The Old Horse Fountain on Boston Post Road at the Esplanade

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Long before the automobile came to rule the roads of Pelham, horses were the necessary mode of transportation.  More than one hundred and fifteen years ago, a notable member of the local community took pity on the poor beasts that pulled horse-drawn vehicles up and down Boston Post Road.  She decided to help.  She certainly could help.  She was Hope Iselin, the wife of Charles Oliver Iselin.

Charles Oliver Iselin was a wealthy American banker and one of the greatest American yachtsmen of his time.  He participated in and won six consecutive America’s Cup races: 1887, 1893, 1895, 1899, 1901 and 1903. He maintained a massive, lovely waterfront estate in New Rochelle where he docked such famous yachts as ‘’Defender,’’ ‘’Reliance,’’ and ‘’Columbia.’’

Hope Iselin donated a lovely horse drinking fountain to quench equine thirsts.  It was constructed of stone and stood for many years on Boston Post Road at the intersection with Esplanade.  The fountain had running water and was lighted with a lovely electric lamp.  It was a popular rest stop for horse riders and horse-drawn vehicles whose beasts of burden needed some refreshment.  

Post Card View of the Horse Drinking Fountain at Boston

Post Road and Esplanade, Circa 1910.

The years passed.  Automobile traffic on Boston Post Road grew.  Horse traffic declined.  The importance of the little fountain declined.  Soon, the water seldom ran in the fountain.  The lovely lamp was lighted only on "infrequent occasions."  The horse drinking fountain lapsed into disrepair.  

The Village of Pelham Manor and the Town of Pelham did what they could to save the little fountain.  Flowers were planted around it.  After World War I, the "Roll of Honor" (also known as the "Service Board") listing those Pelham residents who served in the War was moved from Red Church Corners (known today as "Four Corners") to the center of the empty fountain.  

Still the little stone horse drinking fountain fell into further disrepair.  As traffic along Boston Post Road continued to grow and roadwork began to encroach closer and closer to the fountain, it became clear that the stone structure posed a danger to passing traffic.  In the fall of 1922, the Board of Trustees of the Village of Pelham Manor began to debate whether to remove the horse drinking fountain.  

Horse Drinking Fountain at Boston Post Road and Esplanade

in an Undated Photograph.  Source:  Courtesy of The Office of

The Historian of The Town of Pelham.

Once the Board's plans were publicized, a group of residents along the Esplanade organized in an effort to save the little fountain.  There was talk of removing the Roll of Honor and replacing it with bronze tablets placed on each side of the fountain.  There was further talk of using the fountain as a planter, filled with soil and flowers (or ivy).  

Such grand talk turned out to be just that -- talk.  The little fountain was soon removed as a possible danger to traffic along Boston Post Road.  Clearly the quaint days of yore when horses were a principal mode of transportation in Pelham had passed.

Today's Historic Pelham blog posting publishes two images of the horse drinking fountain, and transcribes the text of several articles about the horse little fountain that appeared at the time its removal was being debated.  Each is followed by a citation to its source.

"Contemplating Removal Of Village Fountain
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Old Horse Fountain on Boston Road At Esplanade Had Long Since Become Unsightly
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The Pelham Manor Village Board is contemplating the removal of the long unused horse fountain and the service board at the Esplanade and the Boston Road.  The subject was brought up at the regular meeting of the board held in the Village Hall Monday night.  It was stated that the fountain abuts a little on the roadway that is being reconstructed and removal would be beneficial.

The old fountain is a relic of the days when the popular mode of travel was by horse-drawn vehicles and old settlers can recall many a hot day that the fountain was put to good use.  With the popularity of the automobile and the passing of the horse drawn vehicle the fountain gradually became out of date, and some time ago the water was turned off.

About a year ago, when the village decided to improve the corners at the Red Church Corner, the village service board was removed from the corner and placed at the fountain.  Since that time it has become, in the opinion of many, unsightly.  With the erection of the Memorial High School, the Village Board has received many requests that the service board be removed, as it is unnecessary."

Source:  Contemplating Removal Of Village Fountain, The Pelham Sun, Oct. 13, 1922, p. 5, col. 4.  

"Will Remove Old Fountain.

The old horse drinking fountain which was built on the junction of the Esplanade and Boston Post road in the years gone by when the usual mode of travel was with the reins in one hand and the whip in the other, is to be removed.  It was the gift of Mrs. Iselin of New Rochelle, and was an artistic and useful affair when the water was running in it, which was seldom, and when its lights were lighted, which was also on infrequent occasions.  After the advent of the automobile there was a question as to what should be done with the fountain.  Flowers came up of their own accord and were permitted to stay.  The honor roll was taken from the Red Church corner and piled atop the drinking basin.  Now the edict has gone forth that the whole business must be removed.  Like Old King Cole it is cluttering up the landscape."

Source:  Will Remove Old Fountain, The Daily Argus [Mount Vernon, NY], Oct. 19, 1922, p. 16, col. 1.  

"Request Fountain Be Not Destroyed
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Residents of Esplanade Have Plans For Beautifying Old Horse Fountain On Boston Road

The old horse drinking fountain at the Esplanade and Boston Road has had a reprieve on its death sentence.  Residents in that neighborhood have requested the Village Board of Pelham Manor to withhold any action in regards to its removal while certain plans for its future are being prepared.  The village board granted the request.

Although there is nothing made public as to what the residents intend doing with the old landmark, it has been rumored that the service board is to be removed and bronze tablets placed on each side of the fountain, the grass cut and ivy or flowers planted in the trough that used to hold the water for the thirsty horses, before the automobile took their places."

Source:  Request Fountain Be Not Destroyed, The Pelham Sun, Oct. 22, 1922, p. 11, col. 5.  

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Another Account of the Devastating Fire that Destroyed the Travers Island Clubhouse of New York Athletic Club in 1901

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On January 5, 1901, the clubhouse known as the "big house" owned by the New York Athletic Club and located on Travers Island in Pelham Manor burned to the ground in a horrific fire.  Many newspapers and periodicals covered the event.  A lengthy account of the fire and efforts to save the clubhouse appeared the following day in The New York Times.  I have transcribed that account below, followed by a citation to its source.  I also have included a photograph of the clubhouse as it appeared shortly before the fire.  

I have written about this devastating fire before.  I also have written many, many items about Travers Island and the New York Athletic Club facilities there.  After the account of the fire below, I have included links to many of my previous writings regarding Travers Island and the New York Athletic Club.  

"CLUBHOUSE AT TRAVERS ISLAND BURNED
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Rich Men Join the Firemen in Fighting the Fire.
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Chief Bronson Telephones for His Fire Wagon, Uniform, and Trumpet -- Society People Go to the Fire in Motor Vehicles.
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Special to The New York Times.

PELHAM MANOR.  Jan. 5. -- Nothing remains of the Summer home of the New York Athletic Club on Travers Island, near here, but three large chimneys, two stone towers, and a smoldering pile of ruins.  Fire destroyed the structure this afternoon, despite the efforts of firemen, clubmen, and wealthy residents to save it.  The fire, it is believed, was caused by an electric light wire in the basement not properly insulated.  The flames were first discovered by a carpenter who was making improvements to the roof.

Superintendent J. Kirwin formed a bucket brigade with twenty employes [sic].  A small hose was also attached to a hydrant near the front of the house, and an ineffectual effort was made to extinguish the flames.  An alarm was sent to New Rochelle and Pelham Manor, but the firemen could do little except watch the big clubhouse burn, as only one stream could be turned on the burning building.  The water for that had to be pumped through the hose from a hydrant nearly a quarter of a mile away, so that the pressure was insufficient. The smaller clubhouse adjoining the main building, which was once a part of the homestead of E.C. Potter, and has been used as a Winter quarters of the club, was saved by Chief Ross and the New Rochelle Fire Department, although it was drenched with water and most of the contents were ruined.  

Part of the building was in Pelham Manor and the other part in New Rochelle.  A few years ago, when Pelham Manor declared for no [liquor] license, the members of the club moved the bar from the west part of the building, in Pelham Manor, to the eastern end in New Rochelle, where a [liquor] license was secured.  

When it was found that the building could not be saved Manager Major George W. Rand, at the New York house, was notified that the Travers Island establishment was doomed.  Mayhew W. Bronson, the rich Chief of the Larchmont Fire Department, who was in the clubhouse accompanied Manager Rand to Travers Island.  Chief Bronson telephoned to Larchmont for his fire company to join him at the island, and also notified his valet to bring his fire wagon, uniform, and trumpet.

In the meantime many of the rich residents of New Rochelle, Larchmont, and Pelham Manor hurried to the scene of the fire in motor vehicles and various traps.  The wealthy clubmen assisted the firemen in fighting the flames and in saving the Winter clubhouse.  Among those who assisted were T. Dart Walker, the artist; John Neilson, H.E. Payson, F.W. Flint, and C.M. Hamilton, the champion golf player.  

The fire attracted many society people, among some of the most interested being Mr. and Mrs. C. Oliver Iselin and daughter, E. T. Gilliland of Pelham Manor, and R.C. Fellows, a member of the club, who came on a motor vehicle from New York.  

The smoke was so dense that several firemen were overcome, including Asa Dobbs of New Rochelle, who had to be carried to the water front and revived.  Charles Kistinger of Relief Engine Company had his head cut.  

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The Travers Island Clubhouse, built in 1889,, was a two story and attic structure, about 100 feet by 40, and was one of two buildings on the island, owned by the New York Athletic Club, the one destroyed by fire being known generally as 'the big house.'  In it were forty-eight sleeping rooms and two large dormitories, the restaurant, cafe, and billiard room.  This building was used as a clubhouse during the Summer, but after the Summer season was over, usually early in October, it was closed, and the club members in the Winter months used a smaller building about sixty yards away, which is known as the Potter House, from the name of the original owners.  In the larger structure through the Summer months, were many valuable trophies, plate, and paintings, all of which were removed after the season closed, and distributed between the Potter House, which is open all Winter, and the New York clubhouse.  The loss by fire, consequently, was confined to the structure, and the permanent equipment, which consisted chiefly of the restaurant and cafe fixings, the billiard and pool tables, and the bedroom furniture.  

The building proper cost $40,000 when erected, and, thought it had been neglected for a few years, while the building of the New York clubhouse was in progress, had been put in first-class repair within the past two seasons, and was in better condition than it had been since the first year that it was available for the club.  A number of improvements had been made, and the club was considering still further additions, when the fire occurred.  According to the statements of members who know what the building represented, it will cost much more than $40,000 to replace the building.  In this same estimate the loss

on furniture is placed at $10,000 more.  The club carried $30,000 insurance on the building and its contents.  Several officers of the club hurried to Travers Island after news of the fire reached them, but when they reached the spot all the damage had been done; the clubhouse being burned to the ground.

Prompt measures were taken toward repairing the damage, and committees of the New York Athletic Club already are considering the best means of restoring the destroyed building.  The club members anticipate some difficulty in this direction, however, as it will require some months to adjust the insurance, while the financial strain the club has been under in completing and equipping its new house on Sixth Avenue and Fifty-ninth Street makes it improbable that the Summer clubhouse can be replaced through the club's private resources.  The effort will be made, however, and so hopeful are the officials of the club that they authorized a statement that there would be ample facilities on Travers Island through the next Summer season."

Source:  Clubhouse At Travers Island Burned, N.Y. Times, Jan. 6, 1901, pg. 2.  

The photograph immediately below shows the Big House clubhouse on Travers Island shortly before it burned on January 5,, 1901.

I previously have written about the fire on January 5, 1901 as well as the New York Athletic Club facilities on Travers Island.  Below is a linked listing of such writings.

Fri., Sep. 4, 2009:  1901 Newspaper Article About Fire That Burned New York Athletic Club Clubhouse on Travers Island.

Thu., Apr. 28, 2005:  Ladies' Day on Travers Island in the 19th Century.

Thu., May 26, 2005:  The New York Athletic Club's Opening of the 'New Summer Home' on Travers Island in 1889.  

Tue., Jun. 21, 2005:  Life at Travers Island in the 1890s.  

Thu., Aug. 11, 2005:  How Dry I Am:  Pelham Goes Dry in the 1890s and Travers Island Is At the Center of a Storm.  

Wed., Dec. 21, 2005:  An Early Sketch of the First Clubhouse of the New York Athletic Club on Travers Island in Pelham.  

Thu., Jul. 19, 2007:  Members of the New York Athletic Club Were Duped Into Believing the Club Created a Small Nine-Hole Golf Course in Pelham Manor in 1897.

Fri., Jul. 20, 2007:  Account of Early Baseball in Pelham:  Pelham vs. the New York Athletic Club on Travers Island in 1897.  

Wed., Nov. 21, 2007:  Baseball on Travers Island During the Summer of 1897.  

Thu., Nov. 22, 2007:  August 1896 Description of Cycle Route to Travers Island in Pelham Manor.  

Fri., Nov. 23, 2007:  The Festivities of the Huckleberry Indians of the New York Athletic Club Off the Shore of Pelham Manor on July 12, 1896.  

Mon., Nov. 26, 2007:  Box Score of a Baseball Game Played on Travers Island in Pelham Manor in July 1896.  

Thu., Feb. 7, 2008:  Village Elections in Pelham in 1900 - New York Athletic Club Members Campaign Against the Prohibition Ticket in Pelham Manor.  

Mon., Jan. 19, 2009:  Photograph of Members of the New York Athletic Club Shooting Traps on Travers Island in 1911.  

Tue., Feb. 17, 2009:  The New York Athletic Club Opens Its New Clubhouse on Travers Island in Pelham in 1888.  

Wed., Feb. 18, 2009:  The New York Athletic Club Opens Its New Travers Island Boathouse in 1888.    

Thu., Feb. 19, 2009:  The Old Hunter House Burns to the Ground in an Arson Incident on Travers Island on April 4, 1889. 

Wed., Mar. 4, 2009:  "Ladies' Day" on Travers Island in Pelham Manor in 1894.  

Tue., Mar. 24, 2009:  1897 Photograph of Visitors Streaming to Athletic Outing on Travers Island in Pelham Manor.  

Wed., Oct. 28, 2009:  Article About the June 10, 1888 Opening of Travers Island Facility of the New York Athletic Club.

Tue., Aug. 18, 2009:  New York Athletic Club Board of Governors Decided to Mortgage Travers Island in 1895.  

Mon., Apr. 12, 2010:  New York Athletic Club Stage Coach Accident Leads to Death of Pelham Manor Man.   

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1901 Newspaper Article About Fire that Burned New York Athletic Club Clubhouse on Travers Island

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On January 5, 1901, the clubhouse of the New York Athletic Club on Travers Island in Pelham Manor burned to the ground in a horrific fire.  Many newspapers and periodicals covered the event.  An interesting article about the fire that included a photograph of the clubhouse shortly before it burned appeared in the January 6, 1901 issue of the New-York Daily Tribune.  The photograph appears immediately below, followed by the text of the article.

"SPORTS AND SPORTSMEN:  OLD CLUBHOUSE IN ASHES.
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MAIN BUILDING OF THE NEW-YORK ATHLETIC CLUB AT TRAVERS ISLAND RAZED BY FIRE.

The large summer home of the New-York Athletic Club at Travers Island, on Long Island Sound, was burned to the ground about 1 o'clock yesterday afternoon.  The smaller clubhouse, which was once a part of the old homestead of E. C. Potter, and has been used as winter quarters by the club employes [sic], was saved, but it was drenched with water, and most of the contents were ruined.  The loss on the main building and its contents is estimated at $75,000.  Insurance men who were on the ground and had written policies for the club say that the loss will reach at least $65,000.

The clubhouse was one of the finest and largest in the neighborhood of New-York.  It was built about twenty years ago.  It resembled a large Norman chateau, and was surrounded by piazzas overlooking the Sound.  Part of the building was in the village of Pelham Manor, and the rest in New-Rochelle.  It was a three story frame structure, with many towers, gables and tall chimneys.  A few years ago, when the village of Pelham Manor declared for no license, the members of the club found it convenient to comply with the law by moving the bar, which was in the west part of the building, over to the eastern end, which was in New-Rochelle.

The fire started at 12:40 o'clock from an electric wire in the basement, directly under the main hallway.  It was discovered by a carpenter who had been working on the roof.  He was going out to dinner when he saw flames and smoke pouring from one of the basement windows.  The man ran over to the Potter house, where Steward James Kerwin and the fifteen men employed about the clubhouse were at dinner, and gave the alarm.  The flames spread quickly.  By the time Kerwin and his assistants reached the building the flames were bursting through the windows of the first floor, and it was evident that the entire building, which was of light, inflammable material, would be destroyed.  The steward set his men to work connecting a hose with a hydrant about a thousand feet away, while he ran to the telephone in the smaller house and gave the alarm to the Pelham Manor and New Rochelle fire departments.  He also called up the city hom of the club and told Major George W. Rand, the manager, that the Travers Island establishment was on fire.  Major Rand set out at once for Pelham Manor.

It happened that Chief Mayhew W. Bronson of the Larchmont Fire Department was in the New-York clubhouse at the time.  He accompanied Major Rand to the fire.  While they were waiting at One-hundred-and-twenty-ninth-st. for a train, Mr. Bronson telephoned to the Larchmont Yacht Club for his men to join him at Pelham Manor, and also to his valet to bring his fire wagon, uniform and trumpet.  When Major Rand and Chief Bronson reached the clubhouse, at 1:04 o'clock, they found that Chief Ross of New-Rochelle was on hand with four companies from that city and one from Pelham Manor, but that they had been unable to do anything except save the Potter house, owing to the scarcity of water.  A number of Larchmont firemen were also at the burning building.  They had received the alarm at the yacht club and gone down in automobiles.

It took about an hour for the large clubhouse to burn.  Owing to the intensity of the flames and the suffocating smoke, nothing in it was saved.  All of the furniture, bedding, linen and many pictures, trophies, mounted animals, works of art and about $3,500 worth of silverware were destroyed.  The entire collection of Indian relics given to the club by Buffalo Bill went up with the rest; also a stucco representing a footrace in the Olympian games.  The wine cellar was well stocked with wines, liquors and cigars.  The popping of hundreds of champagne bottles could be heard amid the roar and crackling of the flames.

The smoke was so dense that several of the New-Rochelle firemen were overcome.  One of them, Asa Dobbs, had to be carried to the water front and revived.  Charles Kistinger, a member of the Relief Company, of New-Rochelle, had his head cut, and three of his companions barely escaped death by the falling of a large piazza.  Scores of clubmen and golfers who live in the neighborhood joined with the firemen.

By 2 o'clock the Potter house was saved, but only the tall chimneys and stone tower of the once beautiful clubhouse were left standing.  The fire attracted a large number of the people who live along the Sound.  They went in carriages and automobiles.  Several hundred of them, including many women, visited the club grounds in the afternoon.  Among them were C. Oliver Iselin, with his wife and daughter; E. T. Gilliland, of Pelham Manor; R.C. Fellows, John Nielson, H. E. Payson and C.M. Hamilton.  The grounds were put in charge of Chief Bronson, of Larchmont, who is a member of the club, and were guarded after the fire by the New-Rochelle policemen and several mounted men from The Bronx.

This is the second fire the club has had at its home in Pelham Manor."

Source:  Sports and Sportsmen:  Old Clubhouse in Ashes, New-York Daily Tribune, Jan. 6, 1901, p. 9, col. 1.

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The Greyhound and the Tantivy-- The Four-in-Hand Coaches that Succeeded Col. Delancey Kane's "Tally-Ho" to Pelham

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I have published many items on the Historic Pelham Blog regarding the spectacle of "coaching to Pelham" in four-in-hand carriages during the 1870s and 1880s. Col. Delancey Kane began the practice during the 1870s. Many followed in his footsteps. To read a little about the curious fad, you may wish to review the following items which are merely a few of the many, many items on the topic published to this Blog and to the HistoricPelham.com Web site.

Friday, February 11, 2005: Col. Delancey Kane's "Pelham Coach", Also Known as The Tally-Ho, Is Located.

Bell, Blake A., Col. Delancey Kane and "The Pelham Coach" (Sep. 2003).

Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2008: Brief "History of Coaching" Published in 1891 Shows Ties of Sport to Pelham, New York

Wednesday, July 27, 2005: 1882 Engraving Shows Opening of Coaching Season From Hotel Brunswick to Pelham Bridge.

Wednesday, September 28, 2005: Taunting the Tantivy Coach on its Way to Pelham: 1886.

Thursday, August 3, 2006: Images of Colonel Delancey Kane and His "Pelham Coach" Published in 1878.

Today's Historic Pelham Blog posting transcribes the text of an article that appeared in the April 18, 1886 issue of the New-York Tribune. That article described two of the coaching successors to Col. Delancey Kane's "Tally-Ho": The Greyhound and the Tantivy.

"THE SEASON FOR SPORTS.

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THE TANTIVY TO TAKE THE ROAD

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BRIGHT PROSPECTS FOR COACHING MEN.

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THE ANNUAL PARADE OF THE CLUB ON MAY 22 -- EXCURSIONS IN PROSPECT.

Those who still love the music of the three-foot-horn, who think that a journey behind four spirited horses through forest and field, beneath the clear sky of May or in the gorgeous sunshine of October, is more healthful and far better sport than to watch the dissolving views of nature obtained through a cloud of dust and cinders from the window of a railroad car, have laid their heads together and have formed their plans for the coming season. On the 22d day of next month the annual parade of the Coaching Club will take place in Central Park. It will be a brilliant occasion, for there are nowhere in the world handsomer or better appointed drags, drawn by finer coaching horses, than in New-York. This was quite evident at the Horse Show last November, when Pierre Lorillard's four beautiful bays received the first prize. It is not yet known how many drags will be in line, but it is certain that there will be enough to make a fine showing. The parade will pass through the drives of the Park, and on this great day of the season will not astonish the goats and other inhabitants of Westchester County by unveiling its beauty before their unwonted eyes. Westchester, however, is not long to be left to its rustic tranquility. The old Tally-Ho which Colonel Kane used to drive daily between the Brunswick Hotel and Pelham during a whole season proved so successful that it has not been without successors. These coaches, with their daily trips into the country bringing their passengers back in the evening invigorated by a day in the open air, were always filled, and it was always with the greatest difficulty that places could be obtained by application many days in advance. Parties were made up every day for the round trip, and loud were the praises betowed upon the coaching dinner which was spread before the hungry passengers at Pelham. The Tantivy and the Greyhound succeeded the Tally-Ho. The Greyhound was run on the Pelham route under the joint management of J. R. Roosevelt and C. O. Iselin. The Tatnivy [sic] made daily trips to Tarrytown once season and to Yonkers the next. The Tantivy is to be put on the road again this season. The terminus of the route will be the shady home of the Country Club, whose windows look out upon the Sound; and where if the drive has been hot and dusty, the travelers will find a cool and refreshing noon-day halting place. The Country Club is in the village of Bartow, whence the distance to the Brunswick is eighteen miles. Twenty-five horses have been selected for hire along the route, and they are to be of such metal that passengers on the Tantivy will never grumble at their pace. The roads are excellent for coaching purposes and the hills are neither long nor steep. Four changes will be made along the route -- at One-hundred-and-tenth-st., at Unionport, at Westchester and at Pelham.

The Tantivy will be driven by J. R. Roosevelt and Frederick Bronson on alternate days. Both these gentlemen are experienced whips, and their handling of the ribbons may be relied on as an exponent of all that is graceful and scientific in the art of driving. When the Tantivy ran to Tarrytown and to Yonkers Mr. Bronson was one of the drivers. Mr. Roosevelt's experience is international. The team which is a well-known nobleman used to drive between Brighton and London was never more beautifully handled than that which Mr. Roosevelt conducted from Brighton to Eastbourne, and it is said that he still possesses a large collection of shillings given by thankful and admiring passengers to the driver at the end of each day's trip. The Tantivy will make its first trip on April 26.

It has been a pleasant custom in the Coaching Club for the club in a body to visit one of its members every spring and another in the autumn. Many if not all the members have large country places not far from the city. The club meets at some designated point and thence drives to the place of the member to whose lot has fallen the agreeable duty of acting as host. After a day or so of merry-making the club drives back again. There is never a lack of hospitable offers when the time comes round for one of these pleasant excursions. The club has in this way already been entertained by Pierre Lorillard at Rancocas, by Colonel Jay at Bedford, N. Y.; by W. K. Vanderbilt at Oakdale, L. K.; by Mr. Roosevelt to Hyde Park, by Theodore Havemeyer at Mahwah, N. J., and by Mr. Bronson at Greenfield Hill, Conn. This year Neilson Brown invited the club to be his guests at his breeding farm at Torresdale, Penn. Hence it was proposed to pay a visit to A. J. Cassatt's stud farm, near Philadelphia. This plan, however, has been changed, and it has been finally decided that Mr. Bronson shall again have the honor of entertaining the club in Connecticut. Mr. Bronson's farm, near Greenfield Hill, is about sixty miles from the city, a distance which will easily be covered in a day. The start will be made on May 15 at 9 a.m., from the Brunswick. The road passes through Unionport, Pelham, Portchester, Greenwich, Stamford and Norwalk, at each of which towns horses will be changed. A day will be passed with Mr. Brown in looking over the fine Jersey cattle which he breeds on his farm, and on May 18 the club will return to the city. In the autumn the club will visit Prescott Lawrence at Groton, Mass. The club will meet at Newport in September. Hence the road lies through Fall River and New-Bedford to Boston and on to Groton. The distance is about 100 miles, and six hours are considered a sufficient allowance for the journey.

With such a pleasant outlook before them the members of the Coaching Club are in high spirits and anxious for the return of the bright warm days which will permit them again to take their places on the box, crack the whip and feel the ready response from their gallant teams."

Source: The Season for Sports, New-York Tribune, Apr. 18, 1886, p. 15, col. 1.

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