Evening star., 1944-04-30

lumbus Jones of the Philadelphia party
came to the Capital to encourage the
movement. Gen. Coxey seems to have
been the angel" who supplied the nee
essarv money for the undertaking,
though wherever stops were made along
the way, which happened at Cumber-
land, Frederick and Rockville, Md and
camp was charged to help defray ex-
penses.
The Camping Grounds
On April T. 40 members of the outfit
arrived at lexington, but were soon Or
dered out of the city. Later, on April
29 the main part of the army arrived
at Brightwood, where tents were erected
on the old race track property, but here
the sanitary conditions were far from
satisfactory, nor were the grounds suffl-
2iently inclosed, and furthermore the
question of the division of receipts from
admission fees could not be satisfac
torily arranged, and for these reasons
other and more suitable camping
grounds were sought.
The OLD race track here mentioned
has long since disappeared, though 1t is
still recalled by many who knew 1t well
many years prior to the coming of the
ARMY of the Commonwealth.
1t was first opened in 1859 and was
half-miie track. Its original name, the
Crystal Spring Race Course, later became
the Piney Branch Race Course, and more
recently the Brightwood Trotting Park.
At an early date stage coaches were ad-
vertiseo III The Star as making two trips
Gay to the track from the National
Hotel at II and o'clock on week days,
and on Sunday at 10, / and 4 o'clock,
stopping at the Metropolitan, Turner
& Co.'S, No. 281 Pennsylvania avenue,
Kirkwood & Willard's Hotel; fare, round
trip, rs cents; children. half price. E.
Ferguson, proprietor of stages"
Since there were several fine springs
near the race course, and as the sur
rounding country was heavily wooded,
it made an ideal picnic grounds, just as
the part nearest Rock Greek does even
today. Naturally for many years there
was a tavern connected with the race
course, the proprietor being, from about
1868 to 1880, Frederick G. Rohr. Later,
for some years, it was conducted by his
widow, Mrs. Annie NJ Rohr. In 1860, be-
fore taking over the race course prop
erty, Mr.. Rohr had been employed at
Browns Hotel later the Metropolitan,
and in his day was very popular man,
and just such one as would succeed In
business most anywhere The writer
knew his daughter, Miss Lena Rohr.
very we'll
Mat Myers Mule
Toward the latter part of its existence
the Brightwood Trotting Park sort of
lost caste, and few, if any, frst-class
attractions were held there. Indeed, Just
before it was closed up entirely, only
an occasional mule race was run, Mat
Myers mule usually winning the event
But attractive or unattractive, Gen.
Coxey realized that the trotting park
was not suitable for his purposes, and
had he not deemed it wise to move, the
District authorities would undoubtedly
have made him do so. Indeed, conditions
at the park were such that even had
a delay been desirable, common sense
would have reasoned otherwise
The Star reporter, in writing of condi-
tons existing here at that time, said the
scene was more pathetic than pictur-
esque and in utter dilapidation with
abject misery, and that "the worst
Gypsy encampment that ever squatted
down by roadside would have been
regal in its appointments to the con-
glomeration of penury and poverty that
occupied the circular space walled in
by dirty canvas.
Leaving the Brightwood track on the
morning of May /, a little before 10
o'clock, Gen. CoXey drove out to the in
closure in an open carriage, holding the
lines over a pair of blooded blacks. Mrs.
Coxey sat by his side, and then the
Commonwealth moved away from the
field.
Fit for the Movies
Fifteen minutes later, as the account
states, Miss Mamie Coxey rode a pranc-
ing white steed to the head of the COL
umn, 'just inside Of the gateway leading
to the Piney Branch road. She was
clothed in white riding habit, the open
Jacket of which showed q white shirt