The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1876-06-23
OUR LONDON LETTER.
The Derby Races.
LoSboH, June Q, 1876.
Edlton lutellIgeneer:

IONDON, Juuo W 40'"
EdItors 1utellIgencer:
suppose the most Of your readers are
aware that Derby day Is that OF all 9TH
ers for which the English turf sports
were made. 1t is on this day that the
English thorough BREEDS make or lose
worldwide regulations. To be the winner
OF the Derby stakes Is glory enough for
Lord or Common. To hear only, is to
have but the faintest idea Of the exciting
scenes which make the Derby, par excel
lence, the widest Of all the English sport
ing days.
The whole realm seems to make an en-
deayor to concentrate itself or rather
precipitate itself upon the scene oil the
great races, so that 1t is with the great
cat difficulty that the grounds can be
reached at all. A multitude OF people
90 the course on the day before, In order
10 avoid the rush. Those who cannot go
40 carly have to take their chances as
best they can. Railway trains seem ut
terly useless us means Of conveyance
for the crowds that throng the stations
in the vain hope Of securing atpAssage.
Upon all the roads leading to EPSON
Downs you will see thousands upon thou
sands OF vehicles OF every conceivable
construction, from the coach OF the No
bIcman with its FURNISHED coat OF arms
and gold.laced footmen down to the
peasants rude Donkey cart. All these bang
and crash against each other on the high
way with the utmost republican freedom.
Derby day knows no distinction as to the
right OF the road, except the swiftness OF
the team and the strength Of the vehicle.
With true Yankee enterprise we were on
the grounds very early in the morning,
only. however, 10 find that thousands up
on thousands were there before US. As
far as the eye could reach through the
riffs in the sitting dust, the outlines Of
the vast crowd were barely discernible,
and all day long it kept increasing. In
this mighty conconrse were the represen-
ta,iyes not only Of all classes Of society,
but Of every nation under the sun. There
were lords and ladies, preachers and
gamblers, millionaires and pilfering beg
CARS, bankers and shoe.blacks, and the in
evitable and irrepressible tortune.telling
Gypsy-all seemingly intent on cheating
each other out OF the best standing room.
At last the hour has come, the horses are
out, the race Is on, q moment more and
they are of.
Ii is curious to note the intensity OF
feeling exhibited by the motely crowd as
the result OF the race hangs in doubt.
The faces Of some indicate the very ago.
ny OF suspense as the prospects Of victo'
~, like tickle Fortune, favors now one
now another OF the runners. Some are
almost frantic with the expectation Of
victory and yell out cheers for their ia
yorite horse. Others wear look Of frig
id despair as the last shadow OF hope
I fades out in the darkness Of defeat. Ant
we'll they may look taus, for many who
came to EPSON Downs in the morning
rich men, went away nearly penniless
They saw some neglected steed speed
down the home stretch like winged ar
row, winning money and fame.
Stories are told me Of men who under
the excitement of the Derby have bet ey
cry dollar OF their possessions whether
money, houses or lands and have left
their. families without even a shelter
MANY in the madness OF their disappoint
lnent have thrown their lives away, bu
then in London, suicides are part OF the
daily news and are not much noticed, &C
that after the Derby, there Is only a sigh,
change in the verbiage Of the coronert
verdict, which in such cases is-"Suicidet
under depression from losses at the races
But enough about the Derby:
Ere write again you will have cele'
brated the hundredth birth day Of thai
Republic which is the pride Of every
American. One can scarcely realize thai
a century has passed since the immorta
heroes OF l776 gave to the world a gov
eminent whose corner stone Is liberty
and equal rights for all men.
What robust youth is the American
Republic! To what stature has h
grown in so few years! Like the youth
ful David asking nothing, fearing moth
ing, from the giants Of the earth, hoary
with their thousand years OF maturec
strength, both physical and intellectual
The thousands who, from the East and
the West, the North and the South; from
Europe, Asia and the Isles Of the sea
come up to admire the Republic, will ex
claim, Obi happy, free America, though
dark clouds have sometimes shronded the
brightness OF thy career yet the smile o
Heaven rests upon thee, and who can So,
what another hundred years will add t.
thy glory. A. W.