The daily comet. [volume] (Baton Rouge, La.) 1850-1856, 1853-04-17
sCorrespondence.
Monu,E. ADriI 11tlt, 1853.

Dear Comet : After / wrote YOU
last, / remained day or two longer
in New Orleans and went to the races.
1t was luxury | thought I ought to
indulge in, as / had never witnessed
horse race, being a moral young man,
and raised with Puritanic habits, horse
racing as well as card playing has al
ways been revolving to my feelings
However to the races went; was pre-,
scented with badge as a dsstiag masN-
ed stranger and took nay seat among
the magnates of the land, There |
found great array of beautiful ladies
and we'll dressed gentlemen all come
to see the races. The horses dressed
up in splendid trappings we're paraded
on the traek-at the sound Of the hngle
their covers were taken off. The rid
er most Enthusiastically dressed were
then mounted and up they came all
ARREST, with champing bit and flashing
eye--at the tap of the drum off they
start amid deafening shouts and yelling
mob. Asund the track they 60 for
two long miles under whip and spur
when the Winning nag comes in amid
the plaudits Of friends and the curses
Of foes. This ends the first heat, as
they call it in racing phrase devel
of heat it is, for the poor horses
sweat as if they were as hot as heaa
could make them. The second, third
and fourth heats are run until the poor
animals pant with exhaustion and al
most fall with fatigue And this is
the pleasure Of racing! | always
thought that cock-fghting was bad
enough, but I do think horse-racing
much worse. To see a fine blooded
horse gasping for breath and falling
with tAs bind staggers after the four
mile Race is anything but pleasant to
a sensitive mind. While on the track
| [ took the rounds to see what was GO
ing on and to my horror l found the
most outrageous den Of gamblers I ever
saw before. Faro banks, Roulett Ia
bles Vengf-une, and Monte tables,
fitted across my vision in all the dia
bolical cranduer of Pandemonium its.
self. Crowds Of old men and beadless
boys were setting around these sever
al games eager to bet and Of course
to lose. thought of what my father
used to tell me, "a fool and his money
soon parts" While looking on [ was
solely tempted-Oh. the Devil tenn
| pied me- took out SO bill and
Idrapped it on the king. Now the
king is favorite card Of mine and in
certain crowds about Baton Rouge 8
of them are worth at least hcgshead
of sugar. But to return to my bet
| looked around to speak to a fricud
and before l could say "consme So "a
my money was gone. asked for it
the caydy man with the iittle boz il
his hand told me that | had lost.
concluded the best thing | could Dc
was to leave Ibid SO instanter. Ny
dear Comet, New Orleans is mighty
Wicked place-its the wickedest place
/ ever saw and candidly should no
be much surprised if it did (unless she
repents which l hope she willy share
the same melancholy fate that befel
certain city that we read ofin sacret
history. After going, to the Opera
with pretty girl and to Church mex
, day with the same pretty girl, | left TO
this city on the steamer Florida ane
am now at this present identical writ
ing, comfortably located at the BATTLE
House" Mobile is pleasant, prett.
place and seem to be thriving fast.
will take dash throgah the city thl
evening and in my next tell you NOR
of it. The cannons are fring-it i
in honor of the arrival of Vice Pres
ident King, just returned from Hay
; ana. He is still very feeble and cal
; scarcely walk. He is on his way t
,. Tuscaloosa his place ofresidence, wher
he is going to die. He is very popu
lar here-eyery body loves him an
8 deeply sympathizcs with the dyin
! Statesman. WIN. r. KING has live
to a good old age-he has accumulate
ho,ors and riches to his hearts conten