Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-25

Written Exclusively for Tn. Evening Star.
."rh, record holders. such Star Pointer,
Patchen and John r. Gentry, a trio of
the fastest PAGERS the world ever saw,
explained professional horse driver TO a
Star reporter. have field all to them
selves. There is no horse that can compete
with them. and about the only sport they
can have Is to race agains. each other.
Gentry is hardly in the class with Star
Pointer and Patchen, for. though he out
paced any living horse last season, he has
not been well this season, and has not
been able to touch the magic figure reached
by the others. There is fortune in
horse that PAGES or trots under two mill
utes. Star Pointer and Patchen are now
performing throughout the west in races
against each other. The racing associa-
tions and fairs which have them have to
pay S-..dJ to the owners of each horse for
their mere appearance. with a special purse
added in case the record is broken. They
are drawing audiences ranging from 15,ooo
to 5000 persons each time they race.
which, as can be readily seen, is a hand
some speculation, as well for the tracks
which secure them. Horses of this class
require much attention as do the most
famous prima dcnnas The slightest thing
will get them off their speed. They have
TO be watched every minute in the twenty
four hours They give about two perform
anceS each week, and have engagements
until late in the fall as it is safe to
speed horses. the latter part of the season
in southern cities. Gentry has devoted the
most OF this season in races against time,
receiving a certainty for each perform
ance.
Il never realized that people were such
Creatures of habit volunteered patent
office cierk to Star reporter, until re-
Gently, when began looking into the mat
ter out of sixty men l have spoken to
about it. forty-nine admitted to me that it
was their habit to put on certain stock
ing and shoe first. Some put the right
first, though nearly three-fourths of them
put on the left first 1t was the same way
in other matters of which l asked. l did
not ask any ladies. but presume the Tile
thing holds good with them. / found con-
siderable amusement in asking the clerks
in the rooms about me if they could re-
member the exact streets they used in
reaching the Office. and vas surprised at
the number who could not do so, though
tney stated it was their nabit to take GER
tain streets. and they presumed they did
SO. on the morning asked them some had
the greatest difficulty in going over their
NdihS III lctIt HiiIuS aiQ nearly One-thlrG
Were willing to admit that they could not
recall their route. This was particularly
the case with those who use BICYCLES Out
of tweatyseven l asked one morning but
six could state with any positiveness The
streets they rode over. except in instances
where something out of the usual had i'm
pressed the fact upon their mind. L found
with bicycle riders that their ruling desire
was to get there, and that they made all
KINDS CT turn outs. short cuts and twists,
their course being governed almost en-
tirely by other circumstances than their
own ride or desire AS an experiment, Jet
any one ask mis- associates the streets they
used in making the journey down town ON
any morning. and he will be surprised as
well as amused at the replies In nine
cases out of ten the answer will be based
upon their habit rather than upon the ex-
act facts
x + y
1T is rather small matter and yet it is
an important one" explained the principal
OF one of the public schools to a Star re-
porter. and L may not be thanked for
Calling attention to it, l am satisfied, how
ever. that my experience is that of many
others who hold similar positions to mine
and who are observant of the surroundings
OF the school children. The first week in
schools. and especially to those who enter
new grades, Is the most trying for chill
dren- The slightest thing that in any way
annoys or irritates them should be avoided
II is equally trying upon teachers who are
getting acquainted with the children as
the children are getting acquainted with
them in turn Parents, of course, desire
that their children should make a good ap-
pearance when they enter a new school,
and they frequently overdress them. But
/ do not think so much about that as do
that PARENTS make mistake when they
SEM boys or girls to school with a brand
new Pair of shoes. In the greater number
OF cases the shoes hurt their feet and,
without thinking cut the reason. as older
persons do, they are ill at ease Every
movement gives them pain, and, indeed,
they are in pain even when they do hot
move There is no child or grown-up per
son for that matter who can give their
sole attention to any matter except their
feet with tight, short badly fitting
pair Of shoes On The shoes and the feet
in pain occupy their entire time and as i
consequence IL is not surprising that the
children do not do as well with their les
sons as they hoped and expected. 1 Ear
ticlIlariy noticed two or three bows ard
girls in one of the school rooms on Tues
day. and noticed also that they had ON
new shoes Later on i asked the teacher
OF the room how they got along for l
remember they did good work in the grade
they Were in last year. / was not sur
prfsed. therefore. when told that they do
not seem to be able as yet TO get their
minds On their work. 1t was the new shoes
which had diverted them. BY next week
the shoes will be broken in, and the chill
dren will do BETTER
n r *
Though Washington is universally ac-
knowledged the bicycle city par excel
lence of this country, if not the world"
observed prominent wheelman to a Star
reporter. lit is fact that there has never
been really fine bicycle parade seen here
There have been three or four attempts
but they were interfered with to such an
extent by the people along the line of the
parade that they were disorganized before
they got fairly started. The last attempt
a a parade was made a failure by a dis
agreement to unde- what auspices 1t
snoslt be conducted. There is no city bet
ter provided with proper streets. and none
where the number Of wheelmen and wheel
women Is 50 great in proportion TO the
population. A bicycle parade. especially
at night Tina, Is he most pleasing kind of
an affair, and would be enjoyed here bet
ter than in any city / know of, for the
reason that the riders are so numerous /
understand that IL is now proposed to have