The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-12-17
OF Rigs on the
Avenue.
SPEEDERS PLENTY.
Hobbled Horse Thrown
While Moving Fast.

All sorts and conditions Of men, and
of horses, and of rigs, turn out when
the sleighing is good and the weather
mild, either to participate in the sport,
or to see the others have their fun.
The crowd on the avenue, yesterday
afternoon, was truly a cosmopolitan
gathering. The footing was never bet
ter Weather conditions were Of the
best. The combination brought out
about everybody who owns a good
horse. With them came others who do
not own horses that could be called
really good. And there were still 9TH
ers who do not own any horses, good,
bad or Indifferent.
These latter men are the raiibirds on
the course. They know every driver on
the ward. They know the horses, their
speed and everything about them. They
know Just when, where ard under what
circumstances the animal first stepped
in better than 2:30 and what the ami
mails present figures are Likewise,
these railbirds Of the avenue know
a thing or two about the horses Tat
have no raoe-marks, but which have
been given work on the track only to
be found wanting, and so relegated
from track to road service.
On the avenue yesterday afternoon,
there were Worcester's leading road
drfvers-many of the men who own
the fastest horses of which the city
can boast Their flvOrite steeds,
booted and in some cases clipped, were
hitched to high Bailey sleighs
and speeded down through the centre
of the line. Sometimes they came down
alone; other times in cOmpany-man
and horse enjoying the sport alike
Then there was another class of drivers
on hand. Men who think they have
speed-but who are mistaken. General
ly they are clever enough to fight shy
of the best ones out. but pick up 9TH
ers of the second class and come down
together, yelling and hoOting, as
though future success depended entire
ly upon being first at DR.. FrOsts old
barn. the accepted finish of every
brush. The second-raters were legion
yesterday afternoon Though they did
not have the goods, they did have
sport and lots of it.
In the procession that moved up and
down along the edges of the speeding
course, were many elegant private rigs.
| There were the family sleighs drawn by
| pair of well matched, carefully
groOnied horses whose chief value lay
| liz their style rather than their speed,
/ 1t was not one particle too cold for
| comfort so the women of the house
| hold could spend the afternoon watch
| ing the trotting, tucked in behind great
/ bear robes.
/ And then, too. there were the curiOsi-
/ lies of the road, as it were. Vehicles
a SORTS thar caused pfi1pYsG IN l4o1<
| twice Old Tom Snow of Leicester, for
| example, came down with his bay geld
| ing LOry s. hooked to a speeding cart
| that was on runners. The horses coat
was long and the animal himself did
not look as though he could move a
/ 4minute shot even though q box OF
oats was the prize. But herein Mr..
Snow and Lory S. fooled many OF
course the old horse did not have speed
enough to seriously dispute the cracks
of the road, but before the afternoon
was out, many drivers had to admit
that Mr.. SnoW had little the better
of it in speed although not in looks
Again the truth of the old saying was
demonstrated, that beauty was only
skin deep
Then there was the prospective trot-
ter. The animal that is not yet old
enough to go fast, but of which great
" /
II. Shortsleeves, the Well-knoWn loca
breaker of colts, represented this divi-
sion of those on parade, He had 9
likely -year-old brown colt hitchn5
TO q breaking sled that probably
weighed fully as much as the colt him
self. ShortsleeVes drove the little fel.
i low up and down a few times, and the
4 prospective winner of track honors be
h1ved well. He would prick up his
ears when fast horses speeded by him
He might have let his heels fly haC
not a heavy strap been thrown across
his hips from shaft to shaft. The lit
tie chap is by Benton NJ, 2:10, and yes
terday was the first time he had evel
been hitched to runners.
There was one accident during thu
afternoon. 1t was not of a serious ma
ture, luckily, but it carried with it
lesson that cannot be too strongly EN-
phasiZed. Charles Mari of this city wa
speeding down the avenue behind
brown PAGER whose looks We're marret
by hobbies When rounding the foot o
Newton hill one of the straps holding
the hobbies in place became entanglet
in the horses legs, and in less tim
than it takes to tell, the horse wa
thrown upon the snow path, Mr.. Mar
was thrown out and the sleigh lay a
right angles to the course. FOrtunatel
the speeding for the day was nearl.
over and no one was coming behind MI
Mari Otherwise serious accident in
volving perhaps loss of life-to horse !
not to man-might have resulted.
The best series Of brushes during tn
afternoon was between the two rivals
A. b. Brunell With Sairey Gamr
2:2614, and Capt. Aliens Pocahontas,
mare with no mark, but which shoWet
q quarter the first time hooked to
] Crl fyr~f
to Pocahontas, and BruneN gatherel
in the second with Sairey. tt was goo,
start for the third and deciding heat
Capt. Allen having shade the best O
it, If anything. However, Brunel over
hauled Pocahontas, rounding the foo
of Newton hill, and had the mare beat
en- at Elm street.
There was newcomer to the road
yesterday afternoon. although a hors
familiar to every Worcester horseman
1t was Ezra M. Marbles chestnut stall
lion Benton NJ Mr., Marble drove III
from sutton with his favorite The stall
lion was not booted, and when he wa
driven over to the avenue, his owne
had no intention Of starting him out
However, Mr.. Marble could not resis
. the temptation, and gave the old fellow
his head few times. There was it'll
for him to race against, but once in
brush with e. A. Cowee. sitting benin,
Tom H., 2;251z, the stallion was an cas-,
winner.
The rest of the brushing was partici
pated in by John w. Knibbs, who drov
Aristo Gillig, which made quite a repu
tation several years ago as a colt trot
ter. Mr.. Wells with Joe Ilgbert, 2:211t
lof whom great things are expected be
4 fore the season is over, Henry L. Hep
burn with the nervy bay gelding Harr,
/ H.. c. w Walls with his road mare