The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1858-10-07
Tie Humors OF the Springfield
Horse show. +


Horse show.
Eighty acres alive with horses, men, .wo.
men, babies, tents, booths, circular swings,
wagons, grand stand, ponies, judges stand,
half milo track, "side-shows," mile track
and horses. Horses and vehicles, with oc.
cupants and drivers and many thousand peo-
pie, packed closely around the half mile
track, near the Judges stand, and scattered
more at random in other parts OF the field.
The grand stand itself, like great tulip bed,
gorgeous with the bright colors worn by two
thousand women; thousand or so of men
being thrown in for q contrast. Other wo-
men; red, blue, green, yellow--all the col.
Ors Of the rainbow, or out Of it, floating about
amongst the tents, or on the dyke, and in the
field inside the half mile track, where they
repose in groups about the tents marked
"President's" and Reporters"
About the "Marshalls tent" a small
crowd of men. Not the same men for any
consecutive ten minutes, but new faces ap-
pearing TO take the place Of those who have
"gone BEFORE" Serious looking gentleman
from the country steps up with a friend;
friend introduces him to the Marshall and the
three disappear within the tent. In q few
moments they reappear, serious looking gen.
tleman wiping his lips, and looking very
comfortable indeed. Afterwards (having
revisited the Marshall's tent once or twice
on his own account,) he ventures the opinion
that "hosbes as is hoshes amt no business
no whar ony inside oftwo.f forty" and says
"he'll be d. If he don't preach on the
subject when he gets home."
Firemen in red shirts and armed with
clubs keep watch and ward about the track
in the region of the Judges stand, where
they are expected to keep things clear for
the trotting. This they do with great dis
elimination and vigor, punching small boys
10 the head and chucking them under the
railing here aud there. When q party OF
portly gentlemen with forid countenances
and vast expanses of velvet waistcoat, over
whose surface stray rivulets of gold watch
chains, with numberess rings on their
coarse red fingers; when these flashy and
"hossy" fellows cross, the firemen are busy
somewhere else.
What handsome, grand and majestic fell
lows these fancy men are You can recog.
nize them anywhere by their "loud" appear.
ance, and by their always being little in
advance Of the latest foshion in the cut Of
their clothing. They are friendly, jolly
set amongst themselves, and are very court.
eous and polite to strangers, cheating and be-
ing cheated, winning money and losing it,
with careless sang troid that "outsiders"
admire and envy but can never hope to imi-
tate. "
A party of them-we recognize them here
were up at the village of G., Mass, last
year on the occasion of horse race over
the excellent mile track at that place.
There were fancy men present from SPRING
field, Hartford and New Haven. They bet,
of course, on the horses. Two of the par
ty from New Hayen-ihat tall and elegant
looking gentleman with the heavy black
moustache, was one of them--bet upon par
ticularly fast horse-one that they knew
could easily beat the field. But SPRING
field man, who had sheen around" very con.
sderably, bet against them to the extent OF
their respective piles. "The race is not al.
why's to the swift" and they lost. Spring
field was to much for them The winner
of their "funds" proceeded to the Mansion
House and called for Captain Decker. "My
name is -, of Springfield" he said, Sand
am responsible for the board and lodging
of - and - till tomorrow. But you
must put them in the attic, in one bed, and
feed 'em on bacon, for I'll be d i'll can
afford to pay for more than that, and they
are cleaned out 20
One of the chiefest ornaments to the field
are the ladies'. With what facility they take
unto themselves all the slang "horse" Ian
guage of the occasion. They criticise
horses points and gait with all the manner
of old judges and are enthusiastic over the
trotting "Hiram Drew" "Major Rogers"
Gone of the best trottors in the country, by
the way,) and other celebrated steeds.--
Then how they all unite in admirring Soon
Robinson-there is such look of venerable
benevolence hanging about his bushy white
beard. Most of them have, of course, read
his "Hot Corn" book, and we rather wonder
at the taste which admircs its author. But
they think that man "with that beard and
them eyes" cannot but write what is pure
and of good report. They are dear and SIM
pie hearted creatures, most of them, and
their presence adds materially to the happi-
ness and beauty Of the scene.
Here and there, siraying over the field in
couples usually, though they muy sometimes
be seen alone or in parties Of four or five,
are dazzling and captivating charmers, about
whose persons there seems to hang q GER
tain something, indefinite and intangible,
but none the less real. which separates them
from other women and places themalone by
themselves. Well let them pass, they have
as good right at horse show Us anybody.
Hartford Courant.