Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-06-17
EPSON RACE COURSE ON LAST DERBY
DAY,

Epson race course on Derby day as our
readers are aware, is phenomenon quite in
describable. 1t is a medley-a world on q
small scale-such as the Derby alone exhibits
for only London could furnish it. No other
festival IN the world approaches near to it, II
Is, In fact, hOuseless LOndOn-LOndon with all
ITS pomp, " ealth and squalor, wants, vices
luxuries. gentlemen, knayes and fools-at once
transported. as if by magic, into the open fields
Like all great sights, il leaves a strong though
lndlstlnct impression on the mind Whimsical
and bizarre, like the aspect of the course itself
where much is seen and little recollected. Who
that saw Derby once can ever forget it vet
who that has seen it fifty times can tell more
than that 1t Is an immense assemblage, as un-
definable as the ocean
Yesterday it differed little from it's usual cos
mopOlitan aspect. There were tents and boots
OF all kinds, from the palatial canvas of Alger
down to the miserable tarpauln shanties on
twigs from out of which the sallow daughters of
Egypt dispensed unheard of wealth in sixpennv
fortunes. There were organ grinders mountc-
banks, dancers fddlers and beggars. perform-
ing monkeys and precOcious children Tender
infants that could scarcely stand upon their
leet were made to stand upon their heads in
wooden platters, and urchins scarce weonoJ
erept up long ladders carefully adjusted on the
paternal nose, which bore evident tokens of
having suffered somewhat i'm the usual duties il
=
much-uSed feshings" comforted themselves
after a manner that quite upset all theories as
10 the use OF backbone, Punches girls on
SUITS, oallad-slngers, negro melOdists grinning
from ear to ear card -sharpers and never-to-be7
sufficiently mathematical "kerrekt cards.
abounded as usual.
PickpOckets, Of course, mustered strong. and
must have reaped bOunteous harvest for un-
tll 1t was time to clear the course but few no.
hcemen were to be seen. In this part of the ar
rangements an alteration is decidedly needed
The Grand stand was very full, and visitors
continued to arrive up to the very moment of
the horses starting. As usual, there were some
twenty or thirty belated parties that missed the
Whole affair, coming only in time to share the
dust and general panic and disappointment that
ehsued on the winners number going UP at the
post. The first race generally commands abou I
"a much attention as the first piece of a boxing
night. Yesterday there was not even a mis-
giving as to the state of the turf to give il in
terest, and all the varied noises of a race course
continued with almost unabated vigor Not so.
however, as the time for the event apnroscbad
The uproar gradually stilled down into a busy
hum, and silence deepened as excitement and
expectation increased
just before the first false start fixed solemn
attention reigned over the whole multitude. that
compared with the former restless uproar. seem
ell bOdeful and impressive. The excitement
"Iose 10 an intense pitch odds were given and
taken for or against almost anything. Only in
subdued exclamatiOns or long drawn breaths
was the disappointment of the false starts ac.
knowledged. Suddenly there was boarse mur.
mur gradually swelling into an uproar-a con-
fused, dull trampling, and rush like y
whirlwInd as the horses swept by-tbe colors
mixed, changed and vanishing i'm the distance
and ere you could collect thought or hazard :
guess, the Derby was run and won The resuIt
OF the race was scarcely unexpected for Black
| Bolny, the winner, had throughout the winter
been the leading favorite, and had only lost her
| position IN the betting by her defeat at New
Market for the one thousand guineas stakes-a
defeat which IS now inexplicable and which
| perhaps, can only be attributed to the gloriou:
uncertainty of the turf
After her performance at New Market. she
went quite out Of the betting, but a few day,
| ago she was brought again into favor. and al
| starting was in request at twenty to one. Still
many believed that Strathnayer, her stabI,
companion and winner of the Dee Stakes at
\ Chester, would be more trusted animal of the
( two. The ring is somewhat severely hit by tho
success of Black BOnny, for many people VIII,
! had backed her prior TO her New Market run
ming, had no opportunity of hedging and wer,
/ compelled to stand their money out Will,
/ others, believing she had no chance. betted
/ heavily against her without saving any part q
/ their Investments. Had Black Tommy won
! the felders would have had a rare turn fo,
this horse, except by his owner, who stood I,
win tZ',0O0 on him, was not backed for six
/ pence.-L0nd0H Times
4