The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-06-12
LORD VIVIAN's DREAM.
A Dream that Brought Good Luck t.
the Dreamer.

The most predominant and apparent
ly incongruous characteristics of tn
gambler are shrewdness and supersti
tion, and the aristocrat who venture
his money on the feetness of one on
of score of horses Cor more frequentl-
upon the honesty or dishonesty of tn
trainers and riders of the same). it will
be seen by the story of Lord Vivian
dream, often is swayed by such impulse
as he affects to idicule in his humble
brother gambler who buys lottery tick
cts upon the inspiration derived from
hackney-coach numbers or backs his fan
cy whose colors on the "crect card
coincide with those of the first bonne
he observed on his left after turning
down three corners on the day of thu
race.
On the morning of the city and su
burban day of the recent E psOm spring
meeting, Lord Vivian, a we'll knowI
English turfman, dreamed that he wa.
accosted in the weighing room on the
course by friend, Mr.. G. Samuda, who
| informed him that the race had been 6
fine one, The Teacher having only Won
| by neck. Lord Vivian at breakfast
looked through the betting list, but saw
no such name as Teacher in the quota
tions. but on proceeding to the Water
| loo station the first person he met was
Mr.. Samuda-coincidence number one
who on being told of the dream, said
that there was such horse among the
starters, Aldrich having originally
been named The Teacher Ga neat piece
of nomenclature, his sire being Lectu-
rer), the name being changed because it
was already borne by filly of the same
age. Coincidence number two still
further impressed Lord Vivian, who de-
termined to put couple of ponies
otherwise a century-upon the horse.
The owner, Lord Rosebery, nobleman
very we'll and favorably known in this
country, endeavored to dissuade him,
telling him that Aldrich had been badly
beaten in his trials; so Lord Vivian on
ly backed the horse for ESQ, the market
price being 1000 to 80. Several other
gentlemen backed the dream, notably
Mr.. Somaryille, the owner of one of
the favorites. The race was run. There
was nasty accident, the favorite (who
looked all over a winner) fell and broke
his back, two other horses tumbled over
him, and several others, including Mr.
Somarville's FLY, were disappointed.
Aldrich won--coincidence number three
And by a neck-coincidence number
four.
All of which is recommended to the
reader of an arithmetical turn of mind,
who, having gloriously distinguished
himself by demonstrating the chances
against one player at whist holding
thirteen trumps, may sigh for fresh
problems to solve. We also advise our
gilded youth who are making up books
on the Belmont or Withers to look into
this subject as possibly affording clues
for which they may seek in vain through
the mazes of private trials and public
running, form, and breeding. Those
old turfmen who desire to see visions of
rank outsiders numbers going up, and
young sportsmen who would fain dream
dreams of dark horses cantering past
the post lengths in front of all the
favorites, might adopt the meat of
Fuseli and the drink of De Quincey
The ears of the walters at Delmonico's
would then during race weeks be saluted
with orders for raw pork chops for one
plenty of blood and quarts of cabinet
laudanum. The nightmare would be
the better horse, and men HE them to
bed crammed with distressful pork,
cabbage and racing calendars, to sleep,
perchance to dream: while stenogra-
piers surround the couches whereon
they lay in restless ecstasy to take down
their inspired rawlings of the race of the
morrow.
But let not the credulous taker of |
odds too eagerly follow fanc'es thus |
bred, begot, and engendered. In horse |
racing indigestion will as frequently be !
at fault as inexperience or even intelli-
gence. Bacon very properly observes
That people only mark dreams when |
hey hit-never when they miss SO |
that the proportion of dreams falling
true is infinitely smaller than it would |
seem to be. Lord Vivian's dream net
ed him S., 900, and had he followed out
his first intentions would have brought |
lim $4,000. But we doubt if ever his |
ordship will again get the straight tip
through the ivory gate of dreams. The
Worlds arithmetic man has shown that
he chances against ones holding thir-
cen trumps at whist-omitting from
5he calculation any recognition of the
,act that player can MT hold thirteen
save on his own deal, which
1nly takes place once in four deals
ire so great that if all the paleolithic
nen had sat down to play, and shufied
md dealt once a minute without inter
mission for meals or sleep, or Interrupt
ion by cataclysms, death, destruction
)r the deluge, they would to-day be
much less than half way to the desired
land. It being necessary in the case
mentioned that his lordship o. should
lream, C2) should dream of racing, (3)
hould dream of that particular race,
nd az should dream of a horse by
ame which thould prove o. be in
hat race, CO. to start for that race, and
y to win that race by (8) a neck, not to
lention the minor contingencies of his
and acting upon his
ream, and the coincidence of meeting
is friend, and the chance of all the
ood horses falling and his horse pro-
ting by the fall, it will be seen that
ne odds in favor of his dreams netting
i'm 81, 900 apiece are almost as small. ,,
setter, far better, to follow the lead of
ne proprietary, better even to con-
llt the "agents" who advertise in
efnite "sure things" for thirteen !
lamps, and never fail-after the race
} pick out the winner. :