The New York herald., 1870-09-07
POINT BREEZE PARK.
Opent;s Day Of the Autumnal
~Pttins Meeting.
Exciting Contests, Genial Surroundings and a
Grand Concoursc g. Cratified Spectators
Lizzie Keller the Winner Of the 2:35 Purse
The Prize for $50 Horses Not De.
cidcd Because Of Darkness.

The Prize for $3.50 Horses Not De-
cidcd Because Of Darkness.
PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 0, 1870.
Yesterday WAS the first day OF the annual trotiing
meeting at Point Breeze Park, and 1t proved an
ausplcious beginning, which ugers well for the
three hilarious days TO come. The men and
women OF this town think kindly Of the
society who foster the sports Of the turf
among them, and It can be assumed that
your Gothamites care not more for Jerome, nor
Fleetwood nor Monmouth than do Phlladelphans
for the breezy rottiDg at their arms length
All classes attend Point Breeze and have represe n
tatives 0yer1owng its club house ana quarter
stretch whenever the chance OF enjoyment OFFERS
Located in the shade Of gigantic trees that every.
where surround the track enclosure were canvas
booths, wagons and stands. wherein ana where
from were dispensed cakes pies, jam, oysters.
cooked crabs ana lager. All seemed to
be driving good trade. Inside all
was life and animation at quite an
early hour. Now until the time announced for the
commencement OF the amusement there were con.
stantly arriving carriages buggies carryalls,
barouches piquant sulkles and farm wagons OF all
shapes and all ages, freghted with persons Of either
sex, all apparently bent on witnessing the initial
events OF opening day.
Uncles, aunts, nephews, cousins and the res, were
there, some, OF course In the plebeian way
"shanks' mare" but many with their root,nen and
coachmen In and out Of livery. blue coats and gray
black breechcs aud blue. The latter were admitted
to the course through the private en-
trance, which Is in the embrace OF two
beautiful maple trees, fun Of gracefuness and
delicacy. Onlcers were stationed at this as
near the public gateway to direct and protect the
timld aud the pockets Of the association. It were
scarcely possible to detail the tricks and subter.
fuges Of the countrymen to run the gauntlet OF the
custodans Of the entrances without paying. These
devices were numerous and despicabe. Fortu.
nately few succeeded and those who were caught In
the attempts to swindle were treated to vast
amounts of cowhide without money ana without
price; nothing else will sensiby AFFECT mon OF that
stamp. 1t had the right result, the making them
feel just as mean as does dunghil chicken by the
growing Of q rar-ofr game cock on his airy walk on
a pleasant hill farm.
Point freeze Park'-yery appropriately name1--is
GS o at me fye males ~ from ss
very Delaware and placid Schuykl, as their waters
commtnge and run to the ocean, 1t Is located, sur
rounded by a charming country which yesterday was
radiant in It's emerald attire. From the grand stand
and the club house balconies, the panorama Of glil-
ing vessels on the Delaware the rugged outline OF
League Island, and its picturesque monitors that
did such signal service IN the late "onpeasnntness;
hsGa ana gardens q, bright alike WITH fruits and
is, indeed, lovely 10 that degree that the
eye fingers upon 1t most approUnglY. In the inner
field, luxurant IN its waving grass, here anu there
are trees knotte1 with age, their bark thick as cork
and hard as iron; their hoary arms overshado wing
with pleasant glimrner ali about them and their
leaves as beautiful hose OF some little plant that
come late anu SO early. yet never so outrageous as
The club house. q pretty ond commodious building,
with rooms ana parlors enough to satisfy the most
cxacting, could not be more charmingly placed. 1t
w Of N hand in fho
houses, and IN the distance h tops quite clear and
cntting the sky Wreathed IN mists or Tor time hid
den in the clouds.
The stables connected with the course number q
hundred or more and are commodous and pleas
antiy located beneath an avenue OF silver naples
The judges stand Is ample ana quite picturesque
pink adding beauty, by this variety TO the lovely
picture In lls charming framework OF waterscape
and landscape.
The day was pleasant, even as lovely az the truest
turtle could wish. The summery-likc morning, as
1t lay on the broad, bossoming bosom of the earth,
was tempered with such delicious GOODNESS as to
impart the truth that t was f.intly conscious OF tho
coming on ofautumn with It's 'sere and yellow eaf,n
its full decaylng ripcness and It's c0iors grave and
gorgeous, suggestive OF the song ana sickle ana ali
the busy tolls Of prophetic man gathering up against
the bare, cold winter PROVISIONS for the body and
soul.
The club house had many Of Philadelphias heauti.
ful daughters. Young and old and those "Iair, lat
auburn braided over living brows Of snow, and with
mght-olue Laughing eyes, comminged with those Of
Uas Mag Il sr sn aqss re9s es ne, as s n
appropriate for the occasion and the drive
from the city. Polite and gracious cavaliers
knew how III the mysteries OF the turf, the points
pro and con Of the contending steeds and upon all
other items Of interest which their fertile brains
suggested the passed to and fro for their
pleasure and the drivers ideas OF the preliminary
walk necessary to warm them" sufficiently for the
work to be DONE
The public stand contained a miscellaneous gath.
ering. From every part OF ',FhilamacnK,n the
came. Few "old familiar .aces," always met
upon the tracks surrounding New York; were
there, while the major pornon were native 70 Penn
sylvanla sOl, with that something In all their
features and the tones OF all their voices and oil
their manners betoKenng origin from one root.
about with such air, as If they had but one idea
in the world. ana that idea was alone "horse," aud
that animal on the turf had been their study Tor fc.
The track of Point Breeze Is quite narrow-too
narrow for large field OF horses and yesterday, in
the first race TINS TACT was proven: There were
eleven contesants-bay, brOw0 black, dun, sorrel
and gray, OF all shades and hues and
hardly one distinguished from the other by his or
race particularly where the ruling apothegm OF
the day-"Eyery man for himself' had application
the excitement during the first heat was quite IN
drivers 80 harmonious that a painter would only
have TO sronp and color them as the dazzling light
or deepening shadows streamed on item from that
sunny sky, to immOrtallZe himself
The business about the pool stand was not 80 ac-
tive as field OF horses ana the attendance would
ties were small, and on tracks further north
might have been thought proportionately
meagfe Yet some few did ventureaOme
business, And went their "bottOm dOllar''
on respective choices, and when that last
dollar was goLe, as It did quickly In many instances
the poor unI0itunates went roaming shiggledy-
piggiedy'' amoAg their friends to borrow "a few
stamps ana When successful made clean bent
Tor the restaurant where In time, they could be
found,
Some sppng punch, some drink,ng tea,
But as you by their faces see
AL silent and all - "broke"
The events OF the day were two--tle first a purse
u - 900 Tor horses that had never trotted better
ilau tn Hrcf ANN