The Sun.
London, England, 1869-09-15 00:00:00

THE DONCASTER, ItAC.ES.

The Doncaster race meeting—the last campaign of the
years-commenced on Tuesday. With the exception of
the Champagne Stakes the card looked a somewhat weak
one, for though eight events were set for decision, the
entries were rather poor. If the prospects of the meeting
had depended on the first event—the time-honoured
- they would have been far from cheering.
The race was reduced to a match between White
Slave and the three year old Castle Hill, who
was beaten at Weymouth by Formosa. Sun-
, shine did not come out for the Filly Stakes, having a
more valuable engagement at a later period of the day.
The field consisted only of Ceatus, Agility, and Frivolity.
The last-named was, es might have been anticipated, made
a tremendous favourite, and won with the greatest ease by
half a length. The Clumber Plate, which had eight
coloured, promised to be an interesting race, but it ended
in a match between the two year old Hester and old
Honesty, of whom the latter could not for a considerable
time be found on the course. Up to this point Vie pro-
ceedings had been tame in the extreme, but the
appearance of the telegraph board before the next
event, the Great Yorkshire Handicap, was much more
promising. The card sheaved the names of fourteen animals, -
all coloured with the exception of Romping Girl and Crowe
Princess. When the flag fell Mr. Hodgman's ci-dcrant
"steam engine" was quickest in beginning, and at once
chewed with a slight lead of Wildbad, while The Laird,
War, and Lady Zetland, all starting badly, shelved three
or four lengths in the rear. At the Red House,
Argyle and Giant des Batailles, who had been running
prominently at the head of the second division, were
seen creeping up to Dodona, and Myosotis, all
of whom were nearly abreast. The last two
were beaten before reaching the bend, where
Giant des Batailles came up, with the favourite on his left
next to the rails, and challenged Paul Jones, who was at
once beaten. The race became a match between Giant des
Batailles and Argyle, of whom the latter, when about
300 yards from home, seemed to be going so strong and
well that for a moment it was thought the victory would
be his. As soon, however, as his jockey called on
him, at the commencement of the iuclosure, he
began to flounder all over the course, and left Giant
des Batailles to win by a length. Paul Jones pulled up
very lame, but this was due to his having hit himself, and
finished a bad third. The next event was one of the most
interesting and important of the meeting, the Champagne
Stakes. The appearance at the post of such fillies as
Sunshine, Mantilla (the recently named Basquine filly),
and the Madame Eglentine filly would have given
renown to any meeting. The names of thirty-two
animals figured on the card, tut of these only ten were
coloured, and of this lot four, Agility—who had already a
race "in her "—Swift, Bonny Swell, and Mr. Merry's
"second string." Sunlight declined the contest. The
three famous fillies came out the very perfection of the
trainer's art. The parties attached to each had their con-
fidence sustained by the magnificent appearance and
splendid condition of their respective champions. The
moment the word was given Sunshine took a alight lead
of Joseph's filly, close up with whom was Mantilla, the
Three completely outpacing the rest of the competitors,
who were never "in the hunt." After going two-
thirds of the journey, Mantilla headed the Madame
Eglentine filly, and, owing to Sunshine running in her
usual sluggish manner, Mr. Pryor's representative was
enabled to get on almost equal terms with her. The
moment, however, Fordham shook up the favourite, she
answered in that grandly resolute style which has gained
her such admiration, and, completely outstriding her
opponent, won with the greatest ease by a length and
a half, to the delight of her admirers, who cheered most
vociferously. The Stand Stakes, after a good
finish with Roxana, fell to Ismael, who was favourite at
5 to 4, and was afterwards bought in for 220 gs, an advance

of 170 gs on the entered selling race. The Doncaster
Pate, with eleven runners, fell to Xi, after a good race
with Vespasian, the latter of whom was madh a hot
favourite at 2 to 1, this being his favourite distance,
11Iorna, who was heavily supported at half a point more,
also compounding at the bend. The Glasgow Plate
brought out only two runners, and was won easily by
Swift, on whom 3 to 1 was Lid.

Steps are being taken to erect a monument to
Robert Bruce, at Bannockburn, the scene of his famous
victory.

On the last day of August there was a storm
on Afount Washington during which the thermometer
fell to 28 deg. and ice two inches thick formed on the
telegraph wires.

The National Temperance Convention, called to
organize a third political party on temperance principles,
met at Chicago on the lstof September. About 200 del°.
gates were present, and the llon. James Block, of Penn.
sylvania, was chosen president.

CLEVER CAPTURE OF PICKPOCKETS.-011 Tues-
day, at Newcastle, three men were charged with pocket-
picking. Evidence was given against them by a journey-
man tailor, named Bolton, who has previously been
instrumental in bringing about twenty prisoners to
justice. He watched them loitering about a chapel door,
and saw them trying to pick pockets. Razors were found
on them, with which they cut pockets open. They were
sentenced to short terms of imprisonment.
ELECTION or LORD MAYOR.—A meeting of the
committee for promoting the election of Mr. Alderman
BeSley was held at Guildhall on Tuesday, James Figgins,
Esq., M.P., presiding. Resolutions were passed to the
effect that Mr. Alderman Dakin had simply postponed
his acceptance of office, owing to ill-health, and that, there
fore, no vacancy had been created by him; Mr. Alderman
Bosley standing next in rotation, and nothing having
occurred during the year to warrant the re-election of the pre
sent Lord Mayor, the committee pledged thomselves to use
every effort to secure the election of Mr. Alderman Beaky.

An uproarious meeting of Glaspw Spiraualists
was held on Monday night in the Wellington Rooms.
Mr. George Duncan was the operating medium, and aftet
several forms were smashed and the operating table
broken in pieces, a "seance" was entered upon. " A low
sweet song" having been suggested to entice the spirits,
"Ye banks and braes" and "Auld law syne" were sung
by the audience, who then had the gratification of seeing
the table—which had been mended by tape and string—
rise and fall at the biddine of the medium. The audience
unfortunately were still sceptical, and amid much uproar
—in which a suggestion was made that the admission
money should be "melted in spirits "—the proceedingp
came to a close.

THE ALBERT ASSURANCE COMPANY. -A meeting
of share and policy-holders iu this company has been held
at Shrewsbury. The Mayor, Thomas Groves, Esq.,
occupied the chair, and made some few preliminary
observations, and, after some conversation, the following
resolutions were agreed to nem. con.: " It is the opinion
of this meeting that the board of directors and London
managers of the office are not entitled to the confidence
of the policy-holders, and should be deprived of all inter
ference in the sett!ement of its affairs." " That the
following gentlemen are hereby appointed a committee
to represent the interests of the policY:holders of the
Shrewsbury district, and to confer with the committee of
policy-holders formed elsewhere, and to take such action
for protecting the interests of policy-holders as they may
think desirable." To this document five names were
signed, the Mayor of Shrewsbury being one. A vote of
thanks to the Mayor terminated the proceedings.

THE POTATO CROP OF 1869.—The potato crop
of 1869 will prove to be one of the best in the experiences
of this generation. The season has been pretty equally
favourable upon the whole and unfavourable in part, to all
the occupants of our fields and garders. The potato has
been subjected to severe trials, but has pretty well got
through them all, and the aggregate crop is in quality excel
leut,and in quality enormous. In the early part of the summer
there were reports of the appearance of disease in many
places. Vie believe there has been no case of disease seen
anywhere as yet, but many times the haulm has beer
scathed by frost and blotched by aphis, and superficial
observers have been in haste to pronounce these instances
proofs that " murrain was stalking through the land." The
success of the plant of 1869 is in strict accordance with all
our past experiences. The potato, more than any other pro
duct of our fields, is, in a certain sense, an actinometer ; the
bulk of the crop is a measure of the relative degree of the
summer•heat. The crop has been many times in jeopardy
through the prevalence of a low temperature, but the
weather has recovered in time, and we are now safe ; all,
indeed, that need be feared is second growth, which in
many fields has commenced already.—The Gaa•diners