Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1858-06-19
MISCELLANY.
Horse-Racing in America.

This form of amusement has long been
considered one of the constitutions" of Eng
land, but we doubt if many persons arc
aware Of the extent to which it has been
carried in our own country, or have any
conception of the amount of money cxpcnd-
ed in its support. Let us take cursory
glance at some of the facts, MS reported in
the "American Racing Calendar, and Trot
ting Record" recently published by the
proprictors ot''Portcr' Spirit of the Times, :"
which is a sulncinnt guarantee of the cor
rcctness of the statements. We shall be
able to convince the most skcptical that
horse-racing is now an established "insti-
tuition in the United States.
Many who may turn over the pages of
the book referred to, will sec nothing but
the mere statement that on such a dav,
two or more horses contendcd for a pu 50
of hundreds or thousands of dollars, which
was won by the victor, in so many minutas
and seconds to each heat. They will find
this statement repeated more than sixteen
hundred times, varied by the number of
horses, the distance ran or trotted, the
amount OF stakes, and the time made. But
there are other persons who, as they peruse
these varied records, will picture the race
course, with the assembled concourse of
spectators-the busting crowd of eager
spOrtsmen betting thpr hundreds and thous-
ands of dollars on the rcsult-the earnest
and anxious few gathered about each horse,
and speaking words of advice and caution
to the jockeys-thc horses themselves, full
of life and spirit, and seemingly conscious
nF Il a., q ,., C. Al. 4
pcrfomanccs-thc judges clustered togeth-
CT in the stand, regulating their watches,
and making the necessary preparations for
the race.
Now they will hear the order, "clcar the
track y which is repeated by hundreds of
excited voices, as the crowd withdraw out
side the railing, closing few more bets as
they retire. Bring up your horses !" and
necks are strained to catch glimpse of the
"high-mettlcd courscrs," as they arc rode
or driven up to the stand. Then the word
"Go" is given, and the crowd push, and
.iostle, and stand on tip-ton, to see the start.
Everybody is excited, though everybody is
trying to appear cool. Now the horses
make the first turn, and there is compara-
tive lull, broken only by the Intelligence
communicated to the crowd from those who
have elevated themselves so as to command
a view of the track, Again all is hustle
they are coming up the "homc-strctch :"
more jostling, more standing on tip, toe, cv-
erybody trying to see, and, consequently,
getting in the way of everybody clsc-an
unusual stiffness as both animals near the
judges stand, apparently "ncck and neck, :"
and then shout of 'the mares won," and
the happy winners of bets crowd around the
victor, while the less pleased losers press up
to the vanquished horse, and console them
selves by telling the driver, that, if he had
done "thus and So" he might have won !;
that they 'consider the heat thrown away"
etc. Occasionally, there are, disputes as to
the correctness of the "time" announced
from the judges stand, accusations of "foul
driving" are made, and then come high
words from hot heads, followed by heavy
blows from clenchod hands But these
are "the exceptions, not the rule"
To return to the S"Racing Calendar. -
Nc different places named in this volume,
uaer the head of "Places of Sport" num-
besRcarly two hundred in the United States
aloRA a large portion of these being cstab-
he&race-courscs while, in some few in
stances the tfotting or running has taken
place agomc agricultural Fair" or upon
the road During hesixteen months from
Soptemba ], 1865, to January J., 1858,
there occuRred f~c hundred and seventeen