The Driving Clubs of Greater Boston 



45 



other clubs to be invited to send their horses 

 and participate on that occasion. 



The excellent services rendered by G. Tray 

 Smith and Jesse Eddy on the racing commit- 

 tee in the past year were recognized by the 

 club giving them a vote of thanks and the 

 president appointing them to again serve in 

 the same capacity the ensuing year. 



At the directors' meeting held on January 

 2$. Mr. Eddy resigned as secretary of the 

 racing committee, and W. D. Hunt from the 

 board of directors and racing committee. The 

 vacancy of Mr. Eddy was filled by the selec- 

 tion of J. O. Reay, while Air. Hunt's place on 

 the board of directors was taken by A. J. Fur- 

 bush. 



So much pressure was brought to bear on 

 Mr. Eddy that, at the directors' meeting held 

 on February 21, he was once more put on the 

 racing committee, with the position of secre- 

 tary and clerk. While Mr. Eddy felt that his 

 business connections were such that it was al- 

 most impossible for him to spare the required 

 time in tilling the position, yet he did not dis- 

 appoint the active racing members of the 

 club and accepted the position for, at least, 

 the coming season. 



It was decided, too. at this meeting that the 

 horse show on April 19 be abandoned and the 

 day be given entirely to matinee racing. 



On June 24 there was a surprise sprung on 

 the members by President F. C. Gannon re- 

 signing his position as president and director. 

 It was voted by the board to lay the resigna- 

 tion on the table, as they were loath to lose 

 the services of Mr. Garmon during the bal- 

 ance of the year, and it was thought that pos- 

 sibly, by communicating personally with Mr. 

 Garmon, he might be prevailed upon to change 

 his mind and hold the chair. It was said the 

 reason that Mr. Garmon tendered his resigna- 

 tion was on account of his business. The 

 board held his resignation on the table until 

 the meeting held on November 18, at the very 

 end of the Fall series of matinee racing, when 

 thev elected C. S. Spencer p-esident, to serve 

 the unexpired term of Mr. Garmon. 



With the use ot the half-mile track for rac- 

 ing, there was an impetus for the members to 

 take part in the matinees, many more horses 

 taking the word in the Spring series than had 

 ever before in the early portion of the year. 

 To the credit of Superintendent Gilman, the 

 footing was very good for a track just built, 

 and with use kept constantly improving, the 

 time made in the different races showing that 

 at no time was it very slow. 



The best heat by a pacer over the half-mile 

 track for the Spring series was made by Chief 



Wilkie on June 18, when he stepped in 



1 :os 1-4. 



A peculiar condition prevailed in the trot- 

 ting division, as, on July 9, three horses placed 

 the record at the same notch, and each was a 

 starter in the same race. First away was A. J. 

 Furbush. winning the first heat with W. J. 

 McDonald's Demarest in 1 x>7 1-4. Then the 

 second trip Mr. McDonald, himself, won with 

 La Boudie, and in the third, Chauncy Sears 

 stepped his trotter. Major Wellington, around 

 the track in 1 :oy 1-4. The event, by the way, 

 was won by Demarest, who trotted the fourth 

 heat in 1 :o8 1-4. 



SPRING SERIES 

 Trotters 

 Time cup — W. J. McDonald's Demarest, I :o7 1-4. 

 Speed cup— Chauncy Sears' Major Wellington, 



1 :o7 1-4. 

 First heat cup — A. J. Furbush's Velzora (11 heats). 

 Second heat cup— YV. J. McDonald's Castle Todd (10 



heats). 

 First heat cup — (4-year-olds and under) — H. B. 



Ralston's Hector K. (12 heats). 

 Second heat cup (4-year-olds and under) — H. B. 



Ralston's Codare (11 heats). 



Pacers 

 Time cup— W. J. McDonald's Chief Wilkie, 1 :o5 1-4. 

 Speed cup — W. J. Furbush's Will Be Sure, I :o6. 

 First heat cup — J. D. Thompson's Spim (13 heats), 



average time, 1:0811-13. 

 Second heat cup — B. W. Gove's Mardel (13 heats), 



average time, 1:1023-26. 



The executive committee decided that for 

 the Fall series' there would be no cups offered 

 for prizes, the incentive to win being consid- 

 ered sufficient with the awarding of ribbons 

 for the different races. 



The principal feature of the series was 

 Demarest, owned by W. J. McDonald, on Oc- 

 tober 18, lowering the half-mile track record 

 for trotters to 1 :o6 3-4, a reduction of one- 

 half second. On October 19, over the straight- 

 away speedway, Chief Wilkie paced a heat in 

 1 :oo, while on the same afternoon Demarest 

 trotted his heat in 1:01, both of these per- 

 formers being the property of W. J. McDon- 

 ald. On November 19 Frank M. Burke, owner 

 of the Fatherland Farm in Byfield, Mass., and 

 who resides in Ipswich, Mass., brought to the 

 Charles River Speedway the pacing mare, 

 Miss Adbell, with the intention of defeating 

 Chief Wilkie, if such a thing were possible, 

 and it proved that it was, as that afternoon 

 the champion met his Waterloo, the time be- 

 ing 1 :oi 3-4. However, in justice to the de- 

 feated king, it can be said that he was far 

 from being in his best condition, and it was 

 only that Mr. McDonald did not wish to dis- 

 appoint the large crowd that had been attract- 

 ed by the event, that he started him at all in 

 the race. 



