The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-07-16
THE FASTEST TIME ON RECORD.
Scenes About the Hotels, on the Track
and at the Stables.
Tammany the Winner Of the steeplechase Mid
day the Purse Of $500, One Mile and
Three-Quarters, and Alarm the Dash
of Three-Quarters Of Mile.

weather In the middle of July is rare anywhere;
the sun comes up brightly and goes down famed
by the zephyrs to his repose. The people were
drinking at the springs between five and six
O'Clock, and many were or horseback riding half an
hour later to drink coffee at the lake. Later in the
day the streets filed up with people nom all chimes
and races-Cubans South Americans Canadians,
Australians going home ovcrland-and after the
music and the rcpast of the morning papers hun
dreds sauntered down to the pool room and
lounged there, picking up chances or buying non-
chaaantly to have some stimulated zest for the
rsce Five dollars spent on q bad horse Ia said to
increase the passe mans pleasure two degrees, but
the reaction fetches him down four.
THE CHIEF MARSHAL OF THE RACES.
Two or three tmprovsed pool rooms have been
established to divide commissions with Morrissey,
and, as usual, there is some grumbling that the
large pool room has been removed from its retired
quarters in the rear Of the Grand Union to the
vicinity Of the gambling house, as II all roads here
led to one field, and that the green cloth. The
present pool room is sandwiched between what is
called 1.-THE Game for the Public"-a small frame
structure which might be mistaken for the pool
edifce, being precisely like the latter in color and
style-and the Club House proper which is supposed
to be for gentlemen. lattice walk leads from the
little wheel to the big wheel, and the restaurant,
which is now thrown open to everybody, with
greater portion of the Club House Is now denomi-
mated, in gilt letters, ''The Saratoga Club Hotel"
Mr. John Morrissey Is the eagle OF Saratoga. He
Is the proprietor of more than one-third OF the
club property and business and owns forty-fve
shares In the Racing Association. He insists, how
| ever, upon being considered nothing more than
grand marshal chief Of police, seldom comes for
ward in the ornamental parts OF administration,
but shows an iron will in guarding his interests
against all comcrs low high, and a politicians
| discretion In conciliating the villagers.
MoRRIssEY AS COUNTRY GENTLEMAN.
He Is both popular and powerful here, but he has
never knuckled for popularity nor abused his
power. He is worth half million, and owns much
general real estate in Saratoga and New York, and
| looking at him as he stands the piazzas OF the
| hotels nightly one could readily admit that huge
organism like his would probably have succeeded
| equally on almost any plane. His back, chest,
shoulders and neck are powerful to see; his arms
! are long and his legs thick, and he measures more
from the chin to the back ofthe neck than Brigham
Young Although past middle life his hair is black
as night and his excess Of flesh is surmounted
by an active spirit. He dislikes to be reminded
of his old days OF pugilism, but the spirit OF the
wild cat is there whenever aroused-that old blind
courage and endurance which never knows when
! 10 Is conquered.
| The racing folks who of all social grades,
oftener OF the highest look philosophcaly upon the
near relation which such gentry must bear to them
| at the summer meetings. 1t cannot be prevented,
and 1t Is generally ameorated by good manners
and no intrusiveness. To the great world Of
Saratoga Mr.. Morrissey never appears. At the race
track you see a large man with black hair and
beard anu light summer clothes, walking about the
quarter stretch, seldom or never on the stand
whiting stick and sometimes speaking in low,
w q things
of chance and things muscular.
Some of the great stock breeders OF Kentucky,
Maryland Virginia and Louisiana, men Of family
and place, and often merely wealthy patrons OF fine
stock, in the way of this big contender for the
! main chance, and then he is the raging Nemean
lion standing for his prey.
THE QUESTION OF DOUBLE MEETINGS.
During the present season complaint has been
made among the turfmen that meetings are held
twice the same season at Long Branch and Sara
toga, involving an expensive double transfer OF
stock, stablemen and harness, and they demanded
last week and had prepared petition to the same
effect that the meeting should be extended in time
and given only once at each course-that is, two
weeks In succession at Monmouth Park and two
weeks at Saratoga To this the entire hotel and
sporting fraternity objected, and, advised
of what was in contemplation Morrissey selected
Babcock, OF the lesser lights, for a target-thc
| same Babcock who with Ransom and two
| others won all the money last season by Helmbold
| beating Longfellow-and on Saturday night at the
pool room hurled all his wild vocabulary OF epithet
upon that unucky head, which meekly bore 1t.
Small men trembled; big men turned prs, children
turned over in their sleep and dreamed OF thunder.
Mr.. Babcock was defed to run his horses on that
track. good many thought that Morrissey was
storming over the head of the unlucky Babcock at
greater personalities by way Of warning. At any
rate the 'jam' was success, for 1t Is announced
this CMonday) morning that the idea of but one
meeting year has been abandoned.
THE AVERAGE THURMAN.
Horsemen like statesmen, have their troubles
and sensitivenesses. Generally fine physical beings,
their equality in this respect and the code OF the
| track make them SLOW to unbrldle their tongues
TO be ruled of the track lined reprimanded have
| horses started unfairly, affects them like q racer
curbed while he Is whipped. ON the whole there is
| a rough, snrewd bOnhoinDlfe about them; they
| know the courses the stock owners and the char
acter of the stock all the land by personal tours
and the great public, to which all racing is q spec.
tacle OF animation and assembage and no more, is
always chivarously considered by the turf people
The racing at Saratoga is outwardly as unimpeach
able as a Sunday school picnic, and Blr. Morrissey
| will send policeman in an instant to any improper
intruder.
The American turf Vas gained In favor and ma
| teral amazingly in a few years. The victory OF
! given animation to the seasons sport. broken
up the states, thrown people out OF the dumps and
shown that asceudancy Is certain and no old
! iavorte necessarily laid by forever.
"What Is the relative rank OF the American and
! English racer at the present time Z" / asked Of
| prominent stableman yesterday at the race track.
''well, beat them in time. but carry less
| weight-twelve pounds or so less. IL would be
hard TO equalize the thing, the proportion horne
TO time by weight Is not well ascertaned. chave,
the whole, the best stock In the world generally
considered There is nothing on four feet superior
| TO the Kentucky running horse. ] don't believe
that Longfel0w, for example, there In Harper's
stable has his equal In the world for strength,
model and speeds
SECRETS OF THE SARATOGA TRACK.
Chow do our jockeys and gr0oms compare with
| the EnglishTv
THAT Is question. We have brought out from
| England good many English boys and mounted
them here; but, declare, believe that our smart
young nggers do better, and some OF our white
| hQYs ride fhem of the ring uerea q liffle