The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-10-26
inauguration Day Mt the PimlicO
Course.
Three Capital Races and
n Walk Over.
Biddy Malone Winner OF tho Hurdle Race,
Preakness Of the Dinner Party Stakes and
Conductor of the Mile Heat Race
BALTIMORE. Oct. IS. 1870


aBalttmore is the third commercial city In the
Union SIR the fourth In population having close
four hundred thousand inhabitants. She has 200
churches, a Peabody Institute, nine synagogues;
she has monument $50 feet high the prettiest girls
In the world, good club the Maryianol, and Sec
ond class the Unionl, besides the Concordia for
our German fellow citizens where the best OF Rhine
wine is drank every night. There is no such oysters
80 be had on Gods footstool as comes out
n the Chesapeake from Tangler SOUND TO Appoquin+
mink; and yet, sir, IL Is only to-daY that we are
about 20 inaugurate Maryland Jockey Club, which
we hope VIII be credit TO our noble old State which
always gives a democratic majority. You sir, have
nad your splendid Jerome Park, with its great natu-
raj beauties and It's fall and spring displays OF beauty
and fashion, but. sir we shall beat you yet. The
Old Lines bugle file and drum shan yet be heard,
aud TO some purpose
Thus spoke testy old gentleman with heavy
watch chain and seal, mellow port VINE face, and
wearing leather srnalls to your correspondent yes
terday morning. as he stood taking observations on
The broad stone steps OF Barnums Hotel In Calvert
street.
Just then hackman turned the corner az q gal
op-an unusual thing for hackman to be guilty
of-and was hailed by u.s.
'Do you know the way to the new Pimlico Race
Course, where the Inauguration meeting OF the
Maryland Jockey Club is to be held, Can you take
us therefr said the testy old Baltmorean.
"Can a duck I" was the Interrogation Of the
,ver-famtiar hackman. "It's Six m1les-and good
ong ones at that-rrom yer to the grounds; but yell
not feel me taking you over II, he added.
We clamoered into the hack In a not very dlgni-
ned manner ana drove by the Battle Monument,
stately plle erected by the city government to
commemorate the heroes who fell In defence or the
lown In the attack made by the British In Septem.
Der, 1914. The column is surmounted by o statue
which Is intended 10 represent the Genius OF Bati-
more, grasping with ono hand what looked TO me
ike The rudder Of an oyster sloop and with the
other holding crown Of tobacco leaves, these
being the two great products for Importation from
Baltimore.
On we went through the quiet streets. all OF which
have very clean look the houses having In most
cases stoops OF white marble. with three to six
Steps. The streets In which private residences are
located are all well paved and the sidewalks are
chiefly OF brick ana shiny and spotess with con-
slant care from the labor or the coored servants
who abound IN Baltimore.
My companion was one OF those nne laxative
old gentlemen who are TO be found everywhere In
Baltimore. He had one idea only, and that was
that Baltimore kept in the background by
some designing person OF persons, 70 her
great commercial deriment. Furthermore, he
believed that the time now come for her
TO "get a show.n And he believed also that the In.
augur alton meeting OF the Maryland Jockey Club n
Pimiico was to be the means under Providence o
her obtaining the said SHOW lie thought tina
jones' Falls small stream which runs through
ana divides the city into the new and Old town, had
something To do with II. And think he said some
thing about ''Warfed's Damn and the .speed OF
The water and Inc bridge at Eyer street." and
believe lie informed me that there was fall OF 800
feet In the water, which has velocity OF twenty
miles an nour and alter this very absruse dlsserta-
tor he dropped like lead plummet INTO racing
"reminiscences. lie was full OF anecdote-that
old port wine magazine nd could not be shut OH,
Tor he had no safety valve.
'.Ah, sr,p said ne with gulp, Maryland was a
great racing State wonst. All around yer we had
lots OF horses. But we were Imposed upon Yes,
Sir Wien a foal was dropped IN Maryland what
dye think we had to do about 1T WHY, we had TO
pay penalty IN Virginia for Il. And there was so
much o. It that II was customary to send horses TO
tue Stale OF Virginia TO foa We mad some good
race coursessthere long time ago when was boy.
Where the monument now stands was all woods,
and when l was schoolboy we used 10 make up
lights during the week and go and have them out
on Saturdays in Howard's Woods and many a
licking got In those days, and many one gave my
old schoomates. We had plenty OF racing tracks,
100 but the trouble was they never held out long
There was always some defect them, or the wrong
parties got mold or them and they fell away. We used
10 have running and trotting on one track but
hope for the sake OF horse-racng stock that We will
have nothing but running on the Pimlico Old
Martin Potter-who Is dead and gone this many a
u n
pike, til miles from Baltimore, down where Judge
keil lived; and pretty place he had, TOO. Then
there was the Kendall course. down by the water
at Canton Some good horses ran there. This course
lasted until 1910, when IL bursted up with wing
ratification meeting and barbecue. Henry Clay did
some talk here. The next track was the one which
we used 10 call the Central track, made by Colonel
Seden. Trife chestnut mare, ran at the Central,
and was good runner as we ever had. Then Colo
lei John Campbell started course at Timonium
about seven miles from the city, and had his
big horse Wagner run. Then came the Herring Run
fcttt
Bill McCarra along In 1858, think IL was. Then
came the war; and bless yer soul, honey, that
kuocked thunder out OF the racing; but Its coming
up at last and we can hope for something better
soon. We ought TO succeed, think, for we have
had six Governors or Maryland Interested IN racing
sport, and the President OF the New Jockey Club Is
Governor Bowie, and he Is Just the Kind OF man to
take hold OF such matter I'm sure sad the old
Baitm0reen.
BY this time the hack had been driven through
some Of the best streets IN the city in the direction
DRUID I'M Park, which Is now the pride and boast
oil all Baltlmorealis and justly So The approach to
shs grand ptatsdnce Is by plaza 10 the grand gate
Alter passing the gate the eye encounters row OF
immense flower pots, pcdestals which serve TO
ornament the entrance.
Now we are driving through wide avenue OF
spreading elms, White and red oak, larch, pine and
FIR trees The trees are lofty outrageous and close
together and overhang the paths and drives on All
sides OF us. There are 500 acres Of timber OF the
most splendid Kind In the Park. This tract OF ground
was purchased some time ago from a Mr.. Rogers In
whose family the ground had remained for the past
Ss for Se an asre By
-
public park, and since its purchase it has been
beautiied very much and improved Many OF the
trees are or immense SIZE ana some OF the hckorles
measure nine feet In circumference at the height OF
hve feet from the ground, while In one place
noticed an oak OF fifteen feet In circumference.
There are secluded daes and valleys and precipit-
ravines and declivtles, all overshadowed by the
splendid timber thckiy sown. The autumnal tints
have made the foliage beautiful beyond expression
for color and eject and in the drives and bypaths
the dead leaves lie In heaps like mingled fakes OF
Tying gold. II Is through this path that all the
teams and equipages are seen making their way to
the race course at Pimco. No finer drive can be
found anywhere In the small and fairyke lakes
all kinds or aquatic fowl TO be found swimming
and FLASHING the waters and among the trees the
iustrous eyes OF scores OF deer peep out from be-
tween the lower bran ches gstening like rubies and
diamonds OF price.
After drive Of twenty-five minutes we emerge
from the lower gate OF Druid Hill Park. and enter
country road, well embowerea by trees growing
out OF high BANKS on either side. Along this road
saw very beautiful fir trees whose wry foliage
was "a green as the bottom Of the ocean or an
emerald on the finger OF an empress. This road
was cut from bank or red clay and sand, and was
In good order. At the turn In this road we came