New-York tribune., 1902-05-27
LADIES' COACHING CLUB.
LAST RUN OF THE SEASON TO PHILA-
DELPHIA-EXPERT HORSEPOWER.

The coaching season is nearly at end, and the
Ladies' Coaching Club makes its last trip OF the
season this week. TIE club is still small and in
a formative stage. but is thriving and
getic as could possibly be desired by its members.
To Mrs. Thomas Hastings of the best known
four-in-hand drivers among the women of this
country, and TO Miss Helen Barney, Miss Jay and
Miss Randolph (stepdaughter of William c. Whit
ney) belong largely the credit of the organization
At present the members the private tallyho
of William c. Whitney and it, with the four
thoroughbred which he also lends. is kept his
stables East Sixty-sxth-st. During April and
May the club has made daily at 10 in the
morning. Mr.. Whitneys house being the place of
rendezvous.
William Champlin. who is attached to the Coach
ing Club, accompanied the members the daily
excursions. and of the Whitney grooms in the
Whitney livery awakened the echoes with his
merry footing the coach dashed through ham
let and country lane.
Thus far the clubs longest trip has been to
Princeton. a distance of about seventy miles
there and back. The run began the 18th. and
lasted seven days. Miss Helen Barney was on
the box seat. and with her party of friends
including Mr.. and Mrs. Thomas Hastings Miss AL
exander and Mr.. Alexander. The was made
from South Orange. whence they drove to Madi-
son. where they had luncheon with the Mckay
Twomblys. then on to Bernardsville. where the
party entertained by Mr.. and Mrs. Alexander
Starting at 10 o'clock the next morning. the coach
reached Summerfield between u and o'clock. Here
Mr.. Whitneys four replaced by horses from
the Alexander stables. the "hitchup" occupying
only sxty-fve seconds then off for Princeton,
where the party put up at the old Princeton Inn.
Sunday passed in Bernardsvile. The trip end
ed where IL began, at South Orange.
The present trip has Philadelphia for its OBJ
1ective point, and two new members to be
inIUated while there
Mrs. Hastings president of club, is an en-
thusiast in coaching, and last summer made tour
through England, France and Switzerland In the
English trip she made two weeks in June
from London TO Banbury-the Banbury Cross of
the nursery rhyme.
A prominent horseman of this city said of her
not long ago:
AS horsewoman she is not excened in this
city. She drives to form Her seat the box,
her management OF and hands, the way she
handles the ribbons, all fun Of style. cool
ness. steadiness Of nerve, in method and judgment
periOr Of many. She also displays great tact in
knowing how much her horses good for in the
way OF hard work, and how to get the best out
of them without fretting or tiring them"
Claire Bryce and Miss Bird Of Westbury Long
Island. are all prominent at tooling a coach,
science which, IT is said can be acquired only by
those born to it.
In the box seat, by the way she holds herself and
the reins, whether she is the right sort to make a
four-in-hend driver" said the old horseman,
who has watched many women tooling tallyhos at
Island resorts. "A common fault with is
10 hold the ribbons loosely and to keep shifting
them nervously from one hand to the other Good
form demands that they be gathered. compact and
the whip.
Nevertheless ali that many women need to be-
come proficient the box seat is the opportunity.
Many woman has discovered late in life when
leaders and wheelers, that she possesses the fac
ulty Of the ribbons"