The Quannapowitt Driving Club 



WITH driving clubs representing 

 the several sections of Greater 

 Boston, the fever spread to 

 Reading and the surrounding 

 towns in 1907. the dyed-in-the- 

 wool horse iovers believing that there was 

 sufficient material at hand to form a driving 

 club. 



So it came about that in the month of May, 

 of that year, the following called a meeting 

 that was' held in Reading, and the Quanna- 

 powitt Driving Club was the outcome: George 

 A. Cowdrey, J. C. Macomber, H. A. Brackett, 

 George A. Shackford, I. B. Wilkinson, C. D. 

 Wells, Dr. C. H. Play don, and A. H. Jewett. 



The election of officers was made after the 

 announcement of the call of the meeting, with 

 its object, had been read, as follows: Presi- 

 dent. J. C. Macomber; vice-president. G. A. 

 Shackford ; treasurer, G. A. Cowdrey ; secre- 

 tary. H. A. Brackett. 



On account of the club"s membership being 

 so widely scattered, it was decided that the 

 organization not attempt having a social side 

 in its affairs, outside of holding a banquet 

 each vear, and possibly a ladies' night. It was 

 voted that the annual .meetings be held each 

 January, in Odd Fellows' Hall, Reading. 



The 'first business of the club was the leas- 

 ing of the Reading-Wakefield half-mile track 

 to hold its matinee races over. It was also de- 

 cided that on holidays there be held, in con- 

 nection with the racing, a horse show, with 

 the entrv to come from the local residents 

 owning good horseflesh. 



The first season of matinee racing proved 

 fully as successful as had been anticipated, 

 the membership of the club rapidly growing, 

 as the result of the wholesome rivalry in rac- 

 ing for the ribbons awarded to the first, sec- 

 ond and third horses in the summary of each 

 event. 



SEASON OF 1908 



At the first annual election. President Ma- 

 comber was re-elected for a second term, 

 G. A. Cowdrey being the vice-president, H. A. 

 Upton the treasurer, and A. H. Jewett the 

 secretary. 



The first annual banquet was held on Janu- 

 ary 14, in Hawthorne Hall, Melrose. Arthur 

 H. Tewett was toastmaster. Among the guests 

 were Hon. Levi S. Gould, county commission- 

 er of Middlesex County; President Walter E. 



Newbert and Frank W. Hamlin, of the Dor- 

 chester Gentlemen's Driving Club; Dr. \Y. H. 

 Ximiness, of the Gentlemen's Driving Club 

 of Lynn; A. W. Davis, of the Metropolitan 

 Driving Club; S. M. Lawrence. Lexington, 

 and Frank E. Witherell. of Woburn. After- 

 dinner speeches were made by the ones named 

 and by Thomas B. Brady, Melrose ; Walter S. 

 Parker, Reading; J. B. Wilkinson, Melrose; 

 G. A. Shackford, Reading, and H. A. Upton, 

 North Reading. 



On June 6, the Lynn Club visited the Read- 

 ing track, and in the interclub meet won 10 

 of the 18 races from Quannapowitt. The fea- 

 ture event was won by Al Ray\ the property 

 of Eben Phillips, of Lynn, though Directum- 

 wood. the Quannapowitt pacing champion, 

 owned by J. B. Wilkinson, made the winner 

 march a heat in 1 :o5 1-2. 



Fast time was made on June 17, the trot- 

 ting mare Dehesia, owned and driven by 

 Thomas Brady, defeated the pacer, Directum- 

 wood, in 1 :oq 1-2 and 1 :0/ 1-4. Baron B., 

 the property of W. H. Bird, stepped fast, too, 

 his heats being paced in 1 :o8 and 1 :o8 1-4. 

 Another feature was the open air horse show. 

 The Quannapowitts visited the Lynns at 

 Rockdale Park on July 13, and the result was 

 a victory for the Lynn Club, they winning II 

 out of the 16 events on the card. 



It was decided by the officials of the club 

 that the second annual banquet be held in De- 

 cember, in place of waiting a month later. 

 This came off at the Quincy House, Boston, 

 on December 16, and Arthur H. Jewett was 

 toastmaster. The after-dinner speakers from 

 visiting clubs were President Walter E. New- 

 bert. of the Dorchester Gentlemen's Driving 

 Club; President F. J. Babbett, of the Gentle- 

 men's Driving Club of Lynn, and President 

 James I. Brooks, of the Fellsway Driving 

 Club. Following the entertainment and after- 

 dinner speeches, the awards of the cups for 

 the season just closed were made, the winners 

 being: 



PRIZE WINNERS 

 Cup for fastest time trotter in ten races — E. Gerry 



Emmons' Belle Stirling. 

 Cup for fastest time pacer in eight races— YY. H. 



I'.ird's Baron B. 

 Cup for most races— B. A. Russell's Kellerton. 

 Cup for hardest luck— Henry Mellon's Strong Hal. 

 Cup for most ribbons in ladies' driving class— Miss 



Myrtle Wells' Woodland. 

 Cup for most ribbons in men's driving class — Wil- 

 liam P. Pierce's Black Beauty. 



