Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-10
nd hays prevailed in the Buchanan men

age.
| President Lincoln liked a well-bred horse.
He was Kentuckian enough for that His
! carriages were a barouche and a rOckaway.
| His team was purchased near Canandaigua,
| Ontario county, y. V, and were dark bays.
/ In spite of the troublous days IN which he
/ lived and the exactions made upon his time,
he was frequently seen driving on the pub
/ lie streets of Washington on summer even
ings. especially during the heated term.
| President Johnson rode in what is known
/ in our day as an extension top wagon. 1t
was not particularly stylish. His team were
medium sized blacks. with a good deal of
cold blood in their veins.
Gen. Grants Stables.
President Grant brought with him to
Washington a larger number of horses than
any President since the foundation of the
government. Among the number was "Old
Cincinnatus," his war horse; jeff Davis, a
favorite saddle horse that he also rode while
in active service. and which was captured
from Joe Davis plantation in Mississippi
during the Nicksburg campaign; a team of
ponies for his daughter Nellie and two
pairs Of very stylish bay carriage horses.
During his two terms of office he purchased
some trotters which he drove to a one-rnan
road wagon. He was an inveterate road
rider: was frequently seen brushing with
the boys on the road, and never took
anyone's dust II he could prevent it, One
of his favorite road horses was Butcher
Boy. One day, while out on the 9TH street
ROAD, tnen Il 1aVOrite speedway, with the
horse, the boys got him in pocket"
The President would occasionally see a gap
and make for it. when the boys would
close in on him and shut him out. This
style OF business continued quite a little
distance. Suddenly the hero of a hundred
battlefields ana the man who had never
known defeat was seen to pull his slouched
hat over his eyes, grasp the stump of his
| cigar between his teeth with firmer
| clutch. take a fresh hold of the reins and
lift the whip from it's socket Swish! IL
| came down on Butcher Boys back. The
frightened beast sprang forward at the I'M
expected punishment, and the men COM
prising the pocket" wheeled aside Just in
time to prevent being cut down.
President Hayes never cared to put on
| style. His carriage was a landau and the
team that drew it was a span of very or
binary gray geldings. President Garfield.
when stricken down by the hand of the as
sassin, had not settled upon team fit for
man to own occupying his exalted posi-
ton. He brought with him to Washington
mis- family team, a pair of bays OF no par
ticular breeding. President Arthur, his sue
ceSSor. on the other hand. supplied himself
with number of horses as well as a num-
Der of fashionable carriages. light traps,
etc. Wagons and harnesses We're of the hest
make and of the most elaborate finish, and
While his horses put on a great deal OF
style, there was not sound one in the lot.
President Cleveland purchased early In his
| first administration a pair of seal browns.
They were a stylish team of geldings car
| ried their heads naturally well up when in
action and were never while he owned
/ them, subjected to the check rein. Their
names and tails We're never mutilated. Sub
1 sequent to his marriage he purchased for
/ Mrs. Cleveland's use a spider phaeton and
/ a span of golden sorrels which she fire.
/ quently drove with skill about the public
| streets. The Cleveland family carriage was
/ u victoria.
| The HandsOmcst Carriage Team.
| President Harrison his successor brought
\ with him to Washington the handsomest
carriage team that had been seen on the
streets of Washington in many years. They
were blood bays. The near horse was Is =
hands high. weight 100 pounds the off
horse IL hands high. weight l 400 pounds
\ They were inbred Hambletonians; bred in
! Kentucky. and to pole moved as one horse
/ Either horse could show a mile better than
2:4O. The team were up-hea led and in mo-
ton were exceedingly stylish. The clipper
was never permitted TO touch their names
/ or the shears or knife their tails. The Har-
| rison carriage was a landau of Indiana
/ make. and the several harnesses of Mr.
| Harrison were also OF Indiana manufac-
/ ture. The President was fond of road driv-
/ ing and it was very bad weather that kept
| him from his daily outing, which, in sum-
mer, was generally taken in the evening,
/ when the sun was we'll down. President
| Harrison was an excellent whip His light
| driving team was span of bay Morgans
selected by Secretary OF War Proctor in
| Vermont, the home of the Morgans The
| President did not care for fast driving but
he wanted to know that he possessed a
| team that could give people his DIST IL he
| felt inclined to give his horses free rein.
| The Present Executive Equipment.
President Cleveland on his return to the
White House on March last brought
with him five horses, four blood bays and
a brown. There have been handsomer and
more valuable horses in the White House
| stables than the President has Installed
| there at present. Three OF the horses (bays)
are used for the family carriage the odd
horse being on hand to fill a gap when one
| of the carriage team Is indisposed or needs
! shOeing. The two other horses a bay and
brown, are used by Mrs. Cleveland for her
own driving to the spider phaeton. All
| of the horses are OF good size and sound
| The OFF horse in the carriage team is in
clned to be vicious in his stall. His ears
go back and his heels go up at the approa Oh
| Of strangers and his nose is incased in a
/ leathern muller to keep him from tearing
| mis- blanket. This horse has shown trial
mile in 2:40 and in spite of their ordinary
| appearance the heavy carriage team can,
when hitched light, make the best road
| teams in Washington go some. The Presi-
dent rides less during his present admins
\ tration and walks still less than he did
! in his previous one. He has never been seen
| holding the reins over a team of horses,
which has subjected him to the suspicion
| that he does not know how to pilot a team.
/ This, however. Is not true.
There are four carriages in the White
I
/ property. viz: A landau, victoria, spider
phaetOn, and n surrey. 1t would be hard
| to erect a more substantial vehicle than
/ the landau; in fact, 1t is strong enough
| to carry jumbo IL he were alive. This car
| riage is upholstered in the most elaborate
| manner and Is in every way worthy to car
/ ~ the President of a great nation of free
/ people. The remaining vehicles are of the
/ latest designs in carriage architecture and
! fine examples of the carriage builders craft
/ OF the harnesses there are as many sets as
| there are teams. Whatever belongs to the
| modern trappings of the carriage horse are
| to be seen in the harness room, and every
/ thing thereunto belonging looks spckspan
and new. Four men are employed about the
White House stables, all colorei. 1t is one
/ mans duty to keep the stables Clean an
other to clean the horses and harness and
/ hitch them up, one man, whose duty it is
/ to wash the exterior and dust the interior
i Of the carriages and keep the harness in
first-class order. and coachman whose
| only duty about the stables is. when the
| horses are ready to go out, to mount the
/ box and drive.
| The White House Stables
| The White House stables are located
about eighty rods southwest of the historic
| edifce. They are built of brick. and are a
/ story in height. with a mansard roof at
| tachment. They were constructed during
/ the first term of President Grant and are
| extensive enough to contain twenty-five
| horses and twelve vehicles. The stalls are