The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-07-29 00:00:00

ih

A SKETCH FROM " GOODWOOD."

In the columns of the Doily ico'?,R there are fre-
quently eery interesting and well-written articles on
the prominent subjects of the day, and this week
:00awmul Pares has been the subject of the fol-
lowing graphic sketch
'

The view from the stand in simply superb, and was tin lie
seen in perfection on Tuesday afternoon. At first, so quiet
was the course, the lawn, anal the paddock, that you could
hear the sheep-bells tinkling in the dells, :mil even the
scream of a skirling plover tumbling after the fashion of
these frantic birds in the sky. Tine clangour of the betting-
ring had not yet commenced, and the little einnvas town of dark
tents over from the mitt-puce to the reserved enclosures, was
apparently unawakened and tin..cenipied lint a brave
show of four.hrhand drags was held I.y the railings.
The 1111/11iler testified to the popularity of the chili which
has revived the out traditions of combing The lawn,
Sin to the finite of tine race for the Craven Stakes,
was hut sparftly attended. Nor dhl that event Icicle the
least sign of enthusiasm amongst the fraternity whose
lug has been vs threatened by philanthropic Weis-
lators. The seats on the c,IIISS It were marked .• engaged
for the litailiwood party,' Ind tine visitors were NIOW in
IMMOd ill an appearance. Orailually. however, the place
began ti. till. The patronesses of tine turf settled down as
they settle down to their stalls or boxes at the opera. Nothing
could be node charming than the client of the varied colour-
of the cloaks and wraps, which were deemed iudispens-
able under the uncertain aspect of the weather. On one
bench a group sit ic ith dresses the hue of the along- i
ing chromatic tints 00 the neck of the pigeon, and the rent
and the Algol. ...haw's fastened under the rounded,
dainty chins look not only fascinating but comfortable. On
another a bright canary silk with black bordering or lace •
creepers is your only wear. And then comes a splash of dull
red, a gleans 0 fwhite. a pretty chocolate, and a complete
bouquet of what must be called, for want of an more technical
phrase, a bouquet of Dolly Vardens. This costume recalls
not only the theatrical garb of the Nlaill of the Maypole, but
the delicate pat tenns or S.7.vres china, the teacup tithes, and
if it were only mounted Olin an little Pompadour wig instead
of a damn., would be rerfeCt tn its poetic. suggestiveness. It
seemed, indeed. that 1:0,..1w0iK1 inn affairs of toilette was Ascot
weeded. You saw 11011 e id those daring illiVitiet of garb in
which Mt-s. Oily Flo .1111,1. delights, in the Slaws park.
There was It studious avoidance of vulgar emphasis in dress,
but still a certain anti metive speciality of appointments
suitable only for gala occasions. Allti while On tints allideet
It may be worth noting. that for gentlemen linen' is a growing
taste being developed for what might be termed character
costumes for the turf. To be pn.perly lilted for tnissiwood
the visitor should be got up as nearly as possible after the
fashion id the cerement.; for which the notori 111 l •• White
Quakers" were distinguished. A gentleman panoplied allii
riiinituped tilOrtillially ill tub style leans over the rails of the
official stand. tie is grey from head to foot. Ile inight
spend lIOUIa iii a flour mill Withollt powdering'of his gar
mends showing upon them. There are fifty or a hundreil young
gentleman around you who have copied his dress, having seen
it at the Ilurlingintin matches, where his Royal Highness
slo.ots at the startled blue rocks. And the fact recalls
the circumstance that at Goodwood HO ailllll,l tit two-
penny ride is tin lie heanl, Ho twang or o.tt, from
tine impressilile nigger, no artist visible breaking stones upon
his arm, 11,1 proprietor oft calf with five legs, no exhibitor of
a pig whose learning on SOllle 110111ta is sudicient to puzzle
! the public. The vagrant picturesque rascals and their brute
confedendes would pick up but scant rewards at this exclu-
sive gathering. There Was iilliy a single specimen at the
loroleasional blind inan and of the histrionic War. Within
tine park. The blind man who in Ismilon monotonies on a
board that he has been depeleed nit his sight It ligi it Min:. has
altered the legend and conferred in sort of seasonable pathos
upon his affliction by accounting for lion the result of a fall
fnon a horse. A placard hangs upon his hiont,t breast Cull-
tntinninig
all illustration of the melancholy fact. Tine tramp MI
finds himself out of his element that he shuffles ott in disgust
after a single warning friilll a constable, w h. is as bewildered
to know how he got there 118 the WOOll cutter is to tiny IIOW
the toad got Into the heart if the oak.

At the Gratwicke Stakes the Ring begins to give tongue.
A little man, with a voice sharp as the shriek of an ungreased
cart-wheel, or the high yelp of a clarionet with a worn-ont
reed, leads oil with a shout One, two, three, and a win
one, two, firm% and a win anti the whole kennel is in full
cry in a moment. The ladies perched on the stand above
this pother gaze 110SVII Up4lll the roaring crew with wonder
aml astonishment. The betting-man is on his best behaviour
at tloodwood. (And it may be said here that he is seldom
seen anywhere that he is not civil though unity. and quite
reliable as a rule, granting that you do not take into account
the moral drift of his busineas'..) If you go into the Ring
at ttoodwood. he dors not, as at the Derby, or even as
at Ascot, pumne you with almost defiant though gotol-
humoured challenges to have a transaction with him.
He proclaims his terms vociferously an ever, hut as you
pass hint he assumes quite a Chesterfieldian deport-
ment. and wishes ft, know 11 11€' can 110 anything tow you. An
far as could be judged, a very large amount of downright
tusiness was transacted at Homiwood on Tuesday. It
was carried .m smoothly, but the still waters were run-
ning deep. The conf.leraey of the Ring is furnished with a
vast amount of ready cash, and nothing call equal the ott.
handed style in which the Invtbren Id the order are pre-
paivil to accommodate each other with fan notes. YOU tilt'
serve that the most fitturisbinglooking members it
the honourable profession are accompanied by youths,
evidently their children serving all 11111111.11hieVallil,
I,' the emit. The lalailk,lS it these hopeful assistants
is to keep cool and enter the bets carefully, the
while papa by their side ha roaring himself purple in the
face, anti bellowing the odds until you wonder how hi+ lungs
tint burst. The lad by his side is as calm as his father is,
apparently, reckless anti obstreperous. He whispcm from
thn, to time a word to his dutiful parent Olt a sudden keen
peru.l of his clasped note-book, anti, though papa does not
look at him, nor scent t,t hear hint, ittir alter his face On VOiee
lii the lehlah, the communication invariably has the effect of
changing the key allll terms of the head and chief if the
first. Itc+ides the torn who are prepared to do very- heavy
business with you under the grand stand, there aro a host
of humbler followern of the same pu.sna:don operat-
ing at the opposite side of the road. This district is
altogether a failure. It is a wonder that the half-crown
Ring men do not understand that the client+ they seek
for are not to be found at Goodwood. tiol the stone
want of wisdom ii noticeable ha the rt,tainant enterpri., of
the quarter, for which there is but little custom. littler a
tent marked. 11,4 dinners limy served." was a solitary
diner. who had the appearance of lining a decoy duck—a
festive fugleman, so to speak—the ground-bait around which
the shoal might gather for the benefit of the promoters of
dapping erection. With all equal fatuity the tribe who exist
through the summer on the furnishing of regattas and race-
courses with the mears of grid ifying eurrent taste for t hr. wing
sticks at cocoa-mash:of a ',sal owon of ground allotted to them.
lad no one at tio.lwoodgtleS in for Aunt Sally Orethef Oa nuts,
nor 41 the ,ovners of ~th,proaolles Of the neglected sport :ind
toachinct y appear either surprised or cast down Ity the fact.
They :that A.m.,' the charge of the impaled nuts, and watched
the various races with otulle an eager, independent interest.

It is not perhaps literally correct to say that the picturesque
vaaais olds acre absent from Goodwood Park. Due repreaen-
tat iVe of the .14erting vagrants bad the courage to face the
critival awlien., or spectators of the lawn in giving his im-
per,onation of Irish laailllCTS all4l customs. The fellow is a
familiar figure at all racecourse,. Isit lie had devised a novel
feint entertainment for G...1w00d. After going througfl
the- obl business of lilting a Donnybrook ballad, awl tapping
alternately his heels awl his skull with an oaken cudgel, in
order to convey a forcible and correct idea of the inode in
which a farmer occupies his leisure at a fair in Ireland,
the Whitechapel .• Barney "—as his friewls have dubbed
lain- threw otf his coat, WO challenged himself to
a tremendous Iwut at boning with an imaginary personage.
Ile facet the phantom with much adroitness, and after
ducking his head tWO OT three till ies. to avoid the terrific
bhmsi from nowhere that were showered upon Mill With a
rapidity which he indicated by his defensive sparring, he pit
in one tremendous dig for his enemy, and knocked himself
down. Nothing daunted, he started lip again and renewed
It,,' combat, this time nude cautiously and with much feint-
ing anal getting away: hut rigidly carrying out his programme,
Inn suddenly liotlets three spankers up.s his own forehead
awl ilroles to the grass milid great applause'and laughter
1,.,,,, thil Who Wit lit•ASell Id, game eNertiollS.