The Detroit times., 1908-05-30

inches high and the vibration OF the
vehicle was terrifis with the driver up
on high seat for sar behind the horse.
1t was in Flora Temples day that
Dan Hetheld or Charles ;. Nonrey or
both Of them. conceived the plan "
getting the axle out OF the way OF the
horses hooks De- bending IL upward
ia the middle. and by the time Dexter
came out all track sulkies We're built
in that way. Then came Toomey
truss axle, making possible much
higher arch in the axle and admitting
OF mitch close that trottcrs
hooks were playing right under the
drivers seat Besides affording
closer hitch the truss axle reduced the
weight. and mlgh wheeled sulkies
no heavier than ~ pounds were built
in the last few years before the advent
Of the bike.
When Sterling Elliott, in 1892. put a
pair OF wooden spoked bicycle wheels
only rs inches high on sulky frame
by means OF crude iron attachment
he increased the weight or the track
vehicle instead or reducing IT, but he
enabled Nancy Hanks to lower the
worlds record more than four seconds
In one season after having tried aud
always failed when hooked TO high
wheel sulky.
There was very soon an Improvement
In the form OF attaching the pneumatic
wheels to the old sulky frame and
within a year or two an entirely new
form OF sulky appeared with the axle
tIOukdlNu W AaEIg Eo-AIlli W ANftS " tNAi-
out any special attachment such as
Elliott used. In these sulkles wire was
substituted for wood In the spokes and
weight was otherwise cut down from
an average OF about so pounds for the
original bike to 40 or 35 pounds. This
weight was afterward reduced TO rs
pounds Lou Dillon pulled one no
heavier when she made her record
The aim OF the sulky builders at this
period seemed To be to raise the arch
OF the axle about as high as possible in
order to AFFORD ample room for any
amount OF hook action underneath.
Seats were raised even higher. and in
many OF the sulkies OF the late nine
ties. or even later, the distance from
the ground TO the seat was fully %
The next form OF sulky had a some
what lower seat. close down on the
axle. but IL was not until a tardy APP
probation OF the principle Involved In
the wind shield had been drummed Into
the trainers and the sulky builders that
they began to consider the Importance
OF avoiding all possible resistance OF
the atmosphere and act accordingly
Capt Martin Payne was perhaps the
first to apply this principle To the con
he patented long SHAFT sulky which
was really a pneumatic training Cart
with the sea 80 far behind the horse
that all the trotter's action came In
front OF the axle This enabled him 10
drop the sea TO within about 80 inches
of the ground, thus putting the driver
down behind his horse whore he Of
fered practically no resistance TO the
atmosphere as the trotter sped along.
whether Capt. Payne had this prin-
ciple and this purpose in mind when
he designed his long shaft care In not
known. but II IL certain that after ex-
perience had shown ~ TO be as fast as
the high arch sulky.i despite the dis
lance OF the axle from the horse. other
builders began To lengthen the shafts
OF their track sulkies sufficiently TO
allow tho horses action 20 come ia
front or the axle. and drivers began 20
tilt them NJ TO an extreme angle.
which threw the seat closer to the
ground.
At present practically all track sui
kies are built on this principle. shafts
have been heightened from 10 10