Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-09-20
Written for TIE EvrNrxo srAR.
DlGNIFlED COACHMEN.
Something About Albert Hawkins, the
Driver for Many Presidenta

Something About Albert Hawkins, the
Driver for Many P~residenta
THE HAPPY DAYs or fouR-rS-HAxp-eoxr SWELL
ruRSours AND THE MEN WHO MANAGE rnEN-
ooAcRMES AFTER THE ESaLIsH sryLE-cosr
OF KEEPING An OUTFIT.
~ LBERT HAWKINS. coachman TO the
NV President, has resigned There were
GSvfev more important characters in the
Ieyes Of the multitude than be.
When the band played and the crowd
yelled, because the President OF the United
states was riding to the White House on in
auguration day. how many people were there
that looked upon the Presidents face without
subsequently taking a good look at the man
who was driving hims II his position was less
important than the Presidents. it WAS. at least.
more conspicuous, for he sat higher up in the
air. Buta this glory was to Albert an old story.
Gen. Grant, Mr.. Hayes, Gen. Garfield, Mr..
Cleveland, Gen. karlsruhe held the ribbons
over the horses that drew each one Of them in
proud procession to and from the Capitol. His
face Is as familiar to the residents OF Washing
ton as the face of any Senator, more familiar,
In TACT, than the faces OF most Senator'S
A HAPPY TIME.
There was q happy time for Albert when he
drove four horses as an ordinary thing, but
now he performs this feat only upon state oc-
casions. We become more and more demo-
cratic every day. II was not considered bad
taste for Gen. Grant to ride behind four
horses and he constantly did SO, and in those
days 1t was the customary way for the Presi-
dent TO go about. but Hayes didn't like IL ana
SO the custom lapsed for four years and was
only ftiully revived by President Arthur.
That the latter preferred to drive that way
was evident, for in the summer when there
was nobody in town to raise objection, he fire.
quently took an airing behind the four high
stepping bays he owned.
Albert is black. In the good old times in
Washington nearly all the coachmen were
black, and If there is anything finer TO gaze
upon than a big black coachman in an old
fashioned family livery it has yet to make its
appearance. He knew his importance and he
gioried in it. There a good many of them left.
but the white man is fast taking the co!ored
coachman's place.
John r. Mclean still sticks to them. and two
gentlemen as black as the ace of spades, in a
livery of drab and yellow. attend to the naviga-
ton OF his ~yellOw-wheeled barouche.
The Japanese legation, too, that has for so
long had the handsomest carriage in the diplo-
matte corps, delights in the possession of a
slim, but stately colored coachman. who has a
pair OF whiskers through which the wind may
gently blow. He is proud of these whiskers
and justly so, for any man might envy them.
Then there is that brace of dusky birds that
perch upon the box of IA carriage belonging TO
a prominent private citizen here. They look
like twins. They are old as crows and gray,
and sedate, and dignified. They hold them
selves erect, they look proud, but il is the
pride OF conscious worth and there is no vul-
gar glancing among The common herd, who
walk for their appreciation. They wear a liy-
cry OF dark blue, with yellow facings. They
drive one OF those glorious old glass coaches,
full OF plate glass WINDOWS, painted claret
color, and hung upon leather hinges, and with
dark red running gear. The whole thing (as
the negro chimney sweep said of his loud yell
OF 'Chimaney.oh-oh-o-o,"O '~'creates respec' as
it goes along"
Il woS'r DRIVE FAST.
There is another one that is a fine old boy,
too. He drives the coupe of a distinguished
army officer. Jove! how important he looks
rs he moves soberly along with that stout old
family nag. No fast driving for himl Leave
that to these smooth-faced foreigners! Boss"
says he. Use done gone driv dat ole boss ever
sense he war a colt, an / amt never driv him
fast. an eff de gen'ral he want de horse driv
fast in he ole age / amt gwine ter do it, OATS
ALL" Perhaps no sacrifices some degree of
style, but he saves .'de ole hoss."
There are some old white coachmen that are
fine on the box also. and several can be seen
during the season that would look extremely
like Senators il it were not that they esembl
more closely the judges OF the Supreme Court.
CoAcHMES OF TODAY.
But these types are practically things Of the
past. The swell coachmen and footmen of the
present day are white and middle-aged. Here
are an ideal pair: The coachman, big and burly,
short side whiskers cropped close. erect. with
whip in hand and driving rapidiy-an extra
high seat makes him taller on the box than the
footman, although on the ground they are Of
equal height-such is the English coachman
that our rich residents have, or try to have,
and they mate him with a tall, slim, smooth
faced fellow who is nimble in getting up and
dow and understands how to open carriage
doors gracefully and to close them rapidly
with a bang.
DR.. Hammond has a good coachman and
footman, and he possesses some OF the hand
soonest traps here. His favorite one is a large
victoria. hung high and having a very lofty
box. The livery Is blue with silver buttons,
and black cockades ornament their silk hats.
When they don't wear their top-coats they sit
on them. and they are so folded that the double
row OF buttons Is visible to the occupants Of the
carriage. This is the regulation way.
Senator Stanford of California, Represent
alive Hit of Illinois and the Postmaster Gen.
eral have probably the finest carriages in WASH
ington.
COST OF KEEPING A FINE TURNOUT.
Now, suppose you want to set up q carriage,
how much would it cost you? A pair of snowy
carriage horses cannot possibly be bought for
less than 5000. This is the cheapest. A span
Of really stylish high steppers would be worth
from 1000 to 81. 500. In buying your carriage
| you can be modest and buy a good coupe for
81, 1000, or you can spend q little money and get
a fine landau for 81, 400. You can get q good
double harness, silver mounted, not too heavy
or ostentatious, for S150. You must have q
carriage whip with a wooden handle
and q long lash, and this will cost You
Sl2. You cannot possibly get along
with less than three pairs OF blankets for the
horses, a pair of day blankets with your initials
in the corners, costing about Sl4. a pair of
little street blankets for about the same price.
and the night blankets, which are cheap and
need not be taken into consideration. II you
want to do the thing properly you can get a
| pair OF leather-back blankets, with your mono
gram in silver in the corners, and you can pay
about $40 for them. The lowest possible cost
Of your outfit will be $4,000, but il will come
nearer to $4,000. Then you must pay your
coachman, if he Is one OF the best, $50 a month
and your footman S35.
Altogether you will find on investigation
that you had better stick to the street car or
hire o hack.
Caring for the Lamp.
From the Boston Advertiser.