The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-07-30
OLD ENGLAND.
Uncle Joe EIIiOtG's Experiences of Moth
er Country.


The other day Gath" interviewed
Joe Elliott, the sporting editor of the
New York Times, about his experiences
in England. Appended is part of what
followed:
1 met Uncle Joe at the Branch. He
had been in England for the first and
only time of his life during the present
spring and summer, ana thought the
opportunity good to test his experience
on American sporting matters by what
he had seen of England. So l said:
"Well, Elliott, what do yon think OF
England ?"
al think it's an internal climate, in
habited by a race of heather barba-
rians. / had a letter to Tattersall, and
delivered it just before l came away.
had been there many days, looking at
the sales; but I didn't want to be
coached, and I delayed presenting the
letter. Said Tattersall: Mr.. Elliott,
how long do you stay in London 2
Said I: 6 If my watch is correct shall
be out of this town in about two hours
How do you like the country 2 well,
I havn't seen anything in it to like. 1t
appears to me to be only partly civil
lied, and how, in the name of God, you
are going to civilize such material as
you have got here passes my compre-
hension."
"Still you did not like England ?"
"No. The spectators of the races
there are the lowest cGraGiIIS of the
earth. Such an audience as you see at
Jerome Park, or the Branch, or at Lex
ington, is unknown in England. AN the
new track near London there was
F.
it. YOU know" cried the mob. And
thew cleared away that fence like so
many pioneers, inundated the field, and
laughed at authority. At the Durham
races the GOLFERS came in, noisy, fight
ing, heathenish. 1 saw one fellow who
held the stakes for two others seized
and they began to gnaw at his fist with
their teeth to make him drop the money.
At----the mob swept the field, knocked
me down and ran over me, ard lastly,
man on horseback galloped over me.
| At the heath of Newmarket [ took a
horse, afraid to go on foot longer, and
being pretty fat and matured I soon
| felt very sore; so [ saw a number of
press vans on the track with reporters
| inside, driving over the course and
printing as thew proceeded. I handed
| in my card to one of the gentry, Jo-
seph Elliott sporting editor of the
New York Herald and said: will
you permit me, sir, to ride with your
driver = No, I'll be damned if I do /
| Why, sir, in the house of lords l saw
great placard: Beware of pickpock-
| cts. Sporting houses like Jim Shaw's
are almost inaccessible from the thieves
and ruffians around them. Women are
unable to attend the greater part of the
races with respect. I went to the
| Tower of London in a cab it happened
to be free day policeman said to me:
You are stranger, amt you? Well,
don't go in there to-day they'll pick
everything off your body they'll strip
you. Come back on a shilling day. 1
held up my hands and said: My
God is there any place on this island
| where a man is safe ?
"Perhaps you might find that wick
edness in the sporting classes chiefly.
al don't know. The whole nation
seemed to me to be brutal. At the hotel
where I stopped addressed man
would ente and say, loud enough to
be heard by all: Waiter, who's that
old beggar? ?" That's an American,
sir + 'Oh, a Yankeel' I was a
witness to four respectable looking
English Quaker women, opposite the
Lord Mayors residence, drinking sue
cessiveIy four pints of strong porter
each in public house. It seemed to
me that the English women didn't
wash. I thought they all stunk."
Perfectly sincere, a little opinion
ated, yet always known to be reliable,
thus did Uncle Joe descant upon our
cousins Rosbn.