Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-01

tablishment ever seen in America. They
had kept the whole business secret and
great was the amaZement OF the men in
the windows of the Knickerbocker Club
when the rig drove past, it's horn, at the
mouth of an improvised guard, merrily
footing forth the notes of a lively call. As
for the man in the street. he was simply
paralyzed at the novel sight.
That same year Colonel De Iancey Kane
was in England. where coaching had 50 I'M
terested him that he had bought and was
running a public coach from London to
Virginia water When he learned abou; the
regeneration and use of the old cor,h IN
New York he wrote letter az encourage
ment to his brother Nicholson.
Charter Club Members.
The partnership coach of Messrs Jay.
Kane, Newbold and Bronson soon became
very popular with their friends. AMI by
the time the coaching club formed
there were several brand-new coaches in
town. though whether any OF them except
the first one was owned in partnership mo-
body now seems TO remember.
Then, as now, members must be able to
drive four-in- hand, and must be coach own
ers; but IN order to let in the four young
men who had introduced the sport the by
law regarding ownership allowed member
ship to one owning at least one fourth OF
a drag"
De Lancey Kane fresh from his EngIIsn
coaching experiences. was Il charter mem
Der, OF course; the list was filled out with
the names of James Gordon Bennett VIII
lam z. Douglas, Leonard w. Jerome tuncle
OF the present strenuous district attorney
and the late A Thorndyke Rice. who, later
was to take the WORKOUT old North Amer
lean Review in hand and give II a new
lease OF life as a periodical OF force and
leading.
The regular spring runs Of the clubs nub-
lie coach began in 1877, the objective po.nt
being fonkers. The next year New re
chelle was the out-of-town terminus ard
nearly every year since then the run has
been maintained. though there have &c en-
several lapses
The same is true of the clubs annual pa
rades. In ISIS. for instance, there was no
parade. partly because of the death of Club
President Havemeyer and partly because
the Spanish war was then in progress
Most OF the older members Of the coach
ing club were taught to drive by Charley
Ward and Edward Fownes both profess
sional coaehmen. Fownes was brought over
by De Lancey Kane. Ward was an older
man than Fownes and in his youthful DAYS
had personally sat on the box of an d-time
royal English mail coach. He lived to the
green old age of eighty odd, a prime favor
| lite with all the drivers he had taught to
handle the ribbons over the backs of four
mettlesome horses.
The New York Coaching Club was organ
lied on lines very similar TO the organiza-
ton of the London Four -in-Hand Cub and
for years Lord Beaufort president of both
clubs. was the only honorary member whose
name was carried on the rolls of the New
York organization.
Other Coaching Clubs.
New York is by no means the only city in
this country that boasts of a coaching club,
but It's the only one making the ownership
of full-rigged coach a condition OF MEM
bership In Philadelphia. for instance you
may belong to the coaching club II you own
break mot "brake'D or drag. The New
York Coaching Club has no local habitation.
1t holds its meetings in the house of the
Knickerbocker and generally takes lunch on
parade day at the Metropolitan, sometimes
called the Millionaires' Club.
The annual outing of the New York
Coaching Club took place just before the
close of the public run of the clubs official
coach Since then coaching parties made up
OF enthusiasts in the sport from New York
Philadelphia and many other big cities have
been touring various parts of the country
the Berkshire Hills, in Massachusetts,. being
a favoTite region for their drive. There are
many coaches at Newport each year, but by
no means all members of the New York
Coaching Club spend their summers there
nowadays. and some who do fail to take
their coaches with them. These the
reasons why the August meet of the club
has been abandoned, probably never to he
resumed.