28o 



The Driving Clubs of Greater Boston 



Wheelock resides at 351 Dorchester Street, 

 South Boston, Mass. 



MICHAEL McDERMOTT 

 Michael McDermott was born in Ireland, 

 in 1853, and attended the schools of Dublin. 

 He started in the plastering business for 

 himself in New York in 1888, and removed 

 his business to Boston in 1894. He is now 

 retired from business. He joined the Dor- 

 chester Driving Club in 1907, and served on 

 the board of directors for three years. He is 

 also a member of the Old Colony Driving 

 Club, and of the Boston Lodge of Elks. 



Mr. McDermott always owned good 

 horses and for that reason he took much en- 

 joyment in belonging to the driving clubs. 

 While frequently requested to be a candidate 

 for president of the Dorchester Club, yet he 

 declined, saying that he was no office seeker, 

 but a diligent worker in other directions for 

 the prosperity of the organization. Among 

 the horses matineed by Mr. McDermott 

 were Krispen. Klondyke, 2:12 1-4; Camillo, 

 2:20 1-4; and Mary Mc. With the last named 

 he was always ready to meet any trotter the 

 racing committee of either the Dorchester or 

 Old Colony Clubs elected he should start 

 against. She is a trim, clean-going mare that 

 attracted a lot of attention. Mr. McDermott 

 resides at 27 Charles Street, Dorchester, 

 Mass. 



FRED S. ELDREDGE 



Fred S. Ei.dredge was born in South Har- 

 wich, Mass.. in 1863, and was a graduate of 

 the public schools of his native town. He 

 went to work in Boston, in 1881, for the 

 grocery firm of C. D. Swain & Co., 2364 

 Washington St. Three years later he opened 

 a grocery for himself at 191 Hampden St., 

 Roxbury, and is at present in the trucking 

 business at 122 Purchase St. Mr. Eldredge is 

 a charter member of the Dorchester Driving 

 Club, and joined the Old Colony Driving Club 

 in 1910. He also belongs to the United Work- 

 men. Mr. Eldredge has been active on the 

 racing committee of the Dorchester Club, and 

 has served on the board of directors. 



The matinee racing over the Franklin Field 

 Speedway would seem sadly out of joint were 

 not Mr. Eldredge seen there racing days, 

 driving his own and the fast ones belonging 

 to other members of the Dorchester Club. He 

 is one of the cleverest of reinsmen, having 

 brought many of his horses to victory. It is 

 a saying among the club members that if they 

 have a particularly hard race it is a good 

 plan to secure Mr. Eldredge to do the engi- 

 neering in the sulky. 



In some of the memorable races that have 



made the speedway historical, in which were 

 horses that Mr. Eldredge drove, can be read- 

 ily brought to mind B. S. Dillon, 2:14 1-4; 

 Directumwood, 2:20 1-4; Checkers, 2:18 1-2, 

 and Sister Patch. In going through the list of 

 the club, in fact, it might seem that Mr. El- 

 dredge has driven all of the fast ones. When 

 Sister Patch made the pacing record of the 

 speedway, by pacing in 1 :oo, and then com- 

 ing back in 1 :oi 1-4, it was none other than 

 the subject of our sketch who was seated in 

 the sulky. 



Other horses he has driven and marked are 

 Authentic, 2:16 1-4; Lizzie Simms, 2:18; 

 Princess Ebilo, 2:20 1-4; Martindale, 2:19 1-4; 

 Grace G., 2:05 1-4; Charley King, 2:14 1-4, 

 and Gallagher, 2:03 1-2, which he campaigned 

 in Vermont, Maine and Massachusetts, and 

 never lost a race. 



Mr. Eldredge owned Joe King, which he 

 matineed in the events of the Old Colony and 

 Dorchester Clubs up to the Fall series of 

 1914. In October of that season he pur- 

 chased the trotter, Baron Patch, 2:18 3-4, the 

 gelding so well known to the regulars at the 

 Franklin Field Speedway. Mr. Eldredge re- 

 sides at 8 Angell St., Dorchester, Mass. 



JAMES I. BROOKS 



James I. Brooks was born in Corinth, Yt., 

 in 1875, and received his education in the 

 public schools of his native town. His first 

 work in Boston was in 1897 for the New 

 England Reference and Bond Association. 

 He started in business for himself in 1902, 

 Inning and selling horses in Somerville. and 

 as superintendent of the delivery and equip- 

 ment department of the Fox Bakery, in 

 Charlestown. 



Mr. Brooks was one of the organizers of 

 the Fellsway Driving Club, and filled the po- 

 sition of president in the years 1908, 1909 and 

 1911. During these first years of the club 

 Air. Brooks left no stone unturned in better- 

 ing the condition of the organization, both in 

 securing members and financially. 



In matinee racing Mr. Brooks was an 

 enthusiast. lie owned a number of the 

 racing stars of the Fellsway Club that 

 were prominent, too, in the interclub meets. 

 Among those he raced were : Muchado, 

 2:131-4; Sir George, 2:18 3-4; Axtelloid, 

 2:15 1-4; Ginger B., 2:18 1-4: Young Chimes, 

 2:11 1-2; Harry Brino, 2:171-2; Wavelite, 

 2:241-4; Canterbury Girl, 2:201-4; Ned 

 Wilkes, 2:09 1-4, etc. Mr. Brooks is a mem- 

 ber of the fraternal order of Masons : belongs 

 to the Somerville Republican Club, Ward 4, 

 and the Somerville Fourth of July Associa- 

 tion. He resides at 30 Sewell Street, Somer- 

 ville, Mass. 



