The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-10-16
sIeRrs on TIE srEEDNAE.
Fast Trotters, the RIGS, tho Drivers
and the Fascination of It All.
MlddIemen's Profits,

80 NA0
and the Fascination of It All.
I'm no horseman." said Mr.. MIDDLETON,
but / love to look at horses. and it's great fun
for mote stand on the Speedway and see EN-
&C by. stood around there an hour or more
last Sunday.
Going down the slope from 155th street I
saw in the middle OF the road o small black
dog. There were moro or less dogs carried in
vehicles on the Speedway. mostly pets. though
1 saw one bulldog with his white head with red
eyes thrust out over the side OF a red wagon.
But the small black dog Ispeak OF was the only
ono 1 saw there on foot. An hour later. as I
stood alongside the dirt road to the south Of
High Bridge. the same black dog passed. going
south this time. still keeping the road. though
It would have been much easier for him on the
sidewalk. He was very tired now. and he
made hard work of It lodging the carriages.
1t must have been q relief to him TO get of the
Speedway and into some other sort OF a street.
The regulations keep out coaches and all
heavy vehicles; there is only one heavy. lum-
berinG vehicle seen on the Speedway. and that
is the watering wagon. With their broad
trimmed wheels. and moving deliberately along.
the watering wagons certainly do look odd
among all the gay. light carriages. But
while only lighter vehicles are admitted. these
really include q very great variety. There are
- "SeSh1F ShAAS " eAN
so on. besides the great number Of runabouts
and light wagons OF one sort and another.
And while there is some restriction as to the
kind OF vehicles. there is no restriction on the
horses; the variety OF horses seen is very
great. The attention is fixed at once by the
number Of vehicles with pneumatic tires.
THE spectators line up on the walks
on either side OF the Speedway close
to the roadway. The people who are driving
more slowly keep to the right and leave the
middle of the road to those who are driving
fast. There is an endless procession along the
outer edges ofthe road. and the people here in
clude a great number Of leteurely drivers who
| the beautiful and picturesque Speedway. to get
into the current Of life here and to see the peo-
pie that do drive fast; everybody likes to look
at them. 1t Is not unusual to see family par
ties in the carriages driving along. nor is IT un-
usual to see a child carried in a light
father and mother holding a dol. The family
parties don't all stay in the slow-going process:
take a hack at It with the Quick steppers. and
they are not always the slowest among them,
either. There was a two-seated or three-seated
ryaii or q roekaway or something Of that sort
on the Speedway last Sunday drawn by q pair
could hold It's end up in the middle OF the road
in very good shape; indeed.
they are alone or have women with them. are
smoking. As q matter OF fact. the whole thing
as e paFt e g the s calaS4s,ien: s t1 dS 70 sds tG is Sga
enjoyment. tho men smoke. One man driving
with a woman in a comfortable, phaeton. who
cigar In his mouth. halted his horse I'm front of
me and asked me for a light. was smoking
him aiIiSht; as a matter Of fact. it added ma
terially to my enjoyment OF the show thus to
have somebodyin' 1t stop and fire up from my
All this time the fast ones are racing up and
down the middle of the broad. road, going 1t
" - Milf annn NJ ham NNnRu nnE nndn GOOD
many. imagine. not last. AS / said. I am no
hoFseman, but It seems to me that good many
I'm OF again. but it seems to me as though
there was now and then a livery horse mixed
f Il wi Ror see a eest about out 4 as d mTeh sf fyn t6 out d or e S oa
the owDer does who is driving his own horse.
and N fact, 1t may be a good one;
It's q brave show they all make. anyway. as
they come tearing down the road. sometimes
sinRly. but %oftener racing. these, brushes being
perhaps, or it. may be between men who are
ready for a brush with anybody that comes
and then i You hear ear somebody, golngs at tu a 2 92S
therel or 'Ghe.deh-p!' or Whee-e-e-r
But you doSsee some remarkable driving;
now and then a man going fast with loose
rein; that Is very rare. however You see
great effort, and then you see men bending
oyer with with rigid outstEetehe e al. arms S,, hands IN
trotter down with an iron grip.
But whatever their manner Of driving, the
drivers in the middle Of the road all enjoy driv-
ing there and. while the majority OF them are
more or less equipped with a view to driving
pretty fair sprinklinE from the other turnouts,
Tho young man ont driving with his best girl
tries his horses, speed, while the young woman
holds on to her broad brimmed hat 70 keep IL
from blowing away; you may see q. trial OF
speed between two such turnouts. You may
see q man with his family in n surrey giving
his horse the best possible chance 10 see what
he can do; for the Speedway brings the sport
ing blood to the surface in old as well as young,
nnd NhAFn- n RA. AN nh In a. - Ia $50
their horses speed.
"'There were not very many pairs Of ~trotters
out and / didn't see any racing between pairs,
though l saw some pairs driven fast. 4 good
game trotter going fast Is a delight to the eye;
a pair Of fine tro, tiers going at speed Is some
thing more delightful still. ! WIS surprised at
the number OF pacing horses j saw: l didn't
know that there were proportionatcly go many
racers. / realized hero, for the first time. that
almost all horses wenr blindcrs: | saw very few
without. a horse looks much better and more
horRey and reRoiutc and up-and-ub without
them. however, than with them.
It's all so Interesting that tho people Just
standtherc and look ON till the waning Of the
autumn day."