>S4 



The Driving Clubs of Greater Boston 



EDWIN B. RICE 



Edwin B. Rice was born in East Boston, 

 Mass., in 1879, and was graduated from the 

 East Boston schools and Chauncy Hall School, 

 Boston. Mr. Rice has had on the Grand 

 Circuit and the New England tracks the great- 

 est galaxy of pacing speed of any horse owner 

 in all New England. The "Big Four" he cam- 

 paigned will ever be green in the memory of 

 horsemen, viz., Anaconda, 2:01 3-4; John M., 

 2 :02 3-4 ; Royal R. Sheldon, 2 104 3-4 ; and 

 The Friend, 2 105 1-4. 



Anaconda still remains the champion 

 double-gaited performer of the world, as, 

 besides having a pacing record of 2:01 3-4. 

 he gained a trotting record of 2:09 3-4 under 

 the name of Knox Gelatine King, the com- 

 bined time of both gaits being 2:05 1-4. This 

 is nearly three seconds faster than his near- 

 est competitor, Jay-Eye-See, whose combined 

 record is 2:08 1-8. Anaconda's wonderful 

 sweep of the Grand Circuit, under the man- 

 agement and driving of Jack Trout, was the 

 particular feature of that season. 



John M. holds the world's champion pac- 

 ing record to wagon, for a half-mile, his time 

 of 1 :oo 1-4, made at Memphis, Tenn., Oct. 2^, 

 1903. never having been beaten. In the sea- 

 son of 1904 he gained the then world's four- 

 heat pacing record, losing the first heat of the 

 race to Dan R., the second heat to Gallagher, 

 and then winning the third and fourth heats 

 in 2 103 1-2 each. 



Royal R. Sheldon was one of the most 

 prominent pacers that was ever campaigned 

 from New England. He is joint holder of 

 the Saugus track record of 2 107, made the 

 first heat of a race and driven by Mr. Rice 

 himself. Phoebon W. has the third heat rec- 

 ord for the track of 2 :oS 3-4. 



The Friend was a certain two-minute pacer, 

 but meeting with an accident his turf career 

 was cut off when just in condition for a series 

 of sweeping victories in his class. 



These "Big Four" do not constitute all of the 

 good horses that Mr. Rice has owned and 

 raced. There was Sufreet, 2:06 1-4, which 

 <m July 15. 1905, at Pittsburgh, Pa., made the 

 then world's amateur pacing record to wagon 

 for four heats, she winning the first and fourth 

 heats, the second going to Lady May and the 

 third one to Terrace Queen. 



Among the others which have made turf 

 history of credit for themselves are Helen R., 

 2:08 1-2; E. L. D., 2:09; Darius, 2:09; Art 

 Alto, 2:08 1-4; Fred H., 2:i2."i-4; Orianna, 

 2:12 1-2; Chief Wilkie, 2:12 3-4; Baron 

 March, 2:15; Regulus, 2:18 1-4; Provider, 

 2:18 1-2; Ponemah, 2:25 1-4; Perhaps, 2 :_'(>, 

 etc. 



While Mr. Rice has successfully driven in 

 many races, yet he delights in relating of the 



one which he won at Rockland, Me. The 

 track association of that town hung up a 

 purse of $500 for a free-for-all, and Mr. Rice 

 went down there with L. L. D., with the idea 

 he could pick up some soft money. But the 

 state of Maine people had no idea of 

 losing the big end of a $500 purse without 

 making a big struggle. The judges waived 

 distance ; then one pacer was slated to go 

 after L. L. D., while the others jogged around 

 the track. It proved, in this way of racing, a 

 tough battle, but Mr. Rice finally won in seven 

 heats. 



Another event of pride to Mr. Rice is 

 winning a large silver cup at Combination 

 Park. Medford, with his trotting mare, Pone- 

 mah. The other starters in the race didn't 

 figure Mr. Rice had the slightest chance in 

 getting the trophy, hence the victory proved 

 all the sweeter in landing. 



One event that Mr. Rice will never forget 

 happened when the racing to sleigh in East 

 Boston was in Chelsea Street. He had the 

 trotting mare, Orianna, and one of the reins 

 broke when racing. Having lost control of 

 the mare. Mr. K'ice jumped into a snowbank 

 when he saw the East Boston Ferry landing 

 just ahead. A moment later and over went 

 Orianna, sleigh and all, into the harbor. It 

 was more than one hour before the mare was 

 rescued, but she suffered no after results from 

 her long dip in the salt water. Mr. Rice re- 

 sides at the Hotel Touraine, Boston. Mass. 



JAMES E. FITZGERALD 

 James E. Fitzgerald was born in East 

 Boston in i860, and attended the schools of 

 that section of Boston. When 17 years of age 

 he expended all the money he had and could 

 raise — $15 — in buying a horse and outfit at 

 the old Brighton horse market, and started 

 out peddling potatoes and later added meats 

 to his list of articles. In buying a $15 rig to 

 start business, Mr. Fitzgerald, in comparison, 

 has since sold horses for prices running up 

 to $1,500. When Mr. Fitzgerald got out of 

 the peddling line he opened a liquor store at 

 145 Everett Street, East Boston, where he re- 

 mained for twenty years, then removing to 

 25-27 Orleans Street, East Boston, his pres- 

 ent location. 



Mr. Fitzgerald came naturally in his love 

 for fine horses, as his father was one of the 

 leading horsemen of Boston. Forty-six years 

 ago (1868) Mr. Fitzgerald saw his first horse 

 race. It was at the Saugus track. His father had 

 matched Miller's Damsel to trot twenty miles 

 in one hour and fifteen minutes. She had 

 gone the distance, as determined by three men. 

 but the opposition contended that the mare 

 had only circled the course nineteen times. 

 Mr. Fitzgerald, senior, wasted little time in 



