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STARTING GATE ORIGIN Paddy Ryan, a New Yorker, the First to Introduce Method in This Country. The origin of the starting gate for horses has frequently been under discussion among horsemen and turf habitues and in the past several men and countries not entitled to the honor have been given credit for its invention. With a view of definitely settling the controversy the records have been carefully gone over and the fact disclosed that Paddy Ryan, an Irishman and a resident of New York, was the first man to invent a machine that successfully got a good alignment of horses. It was in the early "eighties" that Mr. Ryan conceived the idea and it was at the old Brighton Beach track that it was first tried out. In principle the machine worked on the order of a window shade, the barrier running up in grooves propelled by a powerful spring. An account of the device was published in the Sporting World, one of the leading racing papers of those days, and the patent papers applied for by Mr. Ryan are no doubt a matter of record in the patent office in Washington at the present time. Mr. Ryans invention, though meritorious in many ways, was not a success and it was not until an Australian device was adopted in Australia that the starting gate attracted widespread attention in this counry. GATE FIRST USED AT LSGLESIDE. The first gate of any value was erected at the old Ingleside track in California. It was a cumbersome-looking machine, uprights being built of wood, but it worked on the same principle as the machine used today by Mars Cassidy and other starters, with the exception that their machine is movable, while the old Australian device was, to a largo extent, stationary. Later on a smaller and movable machine was used in Australia, one that worked with an arm, similar to the one now used and improved by adding an electric release and other parts for its improvement. The first machine of note, however, was erected at the Aqueduct track in the year 1S95 or 189C and was placed at the half-mile pest, a company having been formed by Paddy Ryan, the inventor ; Thomas D. Reil-ly, Milton Grey and one or two others, plans of which had been cabled for to Australia. In those days it was believed expedient to have a recall flag. This starter Pettingill handled, while the actual start was made by the man in charge of the barrier. It was left to Pettingill whether the race was then on or whether the horses should be recalled and another effort made to get a good alignment. There were many objections to the method, but the more conservative horsemen could then see the virtues of the system, though it needed perfecting. The machine was later improved on and placed at different points on the Morris Park track. At some points this track was 144 feet wide, and this necessitated an extraordinary strain on the webbing. To offset this tape was used, known as press machine tape, which had little or no elasticity. It worked well and the device was gradually gaining friends, but the jockeys were opposed to it because some of them could not get the best of the start. They did much to discredit the starting gate. On ono occasion Henry Griffin, who Was then riding for August Belmont, the present chairman of the Jockey Club, was caught in the barrier, and it sawed his neck to such an extent that Mr. Belmont immediately ordered the gate discarded. FRAK CLARKS BARRIER DISCARDED. The following year Frank Clark introduced a barrier made of reed straw, a sort of apron which could not injure a rider, but it failed to keep the boys in line and made the horses fractious. This was discarded after being given a fair trial. At the time this was going on Mars Cassidy was using a plain piece of rubber tubing stretched across the Barksdale track in Maryland. While this helped some, it waa not what was wanted. Mr. McGinnis then began to work on a device, as did others, and their work was continued until the question was solved. Today several styles of machines are in use, each starter owning his own device, with the exception of A, B. Dade, who uses the McGinnis machine. Starting horses by machines was ridiculed thirty years ago until the Australians demonstrated the method a positive success, since : which time almost every country in the ; world has adopted the system. It has removed the trying and tiring ordeal of ridera maneuvering for a start and causing unnec- ossary delays, such as occurred in the American Derby in 1893, when starter Pettingill had the horses at the post about an hour and forty-five minutes. A return to the old system is now out of the question in these days of progression and speed, and as one horseman recently re-" marked: "If they were starting hors- ..ith- out a barrier these days half of die specta- tors would die of hear llaease before the start was made, an" Lhe other half from intense internaltTppressed emotion."
