The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-06-14
rAIRrlEIp.-THE RACES, &c.

During the regular ioss' y"
vvsYe unable to attend. From oar coh'empo~
,.,;ss of the press, however, and from osner
s.o,rcss ue learn that there was dec'ded I'M
..~...,,s,, aimee last fall, and we have every
....o, n believe that its progress will not be
Interrupted.
r;,st. We have now large Jockey Club;
=, members. we have been told, amount to one
b.ndred and 6fty-ftty more than was at first
.,,;.;,.ted. The names are those of persons
Who stand respectfully in society, almost we be-
leye without exception. The great desidera
suu,. therefore, of good purses has been OBJ,
,a;ned. These will bring good horses, and
large accession TO the club, most certainly,
and thus furnish the elements OF future pros
rerty. Let us have the purses, and we will
venture to insure the horses, let them be scat
tered all over the continent.
Secondly. The farmers are again turning
their attention to the rearing of blooded stock.
The true cause Of the decline OF racing has
been the scarcity of first rate horses There
has been action and reaction in the case. The
horses became scarce, because racing de-
clined, and racing declined because horses
became scarce. As attention is once more
turned 10 both these subjects, all dlfhcult'es
will of course vanish at once. The racing
will improve as the stock improves. 1t will
be better next fall than it has been this spring,
aud better this time four years than it will be
this time next year. We shall soon, indeed, II
the proper inducements continue TO be held
out, have as many horses on the turf as there
were when Tree Hill was in all its glory.
Thirdly. The managers will have taken
steps, before the next races, to improve the
track, in one very important particular. AT
present the portion of it which lies immediate
~ before the judges stand is entirely OPEN
When the horses are about to start, halt the
crowd congregates in the track, so that it is
almost impossible to get fair start. 1t is the
same case when they come down the quarter
stretch. The crowd throng about the track in
such way as to leave scarcely space enough
for the horses 10 run. The horse in the rear
when he comes to the stretch, must be con-
tented to keep so, for he cannot make dash
without running over and Gripping dozen or
so of the good citizens of this Commonwealth.
Marshals, police and judges exert their lungs
in vain, for they cannot induce the crowd 10
retire on either side of the track. This will be
remedied, so we learn, before the next races.
The entire space will be rallied in, and other
precautions will be taken to keep of the spec
tatofs.
Fourthly. Accommodations will be provi'
ded for the ladies. No public amusement of
any kind can ever be popular in Virginia, ur,
indeed, any where else, where they are not al
mitted, or where, if admitted, they will not
come. Their presence is always exhiarating
acting like champagne-and always gives
zest to every thing that is agreeable. Let the
amusement be as stupid as it may, if there are
tob be many ladies at it, there will always be a
large crowd of the ruder sex. The proprie~
tors Of Fairfield may not expect TO make their
course popular until they secure their attend
ance. The way to do this is FIST to have good
horses, and next, to provide for their accommo-
daton. We understand a pavilion is TO be
erected for their benefit, to be called the La
dies Pavilion.
The chances for profit to the proprietors are
e
Ariel and Black Maria. Then, there was nc
travel except by private conveyance, or in the
stages, which ran about three times week.
The great horse-raising counties of Albemarle
and Louisa, on one side of the river, of Amelia
Charlotte and MeckIenburg. on the other, to
say nothing of North Carolina and MaryIan
were, in a measure, cut { Fl from US. 1t is true
that persons who came here but once year
very generally selected that season, because
they could kill two birds with single stone
and few veterans, out of pure love for the
sport, threw their saddle-bags over their sad
dies, and came all the way on horseback
But the large majority of those who were
deeply interested, were compelled to stay al
home. 1t is not so now. Our railroads will
bring crowds from all the quarters named, pro.
vided only the sport be made sufficiently in
teresting. Nay, we shall, in a very short time
have among us on such interesting occasions.
the whole sportloving community that resides
beyond the mountains. Where there weye
hundreds before, there will soon be thousands
Let us imagine That there were as many fine
horses on the turf now, as there we've At anv
time from 1897 TO 1835-Iet US fancy that John.
son and Wynn, and boswell, and Hare, and
White and Williamson, and twenty others we
seoald name, were all here with their stables.
as they were then. What scene we sbou,d
have on race day! What crowd upon the
held! What fine times for the hotels and
: Boarding houses! What sums for the mer
chants, in articles which they would be sure te
SELL
Large gatherings OF this sort are always o.
Advantage TO community. They bring mo
hey. and in no small quantities. They spen'
money, and spsnd freely. Besides what the.
necessarily pay for their board, they have
great many wants. They become, moreover
acquainted with our merchants, and that lead
to traffic. In one word, every such gatherin
presents q hundred benefits to the city.
II the proprietor of the Fairfield race cours
will look at the matter in proper light-ih,
is 10 say, if he will cast his eyes three or for
years ahead-he cannot fail to see that
~sauHe with reoa I'd tn he En,nra in far M =,