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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 7, 1906)
wm m t " 1 1 - -rw 11 ihiib yg 1 , 1 11 1 1 n rf 1 1 t 1 EEsaaEVaBE52caB THE SUNDAY OREGONIAX, PORTLAND, JANUARY 7, 1906. 41 GEORGE ADE, whose meteoric flight from a humble Chicago re porter to our most facile and suc cessful writer of comic nlays. Is firm believer In agriculture as a rec reation.' but not only that, for he bc lievos in it from a strictly pecuniary standpoint. And - really, Adc's opinion in this respect is worthy of considera tion, for it Is not mere theory with him; he has demonstrated it -in prac tice. His farm of 300 odd acres near Brooke, Jnd., has developed into an per cont investment, although he has put a small fortune Into It. It is a magnificent place and it 1b seldom that a house party is not' enjoying Mr. Adc's hosoitality Ihere. All the conveniences of city life are combined with the comforts of rural existence on this modern farm of Ade's and improve ments are constantly being added. The main residence building is spacious enough to accommodate many guests and those who have been so fortunate as to onjoy hospitality there say that Ade. as a host, is beyond compare. It is no joke to assert that Mr. Ade promises to excel as a practical farm er, not merely as an agriculturist, there being, according to Mr. Ade him self, quite a distinction between the two. "A farmer," says Mr. Ade, "is a person who gets his living out of the soil, while and agriculturist is one s the Automobile the Swiftest Thing in the Hamburg Belle equaled the Musketeer's 7 furlongs record of 1 minute and 25 sec onds, made in 1902. It may be worth tell ing that the Derby course Is about a mile and a half and that the best (unofficial) recorded time made by a Derby winner in the last ten years was 2 minutes and 40 2-5 seconds, made by W. C. Whitney's Volodyovski, an American horse, by the way, in 1901. The nearest approach to this time on the' Derby course was 2:42. Persimmon, entered by the Prince of Wales, now King Edward VII., in 1896. The best American record for a mile and a half, 2 minutes 30U seconds, was made by Goodrich in Chicago in 1S9S. Harness-Racing First Developed in This Country. BUT however creditable the records of this country may be in the rac ing of running horses, running races lack the distinctive element that is the chief feature of our harness racing records, for it is In this country that harness racing has had Its principal, vlmost its only, development. Though this form of racing received Its first Impetus here in 17S8, when Messenger, the greatest trotting sire, was imported, it was not till 1843 that records began to be preserved of ficially and the vogue of the reigning monarch of the sulky track king or queen, as the case might be of the harness turf began to be an idol with those people who like better to see trotting machines than running races. Lady Suffolk was the first trotting queen; she reigned from 1843 to 1853 with a record of 2:26. Tacony came next with 2:25. then, Flora Temple, with 2:24. and In the 48 years since Lady Suffolk the. record has gradually been lowered till now it stands at 1:58. made by Lou Dillon in 1903. Between Lady Suffolk and Lou Dil lon there have been seven or eight trotting monarchs; of them all Maud S., who succeeded St. Julian (record 2:114) in 1880t was a greater popular favorite over a larger area of the country than any other horse, cither trotter or runner or pacer, has ever been in America. Her reign lasted sev eral years, when she was withdrawn from the track with a record of 2:38?i, but her popularity didn't wane percep tibly till her death some years later. Years after her last appearance on the track, she was still better known among ali classes in all parts of the country than any other quadruped In existence whatever. The reigning track .favorites would be better known to . ' the young man. n -N. , '" ' mii cJi a P5;-.G eor,cp,"id .the oldM; V- : JaVv WNfeTKCNv- Ade 1 tlloUBht might be a good JO . - - .. " ? -v' wSJKf vsX NgCjlj5- Idea for you to buy it. You know, my K "'.fr. ': ' gk1' 'j'? who puts his living into the t-oil." Ade declares that his books are open to show that he is really a farmer, not an agriculturist- There is nothing from the secretive radish to the assertive ! English bull pup, that Ade docs not raise at Brooke. The bull-dog indus try is his latest venture, and he fig ures that it will prove a very profit- j able one. His friends, however, .are not j so sanguine, for Farmer Ade has shown regular race devotees every year, of course, but Maud S. would be known by name and stand for the standard in speed in the most remote regions, regions where the champion runner and trotter of the year would never be heard of at all. The cause of the bonny trotting marc's remarkable vogue over all other horses has always been a puzzle to foreign horsemen and even to many Americans, though It isn't at all hard to explain. Maud S. made her record just when the most famous men of their day drove their own fast roadsters. They included General Grant, ex-soldier and ex-President; Cornelius Vanderbilt, first of the name, and his sou William II.; Robert Bonner, publisher of the unique New York Ledger, and many others of the men best known by the mass of the common people. These men were interested in trot ting horsQS as horses they owned them for their personal usb and con venience. Bonner and the old Com modore drove their fast horses in the streets of New York, on old Harlem Lane in particular, in friendly brushes against one another, and all who cared to look' might see them. In every city big and little, in every, village, almost, Bonner and Vanderbilt had local Imi tators, who owned trotting horses, trained them, drove them and in dulged In friendly brushes with their neighbors which all might -witness exactly as Bonner and Vanderbilt and General Grant did In New York, at Newport, Saratoga ana Long Branch. Although Bonner withdrew Maud S. from speed contests for money as soon as he bought her, ho allowed her to givo exhibitions ln many places and wherever she trotted, there he drew vast crowds. After her, as trotting champions, came Jay Eye See, Sunol, Nancy Hanks, Cresceus. Major Del mar, and now Lou Dillon reigns. Though every one of these has bet tered the best records of Maud" S., none has ever won nearly as great popular favor and it Is doubtful whether any other horse ever will. It should be added for the benefit of those who are unfamiliar with the later development of trotting speeds that Maud S. always trotted without a wind shield and before an old-fashioned high sulky with plain bearings. The later trotting champions have trot ted before ball-bearing sulkies and nearly all of the phenomenal records have "been made with the aid of a wind shield hauled In front of the trotter by a running horse. Only one of the trotters appearing: ln the ''best rec a disposition to make each new pup a permanent member of the family. Fifteen of them have already been de clared not for sale and each one is named after a character in an Ado play. "Widow." called after the title rolu in her master's most conspicu ously successful play, is the bright particular favorite of the Ade kennel. Tnc Ade farm Is beautifully located, being but a few miles from the live ords" today made his record before a high sulky; that was Major Delmar, who made his 2-07 record in 1904 under conditions similar to those under which Maud S. made her records. Major Delmar's record of 1:59 was made in 1901. Pacing is near akin to trotting, but the trotting and pacing records have always been kept well Separated. The best mile pacing record mado by Dan Patch. ln October of -1985. in 1:55 4-5 was against time, paced by a runner carrying a wind shield. Though still popular in many parts of the country, trotting and pacing have largely lost the great hold they had upon the people 20 and 20 years ago. Trotting meetings are still held In the vicinity of New York, but tho mass of the people neither attend th'em nor road the reports of the trotting, and Sysonby, Jim Keene's running horse. Is known and worshiped by thousands to every dozen New Yorkers who give Lou Dillon or Dan Patch more than a thought. In other places, like Rochester, for instance, where the first oval trotting track was Jald out. where Maud S. and Jay Eyo See and St. Jullen used to make their records before crazy mul titudes, numbering tens of thousands, the old trotting trucks have long been abandoned and built over; horse-racing being entirely given up and tho speed madness of the people given over en tirely for the present to the automo bile. High and Long-DIstancc Railroad' and Steamship Speeds. GETTING back to the speed of wheeled machines, it may be said that so far as the figures are known on this side of the water, America holds the short-distance railroad record. It is often claimed that tho fastest regular trains over long distance are operated In this country, but any statement to that effect should be taken with at lepst a grain of salt; still, we hold up our own nd and fairly well. The two fastest trains In the world, con sidering the distance, are the cighteen hour trains between New York and Chi cago over the New York Central and Pennsylvania lines, respectively. By the Pennsylvania the distance is 912 miles; by the Central & Lake Shore, 9S0. Conse quently the Pennsylvania rate is 50.63 miles an hour, while the Central Is 54.44. The Sud Express from Paris to Bay onne, France, has a shorter run, 4&S miles, and does it at tho rate o 54.13 miles aa hour. The Empire State Express between town of 1'tfayctte, where is situated Purdue University, from which Ade was a graduate. He bought these acres when at the height of his early suc cess. One dai his old father came to him in Chicago, where one of his plays was being produced, and. after look ing gravely at a rehearsal which George was superintending, said to his son- "George, there is a fine farm for sale in the Town of Brooke." World ? New York and Buffalo does its 545 miles at the rate of 5X33 miles an hour. The English East Coast Express, from Lon don to Edinburgh, does Its 393 miles at a rate of 50.77 miles an hour. The West Coast Express from London to Glasgow, 401 miles, at the rate of 50.1S miles. The only regular GO-mllc-an-hour train In the world Is tho Paris-Calais express, which covers its IS miles daily In 1S4 minutes. Special trains have run "longer dis tances than this run at 63 and 64 miles an hour, but no other train makes such a speed as that regularly, cither in America or anywhere else. This article Is written a year or. two too early to deal intelligently with electric railroad speed. It is expected that the electric trains which the New York Central, .the New York, New Haven & Hartford and per haps the Pennsylvania Railroad plan to run In and out of New York as soon as they can perfect their electric lines, will develop greater speed than any steam lo comotive has yet shown. At Schenectady, where the Central has been comparing the work of its old steam locomotives with the work of its new electric machines, the latter have won every time, but exact records have not yet been given to the public The experiments ln fast olectric rail roading made two or three years ago by Emperor William of Germany produced speeds of 125 miles an hour on a short overhead trolley line, but nothing like them has ever been maintained regularly ln practice anywhere, cither on trolley or third-rail lines. Although the speed of the modem ocean steamship Is the pride of the seagoing world today, it is a fact that no new records between New York and Queens town, the trans-Atlantic route taken by the British and American steamers, have been made for nearly 12 years, when the Lucania. of the Cunard Line, ln ISM made the westward passage In 5 days. 7 hours and 23 minutes. However, the Deutschland, of the Ham-Durg-Amerlcan Line, bettered the Luca nia' s best run in 1903, making the west ward passage from Cherbourg, France, to New York, over a considerably longer course than the Lucania's. in 5 days, 11 hours and 5t minutes. The Deutschland in 1S0O made the eastward passage from New'York to Plymouth in 5 days, 7 hours and SS minutes. The best record for that course Is also claimed by the North Ger man Lloyd liner Kaiser Wllhelm IT. which made It ln 5 days. 11 hours and 5S minutes, the claim for superior speed being based on the fact that this ship sailed a greater distance than the Deutschland and made the unmatched hourly time of 23.5S knots. This Is no place to settle the claims of either; the fact remains that the German Well, what of it, father?" queried young man. 'Why, George." replied the older "I thought it might be a good for you to buy It. You know, my I don't believe in hentlnr- nmnnii the bush. Some say the American pub lic Is going tc tire of your nonsense and then" "I see your Idea, dad," interrupted George, "and I'll go and look it over." And so he did. He liked the place, immediately struck a bargain and the deal was made. Then came Improve ments which opened the eyes of the residents thereabouts. Carpenters, ma sons and landseane rrard called Into service and the old plae was speedily transferred into what is CONTINUED FROM PAGE FORTY ships are generally conceded, today, to be the fastest In the world; the Dcutsch land's day's run of 601 knots. 21.19 an hour, made In 1901, Is certainly without a par allel. The cause of the lack of speed increase in trans -Atlantic steamers is due. not to inability to build faster boats, but to the fact that slower vessels with greater capacity and consequently more comfort able, more luxurious passenger quarters are more profitable than the faster boats. It Li predicted by the friends and backers of the new turbine engines that as soon as the ships which have been and are being fitted with these machines have been got Into perfect working order the lowering of the trans-Atlantic records will be begun anew. It Js nearly 14 years since the United States held a trans-Atlantic record, when the City ot Paris crossed the western ocean In 5 days. 14 hours and 24 minutes. The yachting record has been lodged on this side of the water since 1S51, when, as the reader need not be remind ed, the America won the Queen's cup, possession of which has been striven for so unsuccessfully by the British every few years eror since. The latest yachting victory was won last year by the three-masted American schooner Atlantic which sailed from Sandy Hook to the Scllly Isles in 11 days. 16 hours and 22 minutes, breaking the record and distancing all competitors. On May 24. in the course of the race, she sailed 341 knots ln 24 hours, thus breaking the world's sailing records for fore-and-aft vessels. In motor-boats " and steam yachts the United States has done very well, but Italy has recently beaten America and the whole world beside In that sort of speed, for on September 8. 1S06. on Lake Gavda. Italy, the 26-foot motor boat Antoinette HI. covered 150 kilometers (33.15 statute miles) In 3 hours. 2 min utes and 42 seconds, traveling at the rate of 3?i miles an hour. This Is better speed than has ever been made by any torpedo-boat of the same size over any such distance, though some of these demon-like craft have done stunningly fast work In the last few years. The best steam yatch speed, better than 45 miles an hour, made by the Arrow when owned by Charles R. Flint beats this by 50 per cent and is the fastest time ever made by anything afloat. Single sculling has gone the way of bi cycling ln America, though 2 years ago, thanks to the fostering care of certain patent medicine concerns, people used to flock by the tens of thousands to see Courtney, the American, and Hanian; the Canadian, contest for the first place. .The American, really the abler oarsmant was always beaten by his lack of nerve and perhaps that's why there is so little interest In single sculling in this country today. The Interest in college rowing is still as great as ever, perhaps greater, but the only new rowing record of 1905 was made at Baltimore when the Argonaut, clght-oared crew of Toronto, covered a mile in 7 minutes and 2S seconds. Running records and swimming records are too Intricate to follow, but the fast est mile running record was made in 4.12I by W. G. George; Duffy, though disqualified as an amateur, is the fast est short-distance runner by reason of his making 100 yards in 9 3-5 seconds, and the fastest mile swimming record by A. Keran In Australia last year. He cov ered the distance, making 52 turns, In 23 minutes, 164-5 seconds. The Iceboat speed game is a highly In tecestlng one, and mlie-a-mlnute records have been made at It on the Hudson, but there are many reasons why few of us can ever engage In or even witness an iceboat race. After all. the swiftest thing In the world Is. a bird, If the frigate bird, sometimes known as the man-of-war's bird, files as fast as estimated. Some observers say it can easily make 150 miles an hour, and some accord it even greater speed. F. M. Chapman, of the Metro politan Museum of National History ln regarded as one of the most attrac tive gentlemen's country places in the country. When the elder Ade looked it over., he remarked: "I'rs too darn fine for me; George, and I don't suppose you'd be here much for a while anyhow." But contrary to his father's expec tations, young Mr. Ade- has spent a great deal of time on his farm, In fact he has done most of his literary work there. In the warm Summer days, his fa vorite spot Is beneath a large Inviting oak, and, beneath its shading- branches, he sits with pad of soratcW paper, Jgt tlng down Ideas. Unlike most playwrights. Ade writes his dialogue piecemeal and docs the fitting in later. Those who have visited the Ade farm add verification to the assertion that the master of these picturesque acres is a really out-and-out farmer. He rises early, often assists in the chores and not Infrequently takes a hand in the milking of the restless bovine. Oc casionally he is seen topping a load of hay bound for the Lafayette mar kets. The house is a model, of beauty. The Interior garniture Is characterized by an appearance of quiet, restful lux ury. The libi-ury Is Adc's- particular Joy and here' the major part of his lit erary work is done. Leading Citizen of Brooke. 1 he populace of Brooke regards Ade as its leading citizen and this Is not without Its drawbacks, for. whenever an enterprise of public spirit is sug gested. Ade is always asked to head the list of contributors. Last Summer, the young men of the community de cided to organize a baseball team and. of course, uniforms became one of the Important early questions to con sider. They waited upon Ade in a body. "Mr. Ade." said the spokesman? "we have a purely business proposi tion te make. We are getting up a ball team to represent the town and we thought, you might like to furnish us the uniforms." "How much will they cost?' asked the leading citizen of Brooke. "About $150," was the reply. .nd Cor an Inducement, we will name the team The Widow after your new play." "But what good will that do me?" asked Mr. Ade. "Why," was the unhesitating reply, "look at the advertising you will get.' 1 New York, who has studied this bir somewhat, hesitates about' giving a guess even as to its speed. He says, however, that its flying appar atus Is marvelous- Its body Is little larger than a well-grown chicken's, but the spread of its wings In flight Is be tween 6 and 7 feet. The homing pigeon, however, speedy as It is supposed to be. Is slow compared with the steam locomotive and the auto mobile. The best long-distance pigeon record was made in 1902 by a Pittsburg bird, which flew S36 miles In 43 hours and 11 minutes. The fastest pigeon speed re ported for 100 miles was considerably more than a mile a minute. To be ex act, the rate was 7536 feet, or 'between SO and SO miles an hour. The bird be longed ln Buffalo. But who cares about the frigate bird or the homing pigeon with the Ormond Beach auto races less than two 'weeks oft? (Copyright, 1000. by Dexter Marshall.) Byes and Hair Harmonise. Indianapolis News. The latest shade in women's hair Is amethyst. It Is usually worn with violet or dark gray eyes, black hat and black gown. Brown, green and yellow ejres and black, brown and lemon-colored hair are entirely out of date, and are wora oaly by people who don't read the &ag&zl&9&,