Year: 1871




Few Of the Fastest Things Out


Yesterday morning opened bright and clear ana
pleasant with blue sky and an unObscured Sum-
while the thermometer still remained far down
among the twentes. These promising indications
naturally stirred the hearts Of all lovers Of


"LIFE UPON RUNNERS"


to pitch OF intense enthusiasm, and they promised
themselves that the last day OF the dying year
would be enrolled among the few brief but
delightful days OF the New York sleighing season
Toward the middle OF the day, however, q disas-
trous change took place in the temperature and the
nrm mantle OF snow that the storm OF the evening
previous had spread upon the earth began to grow
blurred and dlscolored, and at last faded
into soiled and dirty pulp wherever the
wheels Of the vehicles passed over 1t
and stained 1t with Manhattan mud.
The streets down town, indeed, soon painfully ex-
hibted the effect OF the most melancholy OF all pos
sble innuences-a quick. decided tnaw; and there
was but little comfort then in the fact that the Sun
grew ever more genial and smiling, and that the
heaven above was an


UNoLoUDED CANOPY OF BLUE.


The dismal truth was ever present to the mind OF
all who had promised themselves nne days sport
that the runners Of the sleigh, instead OF gliding
easily, swiftly and almost n0iselessly over
natures winter earth cloak OF beautiful
snow, would grind with many jar end
Jolt over the hard cobble stones, or plash
through masses Of ice-cold dirty slush. Perhaps,
too pedestrians were also equally disguised. They
ought certainly have been for rivers Of frgd
water flowed between the sidewalks Of the streets
and made crossing over from one block to another
dreary, miserable fordmg Of


AN ARCTIC STREAM


OF dissolved mud.


This was the spectacle presented during the later
hours Of sunshine IN the city. But, thanks TO the
nberary and foresight OF our muchabused city
fathers glorious Central Park remained far less
subject to the malicious caprices OF the rising ther
mometer, and out on The Bloomingdale road and
Harlem lane the thoroughfares still continued
covered with two three inches OF snow-sufil-
cient, at any rate, In quantity, and solid
enough in consistence, to allow OF the sleds


PASSING GLIBLY AND EASILY


over it at real 240 gait. Few scenes, indeed,
could have been picturesque and beautiful than
The Park offered yesterday, and the sport felt, as
was well rewarded for the perils to life and limb
and vehicle he had braved on his jour
unirlendly stones, the sneers and Jeering taunts
or the car conductors and stage drivers and even
on the corners OF the sidewalk, snowbas In hand,
TO pet every aristocratlC face that came Within
out III the free expanses OF the unbuilt but carefully
tended wilderness. slil retained Keen flavor Of
the


BRACING WINTER,


and the breeze blew fresh and lnvlgOratinG upon
the cheeks OF the wayfarer. Then the landscape,
swathed on every hand In spotess "beautiful, ever
beautiful snow" stretched out be ore the eye like
vision Of the unspeakabe lovelness. Of purity
relieved only by the leaness skeletons OF the trees
and skirted on every side by blocks OF handsome
houses. The whole view. too, was enlivened
everywhere with the presence Of human
exuberant aspects. The ponds lying low IN the
helows or the hills, were alive with the flying forms
nd w q
the roads cruncheu beneath the light swiftly pass
In Spite indeed, OF the unpromisng Character OF
the weather, all the world who rejoice IN the
have made up their minds TO risk their necks upon
sleds and only now and then did the visitor pass by
the inmates Of these unseasonable forms Of locomo-
tion looked consciously guilty OF breach OF the
winter proprietles Every KIND OF sleigh met the
trotter, capable OF 240 or something better, down
TO the slow and steady old stager. who was appa
renty in training for duty behind


A FUNERAL COACH.


But by far the majority OF vehicles were light cut
ters Of various colors and OF many deg OF
illness and elegance. These, indeed, seem rapidly to
be becoming more and more in vogue especially
perhaps as they show or the speed OF the horses
and the SKIN Of the charoteer with singular and
conspicuous effect. Some old charots however,
now and then wheeled ntoline, crowded frequently
with perfect galaxy OF


RosY-CHEEKED, BRIGHTEYED BEAUTTEs--
the just emptied cargo OF some fashionable



exceptional and wonderful magnihcence notably
thai of a


WELL KNOWN WALL STREET RAILROAD MAGNATE,
splendid with brazen ornaments and drawn by SIX
handsome last horses.


1t must he confessed. however, that the selghing
fun did not yesterday reach Its highest point.
There was scarcely any racing, and the tntnnabula
ton OF the merry merry bells sounded Though the
comparatively warm air, strangely different from the
ring that they send through the clear, crisp atlnoe
phere OF coderuay. The seemed scarcely thick
enough to venture upon III genuine breakneck
gait, and perhaps this was The reason that there
were SO few trials Of the swiness and endurance OF
the horses for, is well known. the one thing that
lends race upon runners its highest and most cx-
citing point is the chance OF harmless fall, head
foremost, into bank Of snow.


WHO WERE OUT


Let 1t not be supposed, however, that the genuine
sports OF the city let even slim IN opportunity OF
No, indeed. The following list OF q lew oil the more
prominent roadmen WHO weie out in winter
of the lovers oil horsefesh wogthily avaIed
themselves Of the occasion. FIRST, there
OF his approaching ardaous aoors at Albany, IN re-
markable health and spirits, seated behind his black
gsding Butler, m handsome H'te cutter, speeding
thing better. Next came Eddy Moore the
genial Roadmaster, with ns bay horse Shell
Bob and Ed Jones, In one OF The lrettiest selgns
on the road-a green beauty. with black robes
drawn swiftly along by his redoubtable and popular
gray. Gil Palmer also turned out With bay stud
Young Volunteer, and did some very pretty work,
beating SO at least was said by those who ought
there0 with his brown mare Daisy tIiow is it,
by the way that he was accompanied yeserday BY
inst instead OF lady as Is ms usual gallant
teen hand big black. in handsome green sleigh
with white robes, accompanied BY his handsome
lady, jauutiy atttred in black Jacket with Jim
Fisk buttons. Ben Fairchild, TO, made good
show huge but not unwieldy CHARIOT to
which were harnessed his pair OF spanking
grayA and In which were seated his
wife and the two Miss Pecks DIR. Gordon had his
sorre horse out again In an old fashioned cutter and
the PAGES of his Old favorite showed that 1t had
covered perfectly from Its recent severe illness. Mr.
Savers appeared the festive scene with his gray
and black, and gave the lie to tlrose who
have circulated report that he IS no longer