New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-04-23
THE LOUISIANA JOCKEY CLUB.


the grounds of the Louisiana Jockey Clu1
last week. That was eighteen years ago
when Kentucky sent her favorite steed t.
contest for the palm over our Louisiana
stakes. And right royalty was the gauge
accepted. The times were different then
The only public conveyance to the race
course then was the railroad that connect
/ ed New Orleans with the Lake via Carroll
ton, which only ran one train every hour
1t was easy enough to get to the grounds
as the people had all day to make the trip
in, but the getting away was the trouble
When the race was over and the enthusi
asm ended, the vast attendance made q
rush for the train. The rabble, being I'm.
encountered, made the trip in the shortest
time, and when the ladies and their escorts
reached the station they found every place
filed, wedged in with men and boys, who
would not have given way for saint.
Pleading was of no avail, politeness had
lost its charm. The crowd that was on
the car stood fast, and the crowd that
could not get in had to stay out. Then,
like every other American gathering, the
people who had missed one means Of
transportation fell to looking out for an.
other. Ladies, girls, boys, old men,
beaux and pumpkins, piled into furniture
wagons, picnic vans, empty carts, and
whatever other vehicle that presented
itself. A banker and his family, whose
carriage had been left at home for conve-
nience, came to the city on a rough and
jolting dray. And yet good nature pre-
vailed over all, and those who had travelled
comfortably, and those who had Jared the
worst, kept up their spirits and told of
their pleasures and their troubles with a
light heart; for, indeed, it had been a
great and glorious day. And the story
was told the wide world over how the
mighty coursers of the field contended for
the honor of their States and the bravery
of their owners.
As we said, New Orleans has never seen
such day from that time until last week.
The Jockey Club grounds last Saturday
even eclipsed the glory Of the famous
meeting on the old Metairie track eighteen
years ago. The attendance was larger,
the pleasure was quite as universal, and
the trouble and Inconvenience not to be
spoken of. Three lines Of street cars,
running almost upon the heels Of each
other, transported the people to and fro.
A thousand carriages glided down the shell
roads freighted with happy visitors. Neigh
boring States sent delegations to swell the
throng The track was in splendid condi-
ton. The grounds were beautiful as
nature and art could suggest. The cleo
trio telegraph made the entire country
participant in the carnival Of venture.
Bets were made in New York, Louisville,
Chicago, st. Louis and else
where up to the very hour when the horses
were unblanketed for the contest. One
great swell Of sympathy existed in COM
mon with ourselves from one end Of our
happy country to the other. And as
night closed over the scene of the days
the people who reside hun
dreds and thousands of miles away felt
the same emotions that had stirred our
own population to throw up its hat or
exclaim against its losses.
The Louisiana Jockey Club deserves
great credit for what it has done. Racing
is not popular with some of our readers,
and perhaps it is open to objection as
tempting both men and women into ex-
elements that are not entirely wholesome.
But the world is filed with people who
will have this sort Of amusement, and
since this is SO, the best we can do is to
make it as good as possible. There are
many thousands of men and women who
ind their greatest pleasure in seeing a
,air of noble horses spinning over the
,arth as fast as their we'll trained riders
an drive them. These people do not adj
nit that there is any wrong in this, and as
hey are the sole judges of what is proper
or themselves, it is right and just that |
hey should deserved with whatever min
sters to their good pleasure. New Orleans
must offer entertainment for every class if |
he desires to be great city; and the
atrons of the turf constitute large and
7ealthy element in our American world.
hey patronize art and science, are liberal
D the poor, build houses that adorn the |
and make glad the eyes that !
re hungry for the beautiful. They en-
10y the laborer and the craftsman, scatter |
honey on every hand, and spread induce
lent to every quarter that tempts the |
tranger to look in upon our garden spot |
nat fascinates all who come within the |
ircle of its attractiveness.
The Jockey Club has not only equipped
race track that is credit to the city, but
has arranged piece of land until it is
low an ornament to New Orleans. The
Tub house, together with its surroundings,
5 one,of the chief attractions to the visitor
rom distance, and no stranger feels that
le has done justice to himself until he has
aid it visit. And this picture, SO to
peak, is destined to be still further
dorned and beautifed until it shall be-
ONE rival to the famous gardens that
ompel the admiration of the European
ourist. Each year some new feature will
e added to the garden until at last those