The Shasta courier., 1866-07-14
An Irish Steeple-Chase.

A correspondent of the New York Tribune
writing from the city of Cork gives the fol-
lowing lively sketch of "Derby day'' in
Ireland. Every Irishman who has witness
ed the scenes usually enacted at steeple
chase race will bear witness to it's truthful
ness:
They began yesterday and ended to-day.
From far and near delegations of the real
old Irish gentlemen have assembled, mani
Testing an interest in the observance of the
time of the Spring races, scarcely less
fervid than that which characterizes their
religious devotions.
Yesterday being the opening day, Cork
was stirred to its nethermost social depths
with excitement. The streets were throng-
ed with multitude of old and young, rich
an poor, of every station, all moved by
common impulse. Vehicles were in unlimt
ed demand and municipal regulations con-
cerning the Larry Doolauf' were for the
time permitted to be ignored Cab and car
drivers necessarily netted rare harvest of
shillings. Everybody was good natured. and
the air was resonant with jokes, albeit redo
lent of whisky One importunatec car driver,
who had excited my ire by his persistent eff
forts to induce me to charter his vehicle to
such an extent as to provoke an angry ex-
pletive, completely unhorsed me by mildly
inquiring s. Would yer honor lind me the
loan of shillin till yees get back !"
The road out to 90 the Laplands," the To-
calitv of the races presented scene scarce
ly to be met with out of Ireland, where the
tlme-honored sport of TIE 9 steeple chase is
preserved with so much care. Barefooted,
ragged three-year olds'' trotted nimbly
along the way, while grayhaired old men and
women. and vigorous youth. and middle
aged people of both sexes, in every stage of
we'll to do condition and graduated poverty,
plodded over the we'll graded roadway, as en-
tirely absorbed in the prospective amuse-
ments of the day as though each had for
tune staked out upon the result. Vehicles of
every description, from the donkey cart to
the jaupting car, and from the latter to the
stately turnout with four in hand and hand
some liveried foot-men extended in long wind
iug lines from the Lee to the Laplands.-
Limerick, Kerry, Tipperary, Glare, Wa
terford and all the adjacent country was there
in large representations. The field wore the
well remembered, familiar features OF IN old
fashioned muster day" in New England.
There were booths where every description
of eatables and drinkabes were vended.-
Roulette and other games of chance-the
g main chance" as usual, in favor of the
corners. without fear of the law or its execu-
tive functionaries. The weather, that open
ed fine at sunrise, unfortunately thickened
into a misty rain at noon; and when the
bell struck the signal to :" mount" drench
ing drizzle had set in that seemed to threat
en- effectual cooling of the ordor of the en-
thusiastic crowd of male and female Hiber-
mans. But an Irishman from the neigbor-
hood of Cork is never more completely in
his element than when " basking ii the
ram" However decided may be his anti.
pathy to water as beverage-and that anti
pathy Is most clearly marked-Pat thrives
like a new potato vine in the rain, and is as
inuinerent to wetting as a salamander to
nre. 30 Jupiter Pluvius made an entire
! ,aiure attempting to mar the enjoyment of
the day, so far as the children of the soil
were concerned. 1t was stirring sight TO
see dozen thorough bred Irish horses and
their gaily dressed jockeys coming down the
home stretch for the start past the Judges
stand; and. like those present "to the man.
or born, soon found myself entering into
the spirit of the thing regardless of the rain.
From the grand stand the view of the horses
was soon lost In the mist and fog after the
second fence was jumped. By and by, tear
ing up on the other side of the course. the
forms OF half a dozen horses and riders come
hazily into view, and we saw them take the
water ditch leap in gallant style. At the
next fence two horses and riders were placed
hors dn combat, and but four out of all that
had originally started, came down the home
stretch, after leaping the last hurdle for the
second time round the course. These tore
past the judges stand at slashing pace. and
were soon lost in the fog again while ali the
crowd waited and wondered. The next time
they broke into view but two out of the four
were in. All the rest had come to grief. and
one of these deposited his rider comfortably
in the mud at the last fence, leaving the race
to gallant brown mare that soon came rat.
Ting down the home stretch at an easy can