Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1900-05-18
.T'.'ERF FAST RQD'Fq MEET
tli,rh Class TrotterS on New
Ycrk's Great Speedway.
A RARE SIGHT FOR ALL
Wore Fast Horses Can Be Seen There
Than on Any Other Drive In the
World-A Recent Sunday Morning
Meet-The Exclusive List.

Meet-The Exclusive List.
Ever since the trotting horse becar~
a recognized product OF this country
New York has been the great centre
toward which each breeder turned a
longing eye. hoping some day to pro-
duce world beaten that should md
a market there. In the early days OF
breeding the trotter the road riders of
he metropolis absorbed the champion
performers. and in a certain sense this
5 true to-day.
or course, with the immense growth
81 breeding light harness horses, when
thonsS nds are produced annually, no
one SECTION or city can absorb all, but
II Is safe to say that at the present
time there are more high class trotters
IN New York than all other cities I'm
the country.
TIC reason is not far to seek. New
York naturally attracts a class of men
VINO nave the means and wealth to
siatli. desire for whatever they
WISH. For many years the great draw
nack TO harness sport was the lack ofa
'uitabl" place for fast driving. Few
men care to own a fast horse unless
they can crafty the ambition to have a
tAst one and excel some competitor I'm
point OK speed.
Now all this is changed. The owner
sud lover of the light harness horse
has free access to the finest drive de,
voted to fast driving in the world. 1t
IS boon not alone accessible to the
nan OF wealth, who drives a champion
hat perhaps represents an outlay OF
many thousands of dollars, but equally
80 To the man of humble means who
i'r"bs' Sly finds as much pleasure behind
his modest priced trotter as falls to
the lot OF the wealthy devotee
again, IL Is not alone those who drive
that vote Speedway Park onS " the
brightest and most enjoyable spots In
Greater New York. Thousands who
make the journey by car to enjoy the
beautiful scenery and watch the sport
derive fully as much pleasure as those
who drive.
The visitor who had not seen the To-
culity in ten years would scarcely rec
ognize the place to-day. What was
then a. rough, unattractive spot of
wilderness has been transformed into
n lovely park stretching for two miles
along the banks OF the Harlem River
The rugged beauty OF nature has been
Softened and made more attractive
The rugged beauty OF nature has been
softened and made more attractive
The sheltered hooks and overhanginx
cliffs present an ever changing piano.
rama that alone would make a visit
well worth the journey.
When to this is added the most mag.
nlfccnt speeding ground man ever con-
structed, over whose surface one can
see almost daily the fastest harness
horses In the world competing in spir.
ited contests, what could the lover Of
rs Nar~ 4.
provided for his enjoymentY
Thp approach from the Viaduct nj
ilfih stfeet has been hewn for the
pftstfi part OF the way out OIL solo
~ .lssste -f5aTt Of the drive has a ma
cadom stone surface. The broad walks
on either side invite the pedestrian Ia
join the throng and view the sport
Many however. prefer to make the
journey up Amsterdam avenue, leaving
the car at Washington Bridge and
passing down the broad stone steps
that lead TO the drive.
AT the end OF the approach the
Speedway proper begins, and extends
for trihe over a mile and a half to
Dykeman street. which is really a ma
cadamized extension. The construction
or the roadbed is similar to that of the
tracks where harness races are held,
NAAN AO IAN mas OGllCT care OF Is kept
In more perfect order. The first stretch
extenda to High Bridge. From this
point TO Washington Bridge there Is a
slight descent as the upper stretch Is
reached.
1t is here that the drivers usually
consregate and the majority OF the con-
tests take place. The lower stretch Is
rarely used for speeding. except on the
homeward journey. when q party of
friends indulge in a grand scramble to
see which shall first reach the macad.
am.
Sunday morning, from ten to twelve
O'Clock, is when the drive Is liable to
be most attractive to the lover of har-
ness sport. The visitor may then see
not only many OF the fastest horses the
skill or the breeder and trainer has
produced. but prominent visiting horse
men from other cities who sojourn her.
to enjoy the advantage OF the famous
drive.
At recent Sunday morning meet.
among the many famous horses seen in
the tbrong. was Robert J., 2:o1 1-2. the
champion harness horse of the world
at the time he was transferred from
The race track to the road, and Bumps.
2:03A. that now holds the worlds rec
ord 10 wagon. Among others scarcely
less noted were Bessie Bonehili, 2:O5X:
Roy Wilkes, 2:o6 IL; Darrell. 2:07K:
Lizzie Wilkes. 2:oSA David B.. z:osE:
James l., 200 IL; King Egbert, 1:OsZ:
Lucille. 2:09%; Nettia Jefferson, 2:1oX.
j. b. D.. 2:10K Ambidexter. AM:
Iron Ban. 2:11%; Jack, 2:12h; Chanty.
3:13;4; West Wilkes, 2:13k; Glen Mere
Boy, 2:14A; Sir Eld, 2:14z, and per-
haps others which figure as members
Of the exclusive 2:15 list
This was not any special occasion.
either. but is such common occurrence
that many OF the regular spectators
come to know all the Speedway starr.
which OF course, adds greatly to the
enjoy ment Of witnessing the contests.
Those present that morning saw ths
famous cracks" Robert J., 2:O1 L.
Bumps, 2:oSA; Darrell. 2:07H, and Jack
2:l2 1-2, In one of the best contests ever
seen over the drive
ADD to the spirited scenes of speed
tho long line Of pleasure vehicles NOV
Ing in an endless chain up one side anc
down the other the thousands of spec
t9tOls that line tho xxro IL