Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-07-06
PINE TREE DRIVING PARK

day. continued fair, warmer
PINE TREE DRIVING PARK
0oened iuly 4th With an immense Attendanc.
and Fine Trottins.
GARDINER, July 3 - (SpeciaI1. - Pine
Tree Driving Park, the new half-mile track
in Farrningdale, was publicly opened Mon
day, July 4til. in the presence OF a crowd
varionsly estimated as containing from 45o
TO 5000 people. The opening was grand
success in every particular, and the entire
programme was carried out in smooth
manner.
Despite the heavy rains of Sunday night
the track was in excellent condition a.
Manager Libby worked il up so that the
air permeated every part of the track and
made il light. No finer or faster track can
, be found in Maine than that at Pine Tree
Park. {. II. Nelson of Waterville and
Geo. W. Bishop of New York, two good
judges class it among the fastest half f-miie
regulation tracks in the lnited States. AT
! II O'Clock the electric cars commenced to
pour their crowds into the park. and at .
clock the settees and the entire hill oppo-
site the judges stand were alive with peo-
pie. The announcement that Nelson 2. l0)
the king of stations, would trot an exhihi-
ton mile, proved drawing card.
| Music for the occasion was furnished BY
the Gardiner Band, Frank Wentw orth
leader, and most excellent music it was. At
2.l5 o'clock the following gentlemen en-
tered the judges stand as the officials who
would hold the watches on the flyers A. j.
/ Libby, manager of the track. acted as
starter; Geo. W. Bishop, New York, time
keeper {. S. Whitney, Gardiner. and Geo.
/ \. Alden of Waterylle They are as good
| judges as ever oftcated at race and kept
/ the horses going all the time. Mr. Lee
/ Moorrs made an efficient marshal. During
the afternoon large hot air balloons were
! inflated and sent skyward, to each of which
was attached an envelope containing a
scrap of paper. Upon one of them was an
order on \. J. Libby for one free service
! of Arrival for the season of 1892. Ii was
captured by Randolph gentleman. At
! about | o'clock the great horse Nelson
trotted up the track. He was introduced by
| Mr.. Libby, and led by the band the univer-
sal gathering rose to its feet and wildly
cheered the great king of stations. The
noble animal seemed TO recognize that
h. was receiving an ovation and carried
himself proudly up the stretch Nelson,
his owner, then mounted the suky and after
few warming up spurts sent the Maine
wonder for an exhibition mile. He started
under the wire amid cheers and trotted the
mile without the least sign of a skip. 1t
was all sharp, open, honest trotting and so
regular were his motions that he seemed u
ypritable machine. He went to the quarter
pole in 81 seconds, the half in l.l2 the
three-luarters in .46 and the full mile in
2.23 making the fastest mile ever trotted
over track in Central Maine. The crowd
cheered again and again as he came under
the wire and later crowded around him.
patting him and praising his handsome per-
formance. Later, Il son of Nelson's, owned
by W, ID. Haley of South Gardiner, was
shown. Long before he came on the track
the crowd called loudly for Haley
Haley" and his appearance was the signal
for storm of applause. He was driven a
mile with running mate. He trotted the
quarter in ~ seconds half in LIZ. the three
quarters in - and the mile in 2.3s ~ But
few realized how fast he was going so easy
lid he seem 10 move, in everything the
counterpart of his great sire. and when the
time was announced the crowd yelled wildly
over the performance of tue three-vear old.
" ho has never trotted public mile before
and who has been driven for speed only for
Il week Mr. Nelson was in the judges
stand, timed the horse himself, and was en-
thusia.tic He will trot in %, this fall
sure, was his remark. Arrival. 2.24 -,
the head of the Pine Tree stud, was shown
on the track with Fisher Boy, one of his
promising colts, and was loudly applauled.
/ He is a popular horse here and is fast
one The races in the meanwhile were
progressing finely. The classes filled well
and with some good horses. and the races
were hotly contested and exciting from the
( start to the finish in every event. In the
/ =. 30 class seven horses started and fought
gamelv for honors. Pilot Maid, owned by
Guy Edwards of Waterville. proved the
winner in each of the three heats. trotting
them all in an easy, confident way
which showed her to he faster by
considerable than she was forced
to trot. Daily News~ was a fast
and sure second, although he dropped the
first heat TO the Gardiner horse, Joseph r
The relative positions of the other horses
WAS not changed throughout the race,
although they were all well punched at the
finish.
In the 2.37 class five horses started.
Gold Dust was favorite from the fact that
he was driven the first heat By his owner,
Samuel Record, gray haired vereran OF
the turf He trotted a game mile, making
the leaders hustle to beat him. Leonard
owned bv j. B. Z. Wheelden of Bangor
was the fast one of the party, and although
hard pressed at times by Guy C., was not
headed once under the wire, AMI capturet
the race in three straight heats.
The 22s class proved the interesting
event of the day. Four handsome horses
were the contestants. Among the two fas
ones was from this city, Bird, owned b,
Hiram Tozier, and Black Morrill,, owne,
bv c. \. Partridge. Bird and Fannie
W were the favortes, and battled con'inu
alv for first honors. although the former
was evidently the most speedy. She in al
inbred Morgan with record of 2.21 II
and trotted handsomely. She did not lift
her nose from the ground once during tht
race. which she won ir, three straight heats
Black Morrill, made hard fight and wor
second place in the third heat by some
splendid trotting. Following are the sum
maries
$50 ,T.As-. FACE SSn rEuT. II RISE ssH, biNi
: nEp MILE HEATS. BEsf THREE ~ FIVE.
wEI6Hr~ AND n1sfAN'E WAIVE
Pilot Maid. br ui.. Guy Edwards. Water
vile,
| Io.eul X. ,br. e. Hiram fUzier. Gardner. ,
stella RoIfe b. m. Patterson Bros WINS
low
.ianI,I, h d n Richards Falmouth. !,
Ha,,py ron. b. g, Martin Burns. .t'ardiner.
/ Dom Pedro ch. e.. Miss Fannie T. Leonard.
Gardner,
: JTAE,