The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-03-22
MISS !ROOSEvELTDE DEPARTS.
Attended With More Ceremony and
Fol-de-rol Thar Is Usual With Kings
Daughters Across the Sea.
Sunday on the Speedway.
l..Rv.LoHN MARTHoL.

j 3nlclpal act mas some 0cnrlnE on the POLL
4 tical situation. Local matters are more
4 or loss owershadowed by tho presidential
contest. and the manipulation that Is
now going on has for It's object the
strengthening OF the Republican nacliln-
cry. 1t was for that purpose General
Greene was made Commissioner Of Po-
lice that Superintendent Of Elections Mo.
Cullagh, IS to be! removed. and the ques.
ton OF establishing q municipal gas and
electric light works agltated. 1t effects
Wall Street and THE, big corporations. It
IL also the talk Of clubs.
SO :
Mr.. Walter Geer, . prominent member
Of the Manhattan Club, a large employer
Of labor, by reason Of his position al
president Of the New York Architectural
Terra Gotta Company. has taken pro.
nounced stand for Judge Parker. His
views give very olear idea OF the sen4
cral attitude OF manufacturers.
For twenty years the householder has
groaned on the receipt Of his gas bill.
Large bills and bad gas have prevailed
SO long that only tho Oldest inhabitant
has recollection Of gas as It should be.
Legislation reduced the price from s1.26
to 81 per cubic feet, and for this cut there
was much rejoicing. Not long after q
war took place between competing COM
panies. Gas went down to 60 cents, and
gas ranges, stoves and heaters were Of
fered to subscribers froe of charge or
rented at low rates. The war stopped and
Up went the rate. A consolidation Of
gas companies had been Effected sDlv!-
dends, however,, were paid us regularly
when the selling price was 60 cents as
when 1t was 81. The moral is that tho
Legislature allowed the companies q
leeway Of 40 cents on the price. It avoid
OF Investigations tho capital stock
received goodly injection OF water, SO
that no great surplus should be piled up
to attract attention or no large dividends
should be paid. It is said that this giant
monopoly Is virtually tho private prop
erty Of John D. Rockefeller.
Like a flash Of lightning In clear sky
| now comes the announcement that the
city contemplates the building OF $munic!-
| pal gas works to provide for, Its own
consumption. The object Of this, 7 am
| told is not SO much to save money as to
| demonstrate to voters In this city that
1.-The Trust Goliath can be beaten by COM
petition and by other methods. That the
| trust question is an economic. not po-
litical question. In this connection It is
| to be observed that while the city might
wrest itself free from the tyrannical
/ clutches Of the gas trust. 1t will leave
| the householder to fight his own battle
or to humbly submit to the gigantic ex-
| tortions Of the Rockefeller party.
#tta5 go gS'SsE. H 49,
The sailing of Miss Alice Roosevelt for
| Porto Rico was certainly an interesting
event. Attended by her uncle and her
AUNT In a handsome private carriage
which dashed down to the pier Misc
Alice went on board. At the gangplan;,
! the captain of the steamer met her ard
accompanied her to this dck. Here tho
chief steward met her and attended her
to her apartments, while q number Ct
cabin stewards flooked about for her Luz
gage, handbags, wraps and belongings
On the pier there was platoon Of police
in dress uniforms commanded by an In
spector and captain Of police. An Eng
tlLshman on the steamer smiled and said;
you Republicans amuse me. II Miss
Alice were q royal princess she could not
be attended with creator honors. In
deed In England. our Kings daughters
move about with far less ceremony"
s34 sit.i ,st4, . . KtEzzf ~ VI ~
Last Sunday the absence of snow ana
Ice from the Speedway and Of mud was
hailed with JOY by all lovers Of thorough
bred trotters. They were out in force.
And the pavement was thronged with
pedestrians, keenly appreciatlve OF the
abilities of the great horses that road BY,
Nothing Is more pleasant on bright
Sunday morning In the sprngtime than
a visit to the Speedway, which Tor up
wards Of three miles TANKS the Harlem,
and affords to drivers a grand, we'll kept
trotting track. Sunday was superb
day, and road riders and spectators
made the most Of 1t. Men and women
lined the sidewalks all the way from
Washington BrlAe up to the bend In
the road mean Dyckman Street, and the
driveway proper was dotted from end
to end with feet trotters and PAGERS.
There were many now horses on the
road, but the old faYorites finished ahead
Of them In most Of the brushes. Queen
Wilkes, looking Just a little more bea,l-
tiful and graceful than ever before, so it
seemed to her admirers, opened the sea-
son the undoubted mistress OF the road.
Three of the best OF all the trotters that
We're out tackled her, ono after another,
md she beat them In handsome style.
In the absence of E. 2. Smathers, her
owner, she was driven by George w.
| Spear.
a. fs5I ttfl - . - rvs sItttE1 .7l sf-
Mr.. T. r. smathers besides being the
proud owner of Queen Wilkes. Is the own
er of several other great trotters. Dur
Ing the last elections am told Mr.. snatl-
| ers won $4,000 in backing his opinion"
MI. Smnthers Is banker by occupation,
q very popular club man, and Thorough
sportsman. But back to the Speedway
Little Helen, 2;16 Ia q trappy, rapid
gated bay trotter, driven by Congress-
man De Witt G, Flanagan, of Norris
| town, N. j., measured strides with Queen
Wilkes first. Both of the little bay mares
We're stepping and going at great rate
when the brush ended, at tho end of
half mile, with Quen Wilkes q length
In front. Spear seemed to be making no
effort at all to drive her out Tie had to
rally her a. bit at the finish of the next
brush, when the King, 2;1o Ia, was her
competitor, but she responded brayely and
heat David IIamar's big bay horse half
a length. This was a splendid battle for
tho lead, both trotters being Tapped from
end to end. Having failed with The
King, Mr. Lamar took the reins behind
Sally Simpson, all Ia, and tried again
to head Queen Wilkes, but Sally was no
match for the fleet little mare