The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-01-05
Good Sleighing at Roger
Williams Park.
A SPEEDWAY ON A LAKE.
Local Flyers Are Sp.eded Over
Smooth Surface of Ice.
Mr.. DEMlNG'S IDEA CARRIED OUT

The horsemen OF this city were in high
glee only short time ago when there
was such excellent sleighing and AS usual
Reservoir avenue was resorted 10 by all
hands as about the only place whsre the
horses could try their speed. For two or
three days great sport was had on the
avenue and the crowds Increased daily,
and the enthusiasm was beginning to
run high. when the snow disappeared, and
every body's hopes melted away with the
snow. But since then cold weather has
been with us and Mr.. II. II. Deming,
chairman OF the park commission, came
to the rescue with proposition To use
one of the lakes at Roger Williams Park
for the hCrses eir. Deming has had this
idea "a lOug time ana MI the horsemen
of the CITY feel very grateful To him for
working it out anu putting IL into effect
The skating surface Is now so large at
the park that there Will be- plenty Of room
for ali the skaters in the city and the
horses besides. 1t Is "a public park and As
far Gs possible all classes ought to be ac-
commodated and provided for Lake
Deming has been selected for the speed G-
way and the course extends from near
MaDton avenue bridge near the boat
house TO the outlet at the further end or
the lake, masi a straight away course
OF about three quarters OF mile.
Mr. Deming had the ice tested thor
oughly Yesterday and found seven inches
of ice, enough 10 hold an army.
The horsemen, OF course, soon heard OF
this. ana yesterday afternoon Col. Gon
and Mr. Sabre made the first test on the
ice, and the result was most satisfactory.
As there WAS no snow on the eround
there, their woll sharpened horses were
hitched 10 carriage ana the sleigh was
taken To the lake in this some doubt
was expressed about being able To get to
the lake over the hard ground and keep
the horses shoes sharp But this H. OBJ
waited with care and now nos such diili-
culties are presented. and there II snow
enough so that the sleighs Will not have
To he taken out in carriages. The snow
on the ice will either be- cleaned of or
wet down anu this afternoon will see the
speeding on the ice inaugurated in full
blast
Ice racing Is one OF the most attractive
features OF tine win ter :season nnd one
which the people of this city have had
little chance to enjoy. One has only TO
recall the Ice carnivals CT Montreal and
other places where ice racing is estab-
lished to realize how popular IL Is.
Whole cities turn out ss participants or
spectators and thousands enthusiastically
watch the sport There is charm about
such features of winter life that people
like and they like it all the more he
cause they can ENJOY it onlyi for com
paratively short time each year Ii has
been several years since there has been
anything Of the kinu here. the last ice
racing being on Mashapaug ponu three
or four years ago. This was broken up
by the Ice cutting, but no epd OF sport
was 10 be.seen there while it lasted.
MIR. Deming has taken step forward
in the management Of tho park, and this
already popular resort VIII now be moro
pouular than ever, thanks TO him.
There are hundreds besides the owners
Of hCrses who will rejoice To know that
there is n new sport going on at the park,
for there are great nuinbsr of people
who Will take as much enjoyment in
going 10 the lake and watching the fun
as the horsemen themselves 10 in Great
ing IL.
The course itself is n fine one and IL cold
weather will stay in this vicinity
little while the park will see more people
than II ever has before in the winter
season.
The fun would be complete IL the
toboggan slide was in operation.