206 



The Driving Clubs of Greater Boston 



but the race was over in straight heats. Louise 

 E., in 1910, went to New York, and was 

 prominent there on the speedway, she racing 

 with the best pacers for several seasons. In 

 the Fall of 1914 she was purchased by Dr. 

 J. D. Thompson, she once more coming to the 

 Charles River Speedway. Mr. Emerson re- 

 sides in Newton, Mass. 



FRED C. GARMON 



Fred C. Garmon was born in Laconia, 

 X. H., in 1858, and was graduated from the 

 Tilton, N. H., Seminary. In 1892 he entered 

 the employ of Browning, King & Co., of Bos- 

 ton, and showed such ability as a business man 

 that he soon became manager of their large 

 clothing store. He became, later on, one of the 

 linn 1 >f Leopold Morse Company, Boston, 

 where he remained until 1913. With the open- 

 ing of the John F. Fitzgerald Clothing Co., 

 Air. Garmon became manager of the con- 

 cern. He joined the Metropolitan Driving 

 Club in 1904. He is also a member of 

 the Masons and of the Elks. Mr. Garmon has 

 been on the board of directors, one of the ex- 

 ecutive committee, and in 1910 was elected 

 president of the Metropolitan Club, which po- 

 sition he held for three terms, with the excep- 

 tion of a few months, when he resigned on ac- 

 count of press of business matters and was 

 succeeded for the remainder of the year by 

 C. S. Spencer. 



Mr. Garmon has always been a prominent 

 factor in the matinees of the club. He is very 

 apt in the handling of a horse, his clever work 

 with Martha G. being one of the sensations 

 of amateur racing in Greater Boston. Tak- 

 ing this mare with the speed capacity of about 

 2 :4c he started her improvement until she 

 was acknowledged one of the fastest trotters 

 on the Charles River Speedway, one of her 

 winning heats being in 1 :oo 3-4. She was 

 later sent to Providence, and there became 

 champion of the speedway by earning a rec- 

 ord of 1 :02 3-4, the speedway of that city be- 

 ing somewhat slower than that of the course 

 used by the Metropolitan Club, and, in 1914 

 she was again one of the stars at Charles River 

 Speedway. Mr. Garmon raced in the Fall 

 series of 1914 the stallion George N., by Al- 

 liewood, 2:09 1-2, out of Little Better, 2:11 1-4, 

 that had worked Readville track in 2:07 1-4. 



Others of prominence that Mr. Garmon 

 has raced in the matinees are Hulman, 

 2:13 1-4; Torreon, 2:16; Mattie March, 

 2:141-4; Red Bird, 2:20; Mokello, 2:201-2; 

 Nettie Margrave, 2:201-2; George Scoffield, 

 2:24 1-4; Alvolo, 2:24 3-4, and Forest Bin- 

 gen with a matinee record of 1 :o3. Mr. Gar- 

 mon resides at 889 Watertown St., West New- 

 ton, Mass. 



w. j. Mcdonald 



\Y. J. McDonald in his twenty years in 

 Boston at the head of the real estate busi- 

 ness at 95 Milk Street, has placed his name 

 along with the foremost men who are identi- 

 fied in the city's affairs. He is on the 

 board of directors of the Real Estate Ex- 

 change, which governs all dealings in real 

 estate in Greater Boston. He is also on the 

 board of directors of the Market Trust Co. 

 and the Massachusetts Trust Co. 



Not only is Air. McDonald a power in his 

 business, but he is recognized in horse cir- 

 cles as owning the leading matinee stable of 

 Xew England. It was in 1906 that he be- 

 came a member of the Aletropolitan Club, 

 just the time that the club was in need of 

 stirring members, filled with red blood of en- 

 ergy, and, in Air. McDonald, the organiza- 

 tion secured one who has since been a big 

 aid in placing it in the position it now holds 

 among the driving clubs of all Xew England. 

 This he has accomplished, mostly, with his 

 matinee horses, as, while he has been most 

 liberal with his wealth on all occasions when 

 called upon, yet the only official office he 

 could be induced to hold was on the board 

 of directors. 



It was perhaps fortunate that for his start 

 in speedwav racing his first performer was 

 the pacing gelding Claymos, 2:073-4, for not 

 only did this gelding give Air. AlcDonald 

 many a good ride to victory in the fast pacing 

 events, but one afternoon he tramped the 

 half-mile on the upper road, straightaway, 

 at the Charles River, in the remarkable time 

 of 573-4 seconds, which is still the record For 

 that piece of racing dirt. 



With such speed as this there can be no 

 wonder that the spirit of racing was thorough- 

 ly imbued in the veins of Mr. McDonald, and 

 that since those days he has steadily strength- 

 ened his string of matinee and speedway 

 horses. 



In his day John Shepard was well known 

 as the king-pin of Boston road drivers, but 

 his stable barely covered more than a couple 

 of fast trotters at any one time. George G. 

 Hall long held the top as the owner and driver 

 of matched pairs that could sweep all before 

 them when pitted against rival pairs, but 

 neither Air. Shepard nor Air. Hall have at- 

 tempted to boom the speedway sport, possi- 

 bly for the reason that both had arrived at 

 the age when it was deemed imprudent for 

 them to partake in speedway racing when this 

 sport became popular. 



Be that as it may, however, Air. AlcDonald 

 is one who realizes real happiness when in 

 the thickest of speedway battle. Sitting back 

 of one of his fleet-footed trotters or pacers in 



