Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1858-06-19
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races or running matches, and nine hun
dred and minety-iour trotting matches, max
ing total of fifteen hundred and eleven
races, or an average of three and a fraction
to each day, including Sundays In the
running matches, six hundred and ninety
two different horses (thc word horses is used
in general scnsc,) are named as taking
part; large portion of them running two,
three, and four times, many of them from
SIX to ten, and some few fifteen and twenty
times. In reading the record of the run
ming matches, We occasionally find notes
like these "Thrcw his rider on the second
heat" "Skull;cd and came to astand-still;"
FLEW the track - "Saddle turned, and FL
Iy bo!ted;' "Rulcd out for foul riding :"
"Ridcr ruled off the track" These notes
are highly suggestive of the dangers and de-
llGhttul uncertainties Of horse racing, and
at the same time afford evidence of an un-
compromising justice which is strictly en-
forced anc rigidly adhered to, and from
which some of our courts might take good
example 1t is almost impossible to asccr-
tam with cXactness the amount of the stakes
contcndcd for in thcso running matches, as
IN a great many instances there are num-
Der OF subscribers to race who each pay
subscription of 5000 if their horses run
and 500 forfeit if they do not; to the
amounts thus made up, the Jockey Club,
or proprictors Of the course where the run
nlng takes place, not unfrequcntly add pur-
ses ofvarious amounts, making total, in
some cases, of several thousand dollars.
In the various trotting-matchcs, one
thousand and scventy-two different horses
are recorded as the contestants, many of
them participating in ten, twelve and fifteen
trots. From a table giving the names of
the winning horses we learn that the amount
OF stakes in these trotting- matches sums up
nearly half a million of dollars, or an aver
age of five hundred dollars to each trot.-
Estimating the amount of stakes in the run
ming matches to be three hundred thousand
dollars, we have total of eight hundred
thousand dollars expended in racing, for
purses and stakes alone. There is also an
other item of considerable Importance to be
taken INTO the account of money laid out i'm
tins amuscmcnt-wc mean the. hiHin0
sums which change hands in the form of
"bets." Almost every one who attends a
race makes bet of some amount upon
some point connected with the race, no mat
" Va h'" ii'tiC III may De-
Bets arc made as to which horse will win
which will be second, third, and even fourth
what "timc" the winner will makc-how
many seconds behind the last horse will be
what distance the victor will win bv,
whether length, neck, or nose, and
upon every conceivable and some inconceiv-
able points, all of which tend to swell the
aggregate sum expended in horsc-racing,
and which will amount 20 more than a mil
lion of dollars. Besides these items, are
the expenses of laying out the various
tracks, and keeping them in proper cond-
tlon-the sum paid out for training horses
! and taking care Of them--for a thorough
bred horse receives us much, if not more
care, than large majority Of children
the large amounts paid as admission fees to
witness the more important races, and the
/ numerous etccteras which, small in them
selves yet make the grand total reach an
almost fabulous sum-
Wcnow come to the record of the "fastest
time ever made in America, the pcrusal
OF which is almost enough to take away
ones breath. Think of horse running a
mile In one minute, forty. two and II halfsc-
condS, another trotting the same distance,
In harness, in two minutes, twcnty-fourand
a half seconds, and third pacing it in two
minutes, seventeen and half seconds
Then, in the way of endurance, combined
with speed, We read of ten miles trotted, in
harness, III twenty-cight minutes, eight and
a halt seconds; twenty miles, under the
saddle, trotted in fifty-niuc minutes, fifty
five seconds; fifty miles, in harness, trottad
in three hours, ffty-hye minutes, forty and
a half seconds; and one hundred miles
trotted IN eight hours, fCty-six minutes one
second. A glance at the various names
bestowed upon the animals would not prove
unlntcrcstlng, but we have neither time
nor space for enumeration Suffice it to
state that the list includes ever, variety,
romantic, ridiculous and racy.
If racing is not considered an "institu-
ton in country where the number of
races average three day-Sundavs nclud
cd--whcre more than fifteen hundred hor
scs are kept in training for the purpose of
making money and aflording amusement
where upwards of a million of dollars is
yearly expended in its support, and where
fortunes are made and lost in the course of
"thc season"--we cannot imagine to what
extent 1T is necessary to carry the business,
In order to have it regarded as "popular
amusement" or national sport" and must
leave to some one more desirous of its in
crease, the privilege Of defending its pocu
llarltles, at the same time that he may plead
for Its extension Boston TanScyipt.
OUR BRAIN.-One of the most inconcci