Middletown transcript., 1876-10-28
For the Middletown Transcript.
Fof Tue MiddItt0Wn Tfanscflp
THE TOURNAMENT.
IT'S SUCCESSES AND FAILURES.

III = kOU1kN AM EN1s
| IT'S SUCCESSES AND FAILURES.
To an enthusiast in horsemanship,
the riding Of last Thursday, Maryland
and Delaware Day." was treat Of the
first order. The horses ran splendidly,
the riders were graceful, the track as
good as could be expected from the roll
ing ground on which it was made. The
day was everything that could be de-
sired, and the enthusiasm of the sea Of
people, and their universal good nature
was thing to be remembered- The
accommodations for both judges, guests
and reporters, however, were entirely
inadequate We were promised ticket
for the stand more than week previous
to the tournament by Col. Smith, to
whom We were sent by Mr.. Gill, Of the
Maryland State Building. On calling
on Col Smith at the time appointed, We
were bluffly referred to Mr.. Lumbough
in the Press Room, be in the goodness
of his heart said be would send our ap-
plication in, but said we applied too
late. We told him we had applied three
times to Col. Smith, but it did not suit
him to bother with it, SO after little
more battle-door and shuttle-cock per-
formance, we did not get any ticket at
all This might only be deeraed an ac-
sident. but when we overheard a re-
porter's clerk, with pass, show his ticket
and beg for half an hour for few min
utes' interview with Mr.. Cathcart Tsy-
lor on important business, and was re-
fused. then for Col Smith or some other
person under his command to send three
different times to Gov. Hartranft to come
and take seat among the monarch
lists, !" the escort consisting Of Maryland's
"cavalry and chivalry" combined, who
were snubbed twice by Pennsylvania
Governor, and only acseded to to keep
peace, looks as if somebody had
"crooked the pregnant hinges Of the
knee" &c. 1t is strange to US that in
the whole length and breadth Of Della
ware and Maryland, there could not
have been found single polished gen.
tlemen to undertake this tournament
One Of those old school gentlemen Of
Maryland such as Col Groome of Elk
ton was: such as James Alfred Pearce
of Chestertown is : one of the thousands
Of Baltimore. or the younger men of the
day, who would carry out peoples ideas
Of ancient chivalry, such as We read Of
in Ivanhoe- !
ssAt this the challenger with fierce defy,
His trumpet sounds; the challenged makes
reply;
With clangor rings the field, resounds the
vaulted sky,
Their visors closed their lances in the rest,
Or, at the helmet pointed or the crest
They vanish from the barrier speed the race,
And spurring see decrease the middle space
In our humble opinion, Col. Smith
represented more nearly Cervantes
Sancho Panza than the heralds of more
ancient days-he may be diamond in
the rough, but in these days, where
everything is taken as it appears to the
eye and people are apt to judge by ap-
pearances, not having time to analyze
character, we must beg leave to say he
neither represents our ideal Of ancient
chivalry. or modern manners, and must
not be taken as type Of Maryland and
Delaware gentlemen with whom we have
been mixing for years, both socially and |
in business The coronation ceremonies
could only be Witnessed by favor or
cash, giving another erroneous idea Of
both ancient and modern tournaments,
where in both cases the crowning was
done publicly, and especially in ancient
days when Rowenna crowned the Disin-
herited knight before prince, priest and
peasant. We think the commissioners,
whoever they were, had no more right
to charge fee for admission to the cor
onation ceremonies in Judges Hall, than
had the Tunisians who started q similar
show in their building, but we're soon
shut up, and their dancing girls scat
tered on very short notice, to the effect
that everything must be free for inspec-
tion on the grounds.
In this connection let me mention |
that we have our democratic ideas pro-
perly adjusted, dispensing with the
smonarchical lense." whatever that is.
be it the "Pope's big tse in Brazil"
Though being catholic we were ignor-
ant Of the amputation and transporta-
tion Of that member from Rome, or all
the world being Dutch but ourselves.
Whether Humboldt, Handel. Mendell-
sohn, Hadyn, Goethe, and host Of
other Dutchman are a representative
type Of the much -talked-of connecting
link. it is pity we had not chain Of
such links around the world to enlighten
"countrymen," who display such sim
plicity. We overheard description Of
"The Surrender Of Sedan" given by
one countryman to another in the Art
Gallery, the other day, beginning with
"That is Sedan coming up the hill; be
has just left the hut down there" We
did not wait to hear any moro But to
take this countryman as a specimen Of
all those who do not live in cities would
be gross libel on our greatest men both
living and dead, who lived in the coun-
try and died there, such as Jefferson,
Webster. Clay and hoA Of others
ROsALFINE.