222 



The Driving Clubs of Greater Boston 



blacksmith shop of his own in Madison, 

 Conn. At present he is in the family grocery 

 business at Saybrook, Conn. He is a member 

 of the Metropolitan Driving Club, and is so 

 greatly interested in the matinees that he 

 comes to Boston to nearly every one held at the 

 Charles River Speedway. He has been promi- 

 nent in these events with his horses, having 

 raced Rob B., 2:213-4; Elsie M., 2:221-4; 

 Minturn, 2:16 1-4; Bingen Flower and Major 

 Dillard. The last two named, while they have 

 no record, are possessed of plenty of speed. 

 Mr. Holmes resides in Saybrook, Conn. 



GEORGE LOVELL 

 George Lovell, with his brothers, William 

 J. and John S., have one of the largest mar- 

 ket gardening farms in Watertown that there 

 is in the vicinity of Boston. Despite the time 

 taken in running so extensive a business, yet 

 Mr. Lovell finds time to enjoy himself on 

 matinee afternoons at the Charles River 

 Speedway, he having been a member of the 

 Metropolitan club since its inception. Among 

 those that Mr. Lovell has driven in the 

 matinee events are John Thomas, 2:15 1-4; 

 Avenar M., trial 2:17 1-4; Molly L., 

 2:25 1-4, and some thirty others that have 

 beaten 2:30. He is also owner of the well 

 known brood-mare, Dreamwold Brownie, 

 foaled in 1899, by Ashland Wilkes. This 

 mare, though only fifteen years old, has pro- 

 duced' twelve foals, never having missed a 

 single season since bred. Five of her foals 

 have trained to beat 2:30, though only one of 

 them, Molly L., 2:25 1-4, was put in the list, 

 Mr. Lovell taking more pleasure in developing 

 and driving them for his own amusement. 

 Mr. Lovell resides at 85 Orchard Street. 

 Watertown, Mass. 



GEORGE H. HICKS 



George H. Hicks was born in Readsboro, 

 Vt., in 1847, and received his education in 

 the local schools of his native town. His 

 first work in Boston was in 1865 in the 

 grocery store of Charles A. Barker, in Sulli- 

 van Square, Charlestown. Two years later 

 he started in business for himself, opening a 

 small grocery store in Russell Street, Charles- 

 town. Later he went into the milk business, 

 where he remained until 1874, when he be- 

 gan the handling and training of gentlemen's 

 horses, and horses for speed. He is at pres- 

 ent interested in the restaurant, bakery, and 

 real estate business, his restaurant being at 

 180 Portland Street, Boston, with the bakery 

 located in Cambridge. He was one of tbe 

 first members of the Metropolitan Driving 

 Club, and served on the board of directors. 



He has been a member of the B. A. A. for 

 twenty-four years. 



The first horse that Mr. Hicks owned was 

 Robinson Crusoe, which he gave a record of 

 2 42 in 1874, then counted a very creditable 

 performance. Later he got hold of Back- 

 man Maid, 2 :25 1-4, and she proved a good 

 race mare for him by winning a lot of races. 

 He sold her to J. Malcolm Forbes for $2,500. 

 His next race performer of distinction was 

 May Bee, 2 124. This mare won a seven heat 

 race at Hartford, Conn., against the best in 

 her class. She was little considered before 

 the start of the event, bringing only $50 in 

 pools calling for more than $800. Mr. Hicks 

 thought well enough of her to have quite a 

 number in his pocket. 



He leased old Beacon Park in 1887 and 

 was located there until 1896. He sub-leased 

 the plant to Wesley P. Balch for the noted 

 $10,000 stallion race between Alcryone and 

 Nelson, which was the last stallion race Mr. 

 Balch gave. While at Beacon Park he had 

 meetings in connection with the Eastern Cir- 

 cuit, of which he was a member and which 

 began at Norfolk, Va., then on to Philadel- 

 phia, to Beacon Park, to Mystic Park, to old 

 Saugus track, to Providence, to Albany, or 

 to old Fleetwood track, in New York. This 

 brought the annual meeting at Beacon Park 

 the last week in May. New England drivers 

 then trained horses to be ready that early in 

 the season to take part in the racing events. 



In connection with Mr. Hick's regime at 

 Beacon was the intense interest taken through 

 the sleighing season. It was no unusual hap- 

 pening "for "a thousand hitches to be at the 

 park on pleasant afternoons. One Winter he 

 gave a high cost whip for the trotter stepping 

 the fastest mile to sleigh. This was won by 

 ex-Mayor Curtis' gelding, Champion, in 

 2:31. driven by Jack Trout. Others making 

 good time were Carrie T. in 2 134, and Back- 

 man Maid in 2:35. 



A noteworthy sporting event of that period 

 was a match race between Merty Downing's 

 John L. Sullivan, and a roan gelding owned 

 by John Craig, for $t,200. A lot of money 

 was' waged on the result of the contest, which 

 was won by Mr. Craig. 



One of the most consistent horses raced by 

 Mr. Hicks, and that likely won him the most 

 monev of any he owned, was the pacer, G. O. 

 Taylor, 2:151-4. Out of tbe 113 heats he 

 raced in two seasons, he was first or second 

 in 106 of them, and only made two breaks, 

 caused by being run into by other horses. 

 Selling G. O. Taylor, and his net winnings 

 on the turf, brought to Mr. Hicks' bank ac- 

 count a credit of over $7,000. 



Among others raced with success by Mr. 



