The New York herald., 1872-10-16
First Day of the OctO-
ber Meeting.
THREE TROTTING CONTESTS
Scenes and Incidents Around
the Grounds.
9. w. Patterson the Winner Of the Saddle Race,
Sensation the 2:25 Purse, and Prospero
the Three-Year-0ld Stake.

season, particularly, 1t 10 Q gorgeous picture to
look at the oaks pines and larches with their
Fan costumes OF golden, purple and russet leaves
and the brilliant, clear, October sky overhanging
all the tree tops and the carriages and children
among the lower branches gathering nuts. For In
Prospect Park, unlike Central Park, children may
gambol ana play until their hearts full and un-
I'll they sing the chorus OF Home, Sweet Home"
The Fan Meeting yesterday was not 80 well at
tended az 1t might have been, yet the interest
manifested In the racing was as great as II thou
sands had clam0red with broad palms from the
Grand Stand at the winning horse. The atmo-
sphere was little cool, and the Brooklyn burghers
were warmly clad, apprehendng frost. Trotting
matches are not as popular as they were in 1892
and ladies' are not frantic to gaze at a number OF
homey-lo0kng men sitting in sulkies with their
noses bent to the horses cruppers, and vilely
fashioned caps Of discordant and variegated colors
covering their hickory nut heads.
''THAT SAME OLD POOL STAND,
The magnetic spot on trotting day Is always
the Pool Stand. The high-toned shoddy people
keep away from this place, II they go there all
1t is by stealth and with certain shaInefacedness
that is ludicrOus to observe. Out OF a thousand
people who were present vest ,rday AT the opening
Of the Fail Meeting at Prospect Park it is probable
that hundred and fifty male persons were clus-
tered around the Pool Stand All the "business''
done at the races was done here. That is all the
betting business. For there is no other "busi-
ness" attended to ut a tr0t Many are called,
but few are chosen. The bets at the
club house In Prospect Park are few and far be-
tween. No energy is displayed. The ventures are
irregular and are made in an amateur fashion
without knowledge OF the horse or rider Young
men who think that the girls are looking at them
from elevated balconies are more apt to draw
from their vest pockets one dollar bills and pretend
to bet The girls fancy that these fractional cur
rences are one hundred dollar bills, but the charm
Ing creatures are very much mistaken. The
real purpose Is to have drnk-three
or four drinks for q dollar. At the
pool stand 1t is different You would think
from the confusion that there was prospect of a
desperate fight, or that stump speech, with advo
cacy OF the Old White Hat, was in progress. Again
nothing OF the kind It is all systematic, sOlid
sharp business, just as 1t has been since 1862. Men
who attend to it care nothing ior sport, as the
owner of q stable of horses understands it, 1t is a
mere matter Of money between these fellows and
they are quite ready to cheat each other and lie
about It just with the readiness and ignorance
shat they were doing wrong as il they had been
eating dinners. Afew of them are honest and will
pay up, but look at their faces. There is the man
who owns thirty-six liquor stores and who is Just
now engaged in walking along the quarter track
His face might be taken as type for the rufhans
whom Mast p0rtrays He is welcomed with glad.
ncss-nay reverence-by the seedy crowd who stand
shivering around the pool stand. He has cool and
careless swagger, and he imagines that he is big
man-and SO he is In his own estimation. The man
In the box looks at him with awe, for lie emptied
the tan safe once twice OF its bis and he sees
chance he will do it again. He, too drives
tr0tter and bets to win 1t is weak vanity OF his
70 be seen on mile tracks and to talk learnedly
about the "best three In five" among his worship
pers; and ne takes the lattery as q child would
lake milk, with soft, yielding smile:
them Is the celebrated Johnston. When he opens
his mouth the upper and lower lips move up and
On anctioneer engaged in selling the crock,
cry ware OF a delunct household. He is
Clothed in S,, rough thick blue overcoa and
made about this white hat occasionally by the very
irreverent crowd, and he smiles CHASTITY smile, but
snufi-colored velveteen walking coat, with mixed
black and gray whiskers whose eyes look over the
stare This man is veteran Of thousand three
mile heats, and his name is Marshall. The
ere-cappedh pTe,her boys who peGdle programmes
day gaze in astonishment at his stolidity. The
few shoddy young men who have canes and wear
season, and are blue in the face from cold admire
this Mr. Marshall very much Between the two
Bnc;pals Of the pool box may be seen thin
takes care Of the cash. Perhaps he is not coldY II
you think SO look at him any day during the meet.
ing. lie snlverS and shrugs his shoulders and
wishes he was far away condoling with hot
whlskey and scenting the steam into his open
.that eleven hundred dollar pool and talk wildly
OF thousands; but do not be mistaken, the green
horns are few to-day and the general sentiment is
that II you should in 1t OF enthusiasm ask them
70 drink they might accept.
1t Is bleak day in the club stand, and by actual
count there are at four Ocl0ck-twO hours after the
meeting has commenced--only fifty six ladies' pres
ent Most OF these ladies are mnled warmly in
yoluminous shawls, or are manacled in scaiskn
jackets, or are covered from head to toe with long
black velvet cloaks Gentlemen pass in and out
with cigars In their mouths pufing away the cold
snapplsh ten knot breeze that comes steadily ia
gao nom the lower bay. Chances are thrown,
room and the odOrs Of the kitchen
below. Groups stand on the piazza OF the Club
SS xSase q IN tne nosss with that A air
animal-the horse A driver is pointed out to 4
German baron who has been induced to come to
good.ooking driver-and the baron is Informed
that he is enamored OF buriesque actress and that
ms IN passion % T. warmly reciprocated wnereupon
good society and exciaims ..'Gott und Him
mel NELL" There is NO band as at the.
Instruments and fat Germans who blow through
them, there rs IN the ladies' parlor estabiisheda
Hebrew with q suspicious face and terribly bad
staten Island cigar. He informs you IL has rog
Mundnd stop tnat u cost $500 and that 10 was
male IN the Schwnrnwald. AZ he hands you the
makers card. A doubt Instantly springs up that
ne and his "Orchestrion" are here only for
inent has rollers and cylinders ike HOe's press
and on one corner number OF brass pronrs that
move up and down conlnsedly ike the claws OF
ment gasps out now and then In the cold room aud
with wall snatches from Jean de Parisu the
sSchOnen Blauen DOnau" and other equally insplr
ing melodies. About this time there Is an interval
between heats, lunch hour has arrived, there is
f,snrr vofT
voices and the sinall-sized Hebrew is lett alone
with his coz hundnd STOP
"ON TIE DUSTY TRACR.v
Tho grass is green, bat October Is fast fading IT,
The trotters are being walked around in large
white bed blankets, aud the negro boys, eager for
small coin, run quickly to attend the drivers.
few Of them are clear-eyed, hne-limbed animals.
w'tn handsome pasterns and W.. finished In their
sieekly polished botcs re negro bows IO0k cold