The Sun.
London, England, 1866-09-10 00:00:00

DONCASTER, 1866.

A correspondent of the Racing Times writes on
the above subject as follows :
This will bo a rare week for Yorkshire folk, crowding
not only from all parts of every riding ; but Lancashire,
and indeed the whole of Great Britain, will contribute to
the groat northern gathering, no matter how the weather
may turn out, it makes little difference to your genuine
lover of racing. The garrulous, wretched, ill-conditioned
few, who live but to mar the comforts of others, will no
doubt, as of yore, contrive to enrich local bill-stickers by
getting every wall, tree, gate, post, or other erection be-
smeared with rubbishing quotations, as ill-timed as useless,
with the supposed view of inducing parties to abstain
from partaking in our innocent national recreation, but
their efforts will only create pity and contempt. If the Mid-
land Counties' lads could withstand the Warwick weather
last week they possess pluck enough for anything. It was the
first time 1 ever saw great races run in a continuous lake,
but there will bo little danger of a similar scene taking
place at the " Bellinger," or anywhere else except perhaps
the " Knavesmiree" Doncaster alone, is worth a visit ;
pleasantly situate on the southern bank of the River Don,
with delightful views, especially on the western side. There
are few towns iu the north of a more generally agreeable
character, and its well-known main street has always been
deemed one of the finest between London and Edinburgh.
Some extra coin will be required for a week's lodging at
any comfortable hotel during the races, although thou-
sands will seek the disnial shades of ',Sheffield, or some of
the more rural neighbouring towns and large villages on
the score of economy. At the former place my old acquaint-
ance Mr. Napoleon Flummux and several trusty reformed
(?) parties intend to locate, and many large parcels of
"tracks" were packed up on Friday night for the benefit
of erring sportsmen, by "the mind other persons business
society" and the "army of moony martyrs," the rulers of
which have expended a vast amount of cash in getting up
soapy trash for the occasion ; but whether any of the
Sheffield blades or weavers of Yorkshire shoddy will be
much enlightened by the literature in question, is a matter
for their own consideration, my own impression is they
will not, and that everybody who takes a ticket for Doncaster
or mounts a trap of any kind with the intention of seeing
" T'Leger " run for will not bo diverted from his object even
if all Paternoster Row were to use its blandest persuasive
powers, backed by Exeter-ball aad its husterest patrons.
The great railway companies intend to give Loudoners of
moderato means a cheap trip for twelve-and-six, returning
either the same evening or on Friday, and the ordinary
general service from all parts will be most ample.
In nearly every carriage of the cheap trains will be found
a school of sharpers possessed of implements of many kinds
made to cheat the. unwary—ono fellow will start with the
three cards, and defy any ono to select, although he will
bend, or have a small mark at their back, or appear so
clumsy in handling, that an ordinary sharp fellow is sure
to fancy ho can discover it, but all will not be of the
slightest avail, for nobody but ono of the gang
can by any possibility win. Should this fail or become
tiresome, a performer at the other cud will start the old
game of blind hookey, in which tho outsider will have
about tho same chance. A third pulls out of his bag a
small covered roulette box with the apparent object of
selling it, but the parties intended to be sold are those
who venture to handle the ball. A teetotum readily spun
upon a hat is another article, and so made as to press
either end of the peg to be used. This will be pronounced
the squarest game in the world, and so simple that any
child can play; but children of a larger growth must take
care, for neither simplicity nor average sharpness will bo
of any use. All peAsons taking out purses or coin from a
particular pocket should be careful to take stock of par-
ties close to them on either side, for they will be watched,
and every tunnel will afford the railway thieves opportu-
nities, by asking the greenhorn for a light from his cigar,
or other manceuvre to avert his attention and secure the cash,
with that dexterity so well known to common observers.
The purse is quickly despatched through a window, and
coins cannot be identified. Bolder robberies are now and
then put up and successfully accomplished. This gene-
rally occurs when nearing a station, where the engine be-
comes thirsty and the passengers much in the same con-
dition, and great crowding round a refreshment bar re-
sults ; in the end many a porte-monnaie and watch will
have left their owner'spocket, and the operators arecertain
not to reappear in the same carriage again.
This advice should bo implicitly attended to, or parties
will have a difficulty in backing outside certainties at the
postaidor want of proper circulating medium, which brings
to my mind the fact that there are alleged good things be-
sides Lord Lyon, in corroboration of which the tipsters
are promising, and the "commission agents" from ashilling
upwards are " guaranteeing" winners from every stable.
These industrious fraternities aro very strong in the
(newspaper) field, and if pcwerful promises in print could
realise fortunes, the whole sporting world might retire,
when the flat-racing year 1866 closes, and the prophets
alone be sufficiently potent in wealth to resuscitate
Overend, Gurney, and Co. ; but there must be mishaps
somewhere, because where ono class is to become sud-
denly rich, another class who contribute to the pleasantry,
must become poor. with equal rapidity.
Such of your readers as shall either from motives of
economy or convenience, or both; take the excursion train
will have made a good investment iii. the Racing Times,
provided they read the preceding remarks carefully, and
strictly act upon them, during the journey down. What
will occur when they land at the fine old Yorkshire town
is impossible for me to predict, but fastening up your
pockets is a peat feature in general comfort, especially
when you are a long distance from home, and strangers
look suspiciously upon a cheque-Wok; however, let us
hope that all may enjoy themselves heartily, and, as ac-
cording to the prophetic division, there are many outsiders
" fit to run for a man's life," can " win in a walk," " trot
in backwardS," and so on, there ought not to bo much
diffictiltyin parsing the little" out," pleasantly and perhaps
profitably, especially as iu this age of telegraphs and other
great wonders, the public is assisted in its judgment by a
comparatively new institution called "The Special Com-
missioners," the poor old and suspicious reports of
roughs lying in ditches, and hiding behind bushes,e&c.,
having been abolished. I have never, to my knowledge,
seen a special commissioner, but they seem to have cropped
up plentifully during the present year. Every man who
can extract a shilling to back a horse is a "commissioner"
according to his own view. There are also bankruptcy
judges of the same name, and real and sham parties about
the streets, who deliver messages and carry letters at
moderate sums. My peculiar forte is to put our sporting
friends an their guard against general quackery ; so in a
small way am a special commissioner for that peculiar pur-
poSe. Anyhow, what with one kind of advice and another
the race of greenhorns bids fair to become in process of
time extinct, for. the special gentlemen referred to must bo
up early and late ; in fact, every large stud is constantly
under surveillance, and crack horses are attended to from
early Morn to dewy eve, and almost every movement re-
corded in print daily e, but, after all, you had butter watch
other person's money before investing your own.
To those who have patronised Doncaster Races as a part
of their annual pleasure, a description of the place is use-
less, but the scene on a fine day, when public interest in
great cracks runs high, presents rare muscular specimens
of England's hardy sons in the most rollicking state of ex-
citement, and without a local dictionary it will be useless
to attempt to understand one-half of the language which a
curious observer might hoar—the roar of outside betting-
men, comprising welchers and others, is equal to an entire
forest of lions iu a state of nature. The course will present
ample numbers of Northers and Midland rank and fashion,
and combine the partial beauty of a Derby or Ascot Day
with the noise of Hampton; in fact, the scene beggars all
photography, it must be inspected personally to be properly
appreciated. Creature comforts are mostly to be obtained
in profusion ; the course is an easy distance from the town ;
the corporation are princely in gifts of money, and promotion
of visitor's comforts in everyway, so that if the weathershall
hold up I predict a glorious week for all who have health
and sufficient surplus wealth to enter properly into the
various amusements that will be presented to their notice ;
but whether Lord Lyon, or Savernako, or Knight of the
Crescent, or either of them, will win, must be left to the
regular order of soothsayers whose names are to be found
without difficulty, and whose ideas will have been inspected
by anxious thousands before these linos aro in print. All
success to Doncaster and its petrel's.

PRESIDENT JOHNSON AND HIS OPPONENTS.—
The Daily News, noticing President Johnson's
last speech expressing his satisfaction at the result ,
of the Philadelphia Convention, says,
like most
other speeches of Mr. Johnson's, it is not calculated
to advance the interests of his party in the estima-
tion of the Northern people. Mr. Johnson is not
happy in his public appearances. His egotism runs
away with him, his temper gets the better of him,
and he seems utterly to forget the executive officer
of the national will in the mouthpiece of a political
party. Nothing could well be more improper than
the reference to Congress, and to the laws which
it is his duty to execute, in the last speech. To speak
of Congress as "
hanging on the verge of Govern-
ment," as " a body called or assumed to be the
Congress of the United States, but in fact a Con-
gross of only part of the States," is to use the lan-
r,ad taste in an officer elected by
~nage of the Confederacy itself, and is not merely
only part of the
States, but is, in Beim if not in fact, usurpation.,
Mr. Johnson may believe that he and his party are
" moving under a proper inspiration ; " but the in-
spiration is not that of " Divine Vrovidence," as he
asserts, but that of his own self-will. And, though
he accuses Congress of "encroaching
step by step
on constitutional rights and of " violating day
after day and month after month the fundamental
principles of the Constitution," the encroachment
is really on his own part, and the violation of the
Constitution consists in his own attempt, as a
merely executive and informing officer, to coerce the
Legislature. Mr. Johnson's speech really reveals the
animus of his policy. It disentangles the question
now before the people for decision of much irrele-
vant matter. it sets the real issue much too clearly
before them for Mr. Johnson's own interest. Is
Congress or the President to be the supreme legisA
lative power ?

RAILINAY INTELLIGENCE.

SHROPSHIRE UNION.

The half-yearly meeting of this company was held
at Shrewsbury on Saturday ; the Earl of Powis in
the chair.

The report was adopted, and a dividend at the
rate of 3 per cent. per annum declared.
Mr. BLAKEMORE said that the shareholders were
entitled to a contingent interest in the lease capital
account, and he should be glad to know if there was
any probability of anything being paid on that ac-
count. He should also like to know if any arrange-
ment would be come to with the London and North-
Western Company under which that lease capital
could be consolidated ?

The CHAIRMAN replied that, according to the pre-
sent position of their traffic on canals, and looking
at the increased dividends which the London and
North-Westein had been paying during the last
few years there was no prospect of any surplus over
the dividend out of their traffic. With regard to
the other question, their stock could at any moment
be converted into London and North-Western stock.
A vote of thanks to the Chairman terminated the
proceedings.