The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-05-31
FEELS OATES ON THE MErAIKIE.

For the. View Orleans Sunday Crescent
I have been devoting myself of late to
ethnology, and have discovered that the best
place for studying the origin and progress of
races is on the Metairie Course. Opposition,
they say, meess every effort have found it
SO, certainly for at every step in my inqui-
ries was Obliged to reply to conversation of
horse-style character, in some cases found
it no easy matter to retain my equine-imity,
and had at times to indulge in course Ian
guage.
"Well," said Ben Zeane to me one day,
says he, he says, Felis, will you go to the
Mettery with me to-day, and see the two
races"
81 win, Ben," answered. Sowe stepped
into carriage, painted yellow, which was
awaiting Us near the Clay Statue, and were
whirled at the dizzy height of a mules speed
to the Halfway House. Thence afoot we
passed over the bridge spanning the raging
waters of the canal, dashed into fury by black
squalls from the Freedmen's Hospital, and at
an easy gait entered the gateway. AS We
came in full view of the stables called Ben's
attention to great stir among the blooded
animals. They were uneasy in their stalls;
they all turned their heads towards me; they
neighed, they whinnied, and cast tender,
longing chances at your Felis. Flattered by
this evident display of affection from the poor
dumb brutes, Il once, by the way, had a TOM
cat who would come and lick my hand after
breakfast regularity 1 asked Ben what it
could mean.
Umph," he said, rather cynically. al
suppose they are naturally fond of Oates and
would like to eat you up"
Presently we came to a stand-the public
Standard stopping at the bar, went through
the leg stretching process, a 10 Doctor Squeers
of Dotheboys Hall Ben Zeane, true to his
name, stretched himself thus four times,
calling each drink a quarter stretch. AT all
events each was a quarter dollar, and when
Ben came to pay, l told him we'd inadver-
family stumbled on the best charger there was
on the grounds.
The track was level as billiard table, but
the horses were not track-table. Everyone
talked hoarse, and l whispered to Ben that
they must have caught cold by going too near
some chevaux-de-freeze.
A man came up to me and said:
"Here, Oates, you hold these stakes" at
the same time putting a roll of greenbacks in
my hands.
%What stakes are these?" inquired, eye
ing attentively the money and the man.
"Why, horse stakes" he answered.
No, SIR" L Indignantly replied, "Tm no
Hippophagus."
Ben stepped in here and kindly explaining
that the stakes were for the heat, not to eat,
prevented difficulty which might have proved
serious.
Come, Felis," he said, '1et's go up stairs. :"
So we got ourselves seats on the upper floor
1 .k.1 1zII
one said Saddle up" Half dozen riders,
with blue caps, red caps, and gray caps, ap-
peared on the track, and in short order got
astride their steeds. / noticed one of the ami
mails in particular, as it went around the
course. 1t was blooded mare they told me
she had perigee of her own. No, peda-
gogue / mean. l asked what that was. ''Oh,"
said Ben, sit means that she's half Maine,
quarter Pole, with dash of Barn-stable and
Green Bay in her"
sob" said, and fell to thinking what
great sport it was. Presently the blooded
mare came in ahead, and good many said
"hoora, while some said something just the
other way.
Then there was another race, and little
nag shot of and made half the distance in
such fast time that called him as he went
round colt revolver. But the blooded mare
closed up the gap-no thoroughfare gap-and
came in ahead again.
Then the man came and got steaks, saying
how he'd known that mare was ''good for two
beat"
Ben and rushed down stairs and went out
on the track. The winning rider came gallop-
ing up to get the purse. On the (Hot) spur
of the moment he looked Percy. He took the
money, and that made his mare go again.
All of sudden 1 missed Ben. He had
strayed away into the bar, and was taking
some more quarter stretches internally before
going home. When 1 found him he looked
rather mildly at me- and muttered something
about his physician having recommended
stimulants. But 1 finally got him down
across the bridge into our carriage, and the
sight of the cemeteries sobered him off to
such degree that, by the time we got home,
one side of the banquette was amply suff-
Giant Gov both of ne