The New York herald., 1874-10-03
Our Autumn Festival.

The fall meeting at Jerome Park will take
place to-day, and we may regard it as the
opening of the autumn season. The opera
and theatres have been doing something, but
not much more than the overture to the real
fall and winter entertainment We can
hardly be said to have opera when we have
not gone beyond 'Traviata," and Mr.. Stra-
kosch, who has been felicitating us upon the
fact that he has 10 stars in his troupe, now
tells us to wait for Albani if we wish to see q
real, shining star. But we must have few
more days in the fields before we content our
selves with the indoor life that must come
soon enough with the swiftly-coming snow
and frost. 1t is comforting to feel that Now
York offers so useful and attractive an enter
tainment as Jerome Park. We have not yet
fallen into the morbidly moral feeling which
sees only sin in what will be seen to-day in
our beautiful Westchester valley. Even Mr..
Bergh, who must have soul above pigeon
traps in certain moods Of his precarious and
restless existence, could not deny US the
pleasure Of Witnessing the fine races that now
await us, nor the horses the qualification of
the instinct of emulation and triumph that
will Nhirl them around the crowded turf.
Weecan well understand how so noble O
sport as horseracing could be degenerated
into worse abuse than pugilism. If we are
to have such business as was seen at the last
meeting, when q clumsy starter or reckless,
tricky jockeys kept group of horses waltzing
for an hour before they could go, then better
end it. If Mr. Bergh wishes to insure himself
new troops of friends let him take his stand
by the starter this afternoon, and if things
are not managed better than before march the
whole party to the magistrates. But We pre-
sumo this will be remeded, and we are not
impatient, for, next to managing civil service
reforms in the Custom House, or endeavor-
ing to comprehend the statements
of O'Kelly and OHavemeyer, we do
not know Of more difficult under
taking than to start a group Of horses
for race Fashionable dentistry would be
schoolboy's game to it. At the same time
something should be done to reform it. All
that is necessary, it would seem, would be o
little drill in the beginning and little dis
cipline on the course. What is wanted is an
honest, reasonable race. 1t is not of so much
consequence which horse wins, more especially
if we have no investments in the pools; but it is
of consequence that we should have genuine,
fair and prompt trial of speed People do not
60 to Jerome Park to see o dozen squealing
jockeys at their pranks and games They 60
to see the horse in all his strength, beauty
and swiftness; to drink in the fresh air and
sunshine; to give one day to natural outdoor
sports; to encourage pastime that comes
with our blood, and which finds its expression
in the sentiment that the highest test of an
English gentleman is the love he shows for o
horse.
Those who 60 with this honest feeling will
we are convinced, be gratifed with what Je-
rome Park will to-day afford. The list of
some noble trials of speed. AS for the
weather, our readers may read the predictions
in another column and make up their
minds about it. We have been 50 rudely
treated by the weather prophet recently that
we do not vouch for his predictions, and,
although just now in full communion with
the administration as its organ, we utterly re-
pudiate "Old Probabilities" October how
ever, is trusty month, and we are willing to
rest upon its generosity, looking forward, as
we do, to one OF those radiant, cheerful meet
ings which have made jerome Park like the
Derby Day of America, and will bithely open
our autumn season of merriment and sporting
and song.