Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-04-26
THE TURF.
1TWT9H m
some Notes from the
Chiekasaw-er-A Splendid FrOs. &C
for " Great week. tortat
the Races.

the Races.
A veteran sport, who has been after
races all the spring, returned to the city
a couple of days since to attend our
great meeting over the Chiekasaw
course. In company with the Secretary
and several gentlemen of the press he
went out to the track yesterday and
ciceroRed the 'abOys'' round with much
urbanity. This gentleman is 10 other
than Terry McGrath, who had such
misfortune in racing in early life that
his mother remarked on the occasion Of
his first success, "Arrah, yeTfrst ~atlast;
you were always behind before" Terry
knows all about racing, and foul squab-
bles and amusements of all sorts that
pertain to the turf.
PURE WATER.
The first object of convenience and
utility to which Terry directed the at
tentiOn of the gentlemen of the press
was the excellent cistern pump, and the
cooling, crystal draughts of water that
it freely brought up from the bowels of
the earth. One of the greatest luXuries
on the splendid premises is that copious
supply of cool, clear water which fell
from the roof i'm the days Of ice and
snow last winter and is now kept cool
in a fifty-thOusand gallon c~istern, which
is under the building and preserves the
water cool and pure. 1t is a treat for
matchmaking Memphians to so out to
the race course just for the purpose of
enjoying a drink of that water.
TERRY MiGRATH.
Terry is the NEST curious person in the
world. He is somewhere between twen-
ty-five and fifty years of age, but no
person could say how close to or how
far he may be from either figure. He
does not fear the meningitis, but keeps
his hair cropped intot the bone. A round,
small head like a bullet is beautifully
poised at the upper end of a swan-like
neck. Upon the front of the cranial
sphere is a wide lateral cash, which
answers for a mouth. He has no other
feature to speak of. He is six feet three
inches, and weighs ninety-eight pounds
tout of his dunnage.n He says he has
not been very successful at races, except
when he uses his own legs. Terry knows
more about a horse than any man in
America, and all he does not know
about game chickens is not worth pick
ing up. He wears a battered tall hat on
the back of his head, and his pantalOOns
are too short.
GAME BOOSTERS.
Having descanted ~eloquently on the
beauty of the water, he showed the
party the feathered treasures that were
gathered here from all parts of the
/ States. There is one main in particular
of tw~enty-One birds from Washington
City, which deserves particular and
honorable mention. They are said to
be the finest birds at present in the
world, and they come down here totight
a main of twenty-one, to be made up
by the Joint contribution of Memphis
and New Orleans. They will be known
here as congressional ROSTERS
Yesterday a whole a load of
game birds arrived from Alabama,
and another extensive lot from
Maryland. During next week we
| shall have feathered champions here
from Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama,
| Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Arkan-
sas, Washington and Tennessee. Not
less than one hundred and fifty of the
finest birds on the continent are now on
the race-track. In the stiffness of the
bright morning air their growing can be
heard for miles. Terry was eloquent in
his description of the "pOints' of those
birds, and he became inspired when he
stood opposite a coop that contained a
noble, gallant, bellieose black bird that
carried himself with the air of a medie-
val knight in the lists, challenging the
world to combat. The Washington
Us Mississippi-Arkansas fight is for five
thousand dollars. A special train left
the congressional city yesterday to be
here in time to back up their birds. 1t
is the opinion of Terry, which he deliv-
cred with a strange solemnity of face
and gravity of tone, that the ROSTERS
royal fight at Memphis will be the great
est thing of the sort that has taken
place here in the Southern country in
fifteen years.
1.-THE ANPHITHEATER.
The boys have not neglected to pro-
vide ample means for a thorough enjoy
ment of the fun. An amphitheater Is
already built, like the coliseum at
Rome, but on a smaller scale, which
will accommodate a thousand persons
veryecomfortabIy. In the center is the
arena, upon which the noble birds are to
contend to the death for the honor of
Inelr respective States, and the profit of
their masters.
H ESTHETICs OF THE THING.
1t can hardly be said that there is any
morality involved in cock-tighting.
There is not much difference in the
crime of killing a bird to crafty ones
stomach and killing it to crafty the eye
and the bellicOse passion. The former
process is the result of a motive no more
noble than a fox or an owl experiences;
the latter is peculiar tOman alone. The
argument seems to be in favor of the
fighting. Then, there is no cruelty in
it, for those cocks are of such a temper
that they could not bear to live in peace
with other male fowls. They would
clean out any barnyard they should en-
ter, or else get killed in the attempt.
They are like Cesar, who said, on en-
tering a little village in a distant part
of Italy: Hrd rather be first here, than
second in Rome" Those ~roosters are
only feathered AleXanders aud Napole-
Ons; all they are good for is killing.
Having delivered himself of these
sentiments, Terry put on his battered
hat and invited the party to look at the
preparations for
THE HURDLE-RACE.
which viii take place during the week.
The hurdles, fve-bar gates, bitches, ETC.,
are all prepared and in first-class order.
Terry says they are all according to rule.
In the race there are eleven jumps, some
of them fifteen to twenty feet long and
five or six feet high. This race will be
Over the uneven surface inside the track,
two or three miles in length. 1t will be
perhaps the most exciting contest of the
week. 1t will take place the frst day,
and is thus announced on the pro-
gramme:
FIRST DAY-MONDAY, APRIL %.
Sweepstakes. hurdle-raee two miles, over
eight hurdles, three feet six inches high; sub
scription $50, hE. ft.,to which the Club will add
stakes, -Four or more 10 I'LL.
SANE DAY-The trial stakes for three year
olds, mile heats; subscription $50, hf. H.; the
THIRD RAcE-Handicap, dash of a mile and
q quarter, for ell ages; subscription SO, hf. IT,,
or only SO if declared. Weights 20 be an
nounced on the twentieth of February, and
declaration 10 be made on or before the fif-
tenth of March. Five or more TO I'LL. The
Club TO add $500.
For the hurdle-race seven have en-
tered, viz: Chalmette, Sanford, Tom
Corbett, the Tipperary FLY, Temple,
Blind Tom and Bayonet. Blind Tom is
a first-rate hurdler, and, barring acct
hChic1 n AAhCAy W VIII LIZ kdtCs
THE FLAT RACES
will be as fine as ever took place on any
American cOurs Terry says the best
horses he yer saw are here now. In
the trial stakes for three-year-Olds, mile
heats, there are thirteen entries, includ-
ing Cape Race, who made such a re-
markable performance at New Orleans
last week. General Harding's Plan
Ghetto and Tallulah are also in the same
stake, which renders it probable that
Cape Race will have to repeat his New
Dreams achievement in the way of fast
time, If victorious over the Chickasaw
course. The third race is a handicap of
a mile and quarter, for all ages. The
aged horse Sanford, by Uncle Vic, out
of Dolly Carter, has the ton weight, one