The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-06-09

18Th ana WHITE eufpure lace and insertion
vas yery EFFECTIVELY worn over an deliberately
sscs q psse had ali the
and the edge OF the graceful polonaise heavily en-
brodered with IN seve n snsdeS orown
II was in the galleries OF the main stand, however,
and on the quarter stretch that the racing seemed
when the majority OF the idlers around Doc Under
woods Standard 1t may be stated, by the way,
that most of those who frequent that neighborh0od
are idlers and that the betting Is confined To a
very small percentage OF the cr0wd-scrambled for
seats or good standing room in the stand, and
attention TO the running. AS the horses came out,
swathed In blankets, every one had something to
say There goes Elsie" quoth gentleman In a
water" Hes fool" ret0rted quietly an
other gentleman, also In Greeley hat,
So snow macn about pretty Ehys ser sa a s
fresh as flowers in May And 80 with the rest
OF the horses. II opinions could have won the race,
a single house stated but hsdhs particular friends.
who believed from the depths OF their innermost
SSu at ,I he would cesn win and VINO en
tous circumstance the heavness OF the track, or
the stupidity OF the Jockey, or the defects OF his
betting, which required that he should be beaten
In order that the professional betting men
,Sa be run am The % re s
ronndings Of blankets was watched with
intense anxietv. and as the horse, during the pre-
round, thousand tongues and brains were ready
to trace victory or defeat in every gesture Hes
seman hes rettng away his Strength and that
internal jockey hasn't got the sense TO humor him
into good temper. Why, II had him I'd just
jerks OF a lambs tail he would be as quiet as
mouse.n Then, what Indignation, deep and fierce,
defying every endeavor to get them Into an ap-
proximate straight line and hundred yards or so
nh nnAv fhn Vvnor vufth thn rod 6on
nag held provoklngly up in the light summer
breeze while ten thousand eyes looked eagerly on,
eagerly Tsre na sar xnd wha
smothered curses greeted the poor wretch OF q
jockey, who, Juggling and pulling at the reins OF
his steed, fails to bring him back, except after re-
peated and DESPERATE efforts, to the appointed
starting place. But at last, on the principle that
nearly together and the Tag drops and nd the
race is positively begun. Then every neck is
strained eagerly forward and opera glasses are
hurriedly brought into request, and the reporters
become unnaturally quiet, and the general public
gazes on breathess and absorbed. There Is not
point is reached where there is hard struggle be-
tween the leading steeds and even then the shouts
last but moment and seem strangely earnest and
eager. "Yellow and black Is ahead ~ cries one
sanguine idiot to your rght 1.-TWO to one on yellow
and black" But there are no takers; every one
who has brought money TO bet has long since in.
minute :. Of :, oonstantiy rising interest the
selves for last terrible struggle. "Black and ma
genta wins In walk shouts an enthusiastic
the Darby and the 1.-TWO Thousand Guineas"
And the cockney IS right. Running neck and neck,
the Jockeys whipping and squirting with relentless
cruelty, the horses come speeding in, until at about
a hundred yards from the final wire line that
stretches, like veritable thread Of destiny,
the track, Of them rantically spurts ahead and
Is rewarded with vehement cheers. One moment
more passes by but lash and steel fail to bring the
losing steed to the front. and his rival PUSHES in
nacf fha Una mid nf 1lQn
Then the race is over and men hastily settle up &C
counts, and after c0ngratulatOry visit to the bar
stroll up and down the quarterstretch, and look
happy or miserable as the fates have used them,
hoping still to retrieve their fortune in some coming
event.
Such il specimen contest at Jerome Park, and
while 1t agrees with racing events all the world
over In certain general features, II s certainly very
different in others from Ascot or the Grand Prix de
heavy betting, and while no one apparently loses
more than he can at pinch afford, there Is not,
on the other hand, the same beggarly gambling In
pennies and quarters. . man bets at all he bets
a dOllar-the unit Of American currency-and II he
can't manage to put up decent stake he stays
out of the contest altogether This ia o significant
haps, race course IL as good place Wall street
In which to study out our national character.
6inguarly American also Is the democratic free
dom that prevails on the quarterstretch. Here 1t
Is that all classes meet on common level
and actors and
we can say, deacons s. churches. Anywhere else,
say frequent .'cutting among this hodge podgs OF
society but on the there Is absolute
John Jones has Inquired in the prize ring or Mr. Rob-
inson sold sleeps hearts In Washington Market ?
Are they not men and brethren and American cit-
zens and sports at the same timef And shall we,
even though We do annually buy a pew at auction
In Plymouth church, refuse to recognize them on
this common equine grOundP Perish the thought
Let us rather shake hands and exchange bets and
try to win their money.