Evening star., 1898-10-29
OLD TIME DRIVERS
Men Who Have Held the Reins Over
Fast Horses.
A TALK WITH LAWSON n. FULLER
Tells of Some Famous Brushes in
Years Long Gone By.
HOW TO STOP a RUNAWAY
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star
NEW YORK. October 2S, 1S9S
Lawson y. Fuller, the veteran driver of
fast horses. though seventy-five years old
believes that he can break the six-in-hand
team record OF 2:56la. which he himself es-
tablished in 1896. and he is eager to make
the attempt. Mr.. Fuller said the other day
4 believe that six horses can be made to
trot mile in 2:45 or better, and that l own
the six horses that can~do it, But since ii
is rather costly, both in time and in money.
TO train six horses to do their best, 1 should
not be willing to make the attempt entirely
without inducement. Five thousand dolIarS
should be hung up and if that is done will.
put my horses into training at once. the
entire purse to go to me if / lower the rec
ord 10 30. If not | am to receive nothing
or l Will trot my six horses against any
other three-pair team for $1,000 a side win
uer to take all
1t would take me about month to ge
ready. would be willing to trot on ans
trSt-ctJSs traCk-HartfVrd, PoUghkeepsie
Cleveland or one of those further south o
course. IL IS 100 late to bring the event abou
TINS fdil. but my announcement is out il
plenty OF time TO make it easy to arrange
for the test early in the season of 1893
Judging from the crowd that witnessed m
record-bre aking performance of 1896 at oil
Fleetwood Park, The men who put up tn.
Sh-RN need not run the slightest risk oi
loss, for they could fully recoup themselves
from the gate money. l should prefer e
trOt my horses against some other skin
hand. because | should be surer of Winnin-
Suvh a match than trot against time
but am quite ready for the latter and OIL
the shortest notice feasible.
The team would be the same as the rec
CTd-brcahIug one of 1896. with one excep
tim Dexter, the nigh leader of that team
Is Head. l was about ready to propose al
attempt 10 make a 2:45 record when h,
dled. and have been waiting since then Il
find a horse TO take his place. | have now
found the horse, and my team will be mad;
UP In This way: Snip and Wilkes, leaders
FIora and mare / call Josephine, in tn,
middle. and Fleetwood and Fleetwins
the wheels | haven't the slightest .1oub.
that this team viii be able to better the oIu
record"
When He Beat Vanderbilt.
Mention Of the lamented Dexter, named
for the famous trotter of that name.
owned by Robert Bonner. always awakens
a train of "reminiscences in Mr. Fuller's
mind
L thought a good deal of Dexter" he
said, but 1 thought more of his sire.
RULER George l have owned scores o:
good lively steppcrs. but Fuller George
was the best one of them all He was true
as steel. His temper was perfect. He was
never IN bad condition. He was positively
JIr brtiILtSt morse ] ever SAW. Best of all
he was never beaten on the road.
4 snail never forget the day he outtrot-
ted Small Hopes. driven on old Harlem
lane by Comm 1dOre Vanderbilt Any cid
timer will tell You that Small Hopes was
one Of the crack Steppers Of his day his
track record beiEg 2:iSla. My Fuller
George had no track record. None of my
horses have been track horses, since my
CEIy object in owning fast horses has been
thai l might win pleasure and health by
driving them. But Fuller George was q
better footer than Small Hopes. as /
proved 20 The commodore one pleasant June
morning about twenty-five years ago
\ good many OF the commodore's friends
had told him that Small Hopes was all
right. but he wasn't In the same class as
Fuller George. Vanderbilt pooh-poohed at
thai. of course. But all the same he
understood fun wei that his horse must
beat mine or be beaten sooner or later,
and so he was on the lookout for me.
A Hard Race.
AS I drove down the lane that morn
ing l Jaw the commodore sitting up stiff
al straight behind his pride and joy. and
/ noticed that he had his eye on me and
my horse. Small Eopes had his eye peeled
too Highbred horses know when their
drivers are getting ready TO speed them as
well as the drivers do. and Small Hopes
was perfectly aware that hb was about
10 be tested was ready, of course, and
So was my horse. But. as | wished t.
beat the commodore in my own way / let
him drive up alongside me and get almost
q length ahead
When the hind wheels of his wagon
Werc abJIt even with Fuller Georges
head cad. ! stirred him Up a little Not by
yelling at him or by using the whip. !
just t@lcSrIphcd along the reins BY q slight
PRESSURE Of the left little finger. Ny torse
knew what thar meant. and from that on
the commodore could not increase the lead.
The race was fairly begun at 14Jth street
and IL lasted till We reached l2Jth-jIst a
mile
The old Harlem club house stood at 133d
street. and Il short tine before we arrived
there 1 telesraphcd 20 Fuller George again
Then he began to gain. inch by inch. just
In 'front.' Of The CLUB house we were going
2-1N clip. and you could have covered
both horses wi.h z blanket. as the reporters
say Vanderbilt looked across at me.
Jelaer" Thcd Fuller George again. and he
logged by easily. Then the commodore be
gan 70 call on Small Hopes and the horse
went right Up in the air. There was quite
crowd AZ the club house and every man
in it howled till he was hoarse. The COM
mGtnro was so sore about # that he never
cared 20 mention the circumstance.
Nanderbit Reckless Driver
Commodore Vanderbilt. though skilled
TFiuSman. was the most reckless driver on
the road in the old Harlem lane days, an1
his collisions with other drivers were fire.
qUenc-
''1'he uarrowest escape of my life was
when the commodore ran into me. / was
driving q single horse He was driving
Mountain Maid and Mountain Boy. He was
E"IHE Tp the lane and I was coming down
I first saw him. Whzziups along like a streak
Of g"e-Sei lightning, two or three blocks
away ms horses Swaying from side to side
As near as | could tell. he was due to be
ON my side of The road about the time we
wer" To- meet. and looked for trouble So
era nv horse, and il was hard work to
Lrar him from turning short about and up
sriU-E ne right there The crash came in
less time ~ er that than ] can tell you OF
il. hut rtid the best ] could by swinging my
horse 50 that he wouldn't be pierced by the
pole pi The CTWmodOFe's wagon. The way
/ fixed things my horse and Mountain Boy
came together So hard that il knocked the
breath ont pf both uf them.
'Nauaerbil-s rig Was all smashed up and
! Thought the commodore was killed sure.
lie went ShJ dow among the horses, head
FIRST with -is feet in the air and yelling like