AND OTHER SKETCHES 245 



MR. RILEY'S FLOATING TRACK. 



Forty years in the history of a city of the old world is 

 but as yesterday, but forty years in the record of a young 

 country like Canada and of a juvenile city like Toronto, 

 is chockful of interesting events and notable transforma- 

 tions. Anchor yourself alongside some of the old-timers, 

 get them started away back on the stream of life and as 

 they come again slowly sailing towards you, the yarns 

 some of them can spin are mighty funny ones. One of 

 the ancients, who died in this city a short time ago, was 

 Mr. Riley, at one time proprietor of the Revere House, 

 at the corner of King and York streets. He was one of 

 the oldest hotel-keepers on King street, and previous to 

 his locating there supplied spiritual comfort in the neigh- 

 borhood of the Esplanade at the foot of York street. 

 Then, as now, the boys liked their fun and as with us, so 

 with them, a little horse racing was relished by both old 

 and young. In those days the swell race track was known 

 as Boulton 's track, located in the neighborhood of Bever- 

 ley street, now a thoroughfare fringed with stately 

 mansions, then a tract of ground, half bush and half a 

 clearing. Charley Littlefield, Charley Gates, J. Mitchell, 

 D 'Arcy Boulton, of Cobourg ; J. Crawford, of Port Hope, 

 and others whose names do not occur to my mind for the 

 moment, were the horse owners and horse trainers of that 

 time, and many a gallant three and four-mile struggle 

 used to be witnessed for purses nearly as large as the 

 average nowadays. In the winter time trotting on the ice 

 was a favorite amusement, and scores of matches would 

 be made and settled while the snow was flying. One win- 

 ter friend Riley made up his mind to distinguish himself. 

 He waited with eager impatience for the ice to form on 

 the bay, and as soon as nine inches of good strong mater- 

 ial was reported, he straightway commenced preparing to 



