Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-04-16


they ride horseback. As the last named is the
hardest of all to do we'll i. will be interesting
to make few notes on the subject.
writer for The STAR was in New York last
week and hired hack and took a drive with a
dyed-in-the-wool New Yorker As they rode
along the New Yorker pointed out different
celebrities.
There goes Mayor Grant," he said. and he
pointed out a handsome man, rather young,
with fine black whiskers.
There goes George Gould" he said. little
later, and young man without any thing extra
ordinary in his appearance passed by.
Here's Fatty Walsh" and fine view was
afforded OF the famous light Of the New York
wards.
That's Mr.. Coudert" and he pointed out
good-looking man driving in victoria.
That wGs all there was to see. After driving
for two hours the sum of celebrities seen was
a city mayor, mllionaire's son, an alderman
and q lawyer who is tho president Of city
club. In a drive Of .he same length in Wash
ington one could see probably two or three
Senators, q cabinet officer or so, q foreign min
lister and very likely the President himself.
There were hardly any celebrities on horse
back to be seen in Central Park.
DISTINGUISHED EoUEsrRIANs
In Washington the first distinguished eques-
trian Is the Vice President. President Harri-
son knows how to ride, of course, but he has
he went into the White House. He seems to
prefer long walks or drives. taking the latter
i'll his mail phaeton behind pair Of strong
wel.built bay naGs. Blu: Mr.. Morton OCCASION
ally goes out on horseback. He always rides a
good horse and he sits him easily ana with the
air of a man who knows what he is about He
is not hard rider, and it NAV be depended
upon that the Vice President does not Jump
over any fences or follow in the hunt but he
could do both if he wanted to. This makes. by
the way, the second administration the head Of
which does not ride MIR. Cleveland was
too heavy for this form of exercise, IT, in
deed. he knew how to do it. but President
Arthur used to ride and Gen Garfield was
an expert horseman. President Arthur had
beautiful sorrcl horse and used to ride him
quite frequently. He was slow rider and
seldom wen: OUT of gentle trot, but Gen. Gar
field used to ride hard sometimes He had
large gray Kentucky horse, capable of great
endurance and full Of spirit, and the President
used to warm him up when he got on a piece
of good soft road.
SENATOR GIBSON on HORSEBACK.
Turning to the Legislative branch of the gov
eminent it will be found that the most persist
ent of the riders is probably Senator Gibson OF
Louisiana. At this time OF year the arduous
labors OF his position keep him at the Capitol
so long every day that he is seldom seen on
the road, but when the Senate is not in session
he goes out nearly every afternoon. He has
good-siZed sorrel horse of unusual beauty Of
carriage. 1t is a skittish animal. too, and
capers around good deal, but the rider has o
good seat and firm hand Senator Gibson
has the park seat, il the term may be used
that is, he rides as a man should who is not 60
ing to race or jump. The stirrups are mod
eratey long, the ball of the foot rests upon the
stirrup. the seat is close in a canter, and the
rise to the trot is only moderately high. The
body is carried nearly erect This is the cor
roo ,art aud tor yhsot
usually good type of one. When you see man
with very long stirrups, body as stif as poker
and no rise on a rrot he may be considered out
Of place in u park. His proper place Is in the
ranks OF a cavalry company. And when you
see Young fellow with the stirrups up by the
horses neck, his feet thrust all the way in
them, his body curved forward. leaving the
saddle when his horse canters, and rising from
six inches to two feet on "a trot, he. too. is out
OF place in park, his proper place being the
race track.
HOUSE RIDER.
Going from the Senate to the House perhaps
the most enthusiastic horsc.nan there is Henry
Cabot Lodge. lie is an ''alIaround" rider
and being yet young man, likes to follow the
hounds sometimes. He knows how to Jump
and he knows how to race. He generally rides
a roam hunter-not snowy horse but one that
has demonstrated its ability in the field on a
number of occasions.
Another rider that is an expert is Theodore
Roosevelt He uses large black horse, evil
IDENTIFY very powerful animal. Roosevelt has
ridden in many fox hunts. and is familiar too,
with buffalo hunting and the ''round up" on a
cattle ranch. IL he were not a civil service
commissioner he would probably be cowboy,
as he is enthusiastic on the subject Of life in the
far west. and spends portion of each year on
his ranch in the Dakota Bad Lands.
Mr.. sPoFFoRD's BIO HORSE.
If you come to the other officers OF the gov
ernmeut who are less frequently talked about,
there are q number who are steady riders. Mr..
SpoffOrd. librarian of Congress- rides whenever
he has a chance. He is the constitutional
rider y that is, he rides for the benefit of his
health. Being cooped up among hundreds OF
thousands Of books all day, he finds it neces-
sary to take exercise in the open air. and he
takes 1t in the pleesantest form. He rides a
big bay horse that answers his purpose we'll,
and he likes to 60 at a canter when no is out in
the country. He and the late George Bancroft
used to ride together very often, and when they
than any other heads in Washington were close
together engaged in learned discourse.
The scholar on horseback is sometimes out
OF place, for by usual acceptation nen who
know books thoroughly do not know anything
else but this did not apply to Mr.. Bancroft
the sport until no was SO old that
even walking for any length of time was out OF
the question.
HORSEBACK REMINIsCENCEa
As for horseback "reminiscences in Washing
ton they include recollections Of some OF the
greatest names in ::recent history. There, for
instance, was Roscoe Conkiing. His physician
once ordered horseback exercise for him and
no used to take it every day for some time. He
procured little sorrel horse with q white
stripe down the face, and he used to put his
long legs astride Of the beast aud proceed out
into the country at o foot pace. Nobody ever
saw him riding above q walk, and the horse
was SO small aud Couklng was so large that il
was question whether Q gait faster than
walk was possibility.
Some years ago Mr.. Blaine rode horseback,
too, but hero again it was the riding by order
Of the physician and not for the fun Of the
thing.
A. familiar figure on the road has disappt AIRED
!only temporarily, perhaps) in the person of
Nj. Bayard. For long years he might be seen
taking his afternoon ride after O'Clock nearly
every day. HIS last horse was heavy bay and
his favorite gait was a slow trot, and Mr.. Bay
ard did not rise from tho saddle, but sat close
70 1t in way that not many riders could imi-
late. He rode for pleasure as well a. health
All his family are good riders and oil are fond
,f it.
Another retired statesman on horseback Is OK
Senator Edmuuds. It used to be = pleasing
to see him and his daughter taking the ex-
srcise they loved 70 we'll It 10 recalled that
Turing the session Of the Chicago republican
In 1884, when Mr.. Edmunds was a
prominent candidate for the presidential nomi-
nation, he cooly went off to Fairfax Court ouse