come under the
head Of skilled labor: some OF these days
believe You'll Sec bureau established re
uuiring an official test for a drivers fitness
Men who have charge Of boats and boilers
are all under some sort Of Superv lsion: an
engineer of course has to be skIllful and i'll
telhgent hut his charge allows him many
guides Ia 90 by. A gauge shows him the
pressure OF steam, an unusual sound in the
movement of ma a"hinrry notifies him that
something must be examined or corrected
4 hOrSr needs comparatively as much care
iul watching a boat ar boiler. and life is
Is sacred by the Carria.c load a. bV the boat
load. As il i now, anyhOly, hoy or man,
can rattle through the streets with single
II double team at the risk of making para
graphs for YOU chaps.
"Why, sir, there are hundreds of men
Irving horses every day in this city-and
=Spevially on Sunday-whO couldn't adjust
Il double or single larneSs in any emergency
You've often noticed when a horSe has fallen
and has TO be unb2ckltd to loo~e or TO pull
the shafts out Of ais way. good d-natured cart
men, hyStandeTs, ~ policemen have had to
do the business, Speaking of harness, If
had my way ID have an authorized harness
Inspection for all public service where the
wear and tear are severe; much safety could
be provided for by such a sy stem.
POINTS WORTH REMEMBERING.
employers who lack horse sense are Of
ten deceived by the drivers who assume the
qualifications Here Is case: A nice old
gentleman living near me, who keeps pri-
vate coupe and fairish lump OF a horse,
stopped me the other day and called my at
tentiOn 10 the animal
My driver said he, says he's spav-
ined / looked at the beast and saw no ev-
idence. Where Is he spavinedH ! asked
of the driver In his foreleg,' said he,
pointing with his whip. Well | explained
to the old gentleman that horses didn't get
spawned in the forelegs, and didn't EN-
brace the opportunity OF swap So you
see there's some virtue in horseman.
How can a safe private driver he Sc
lectedf Well, city and western stage drivers
are good line of men to draw from; al
most any of them with fair reputation for
sobriety would fill the bill They are ac-
cuStOmed to clO~e and fast driving, and are
familiar with all details of harness and
wagons in case anything needs looking
after.
"Colored menl Oh. YES, there are lots of
good darky drivers; they like horses, and
horses take to them with fundneS> Some
Of them are apt. however, TO delight in show,
and will make free going team do more
work than a white man will Unless he'>
boSSed pretty sharp, our cul0red brother
will often use up good horse ahout as quick
as-well, about as quick as lady driver