The New Orleans Democrat., 1876-04-30


In order to understand a mule race.
one must bring his intelligence TO bear
upon tho mule itself. and answer to tho
self. and fatal question :
What Ia a mule2 Before the mighty
problem the sublimcst intelligence is
staggered. We have all seen mules we
contemplate them every day, every
street. err Is drawn by mule
every float in tho city runs
III tho wake OF ut least Tour
Of those interesting nondescripts. to
speak metaphorically We cnnnot walk
the streets with any degree of abstract
sdncss without walking over some mule
or other. or without being run over by
n specimen of this long-eared race; and
vet no philosopher has as yet penetrated
into tfie recesses OF that animal true
inwardness. Woman. whose soul is as
doom IA the unfathomahle waters OF the
Pacific. Ia an easy conundrum when
compared to the subject we ut present
discuss.
Therefore we abandon uil idea OF COM
ing To n conclusion or Of giving u dotini
tion, and we will go right straight ahead
with our subject, as most writer's DO, ana
IA the mule Jockeys Yesterday most GER
tninly have done
And the ioakeys ali tho ioekcysl
Srr whnt VARYING chance aud luck ~.
How they ride
Whiia frat blue first. red FIRST. groom iiist,
thpuprful us n woman soul thirst
Side by aide.
Render. forgive this defective burst OF
pocticnl enthusiasm. but we think that
we sre them before VS. now.
Grand. graceful noble and yarie-
gated. tho gentlemen riders. the
noble Jockeys. one clad In red, inountod
on yellow mule. another dressed
in blue bestridng a copper -coiored non,
descript this one. adorned IN green ana
white. capering on beast Of the PINK
nersuasion: that one. red and gold,
making himself conspicuous on the back
of n lead -colored charger. on Tor II
brass trumpet to herald forth the beau
ties of such day. and. nh for tongue
of silver to sing in mellow tones the
pIories Of tho hourl There they stood,
The white. the bluo. the red, the green.
and tho many colored. One. two, three.
one tap OF the drum, aud OF they go.
But this method Of treating the sub
iect is too elaborate and we must forego
II To come down to bare facts. An eX-
answered Yesterday the call OF charity
10 attend an entertainment. IA mule race, /,
in which some of our best, though not
our oldest. Young men were enlisted rs
riders. given for the benefit OF the Pro-
teatnnt Episcopal Home. The affair
nroyed ,o be n success beyond unticipa-
lion. thanks to the ladies who patronized
IL. and lent their presence to make V
the more attractive. Indeed. we had
never seen the likes OF 1t before: the
faircr sex outnumbercd the uglier on
this occasion. Tho attendance was not
only large. but most fashionable ana
composed OF tue pcSl socisAs - Ntn
Orleans.
Although fraught with fun and Joliity,
tho races had their serious side and
some excellent and plueky riding was
displayeI. The riders were all mem
bers OF prominent social club OF
this city. as were all the gentlemen
having the supervision OF the enter
tainment.
While the riders dresses were. In
several cases, handsome and even ex-
oilisite. there was much OF the ludicrouS
and absurd. Intentionally of course,
TO he noticed in tho official insignia of
the managers and stewards, some
Of the cockades were as wide as cart
wheels and ns variegated as the
rainbow. but not 80 harmoniously blend
I'd. But out Of respect for the patience
Of the reader, it Is better, since we are
incompetent to the task of describing
the scenes in the glowing terms they
deserve. to proceed ut once 10 the rela-
tion Of the races
Frgsr RACE First Heat. They were
nil in n row mt the line. every son of n
I 4. .nnl uanttfnIN fu gtHnpft
TO n prominent member Of the Orleans
Club. lest in their ardor they should
| break loose for the goal before the tap
/ of the drum. There were no false starts,
and the send-off was rs perfec: as the
sbnrpencd spurs Of the amateur jockeys
| could we'll make il Mule Race getting
the start but soon relinqushing it to
Bandit, who was leading ut and
past the quarter post. and he IN
his turn giving up to White League.
Bandit, however, managed TO snow IN
front before reaching the half mile. Mule
Race third. White League made an
other successful! effort in tho turn, but
lust as they got into the home stl etch,
Centennial threw off few Of his hun
dred years, and, pushing up. showed
his nose in front, White League imme-
diately in his rear, and Bandit third.
On approaching the string White
League made u desperate effort for the
lead, and got it, but dropped back un-
accountably about opposite the dis
tance stand, and came in two
lengths behind the leader, Cen
tennial, Bandit good third, Bachelor
fourth. Mule Race fifth, the remainder
strung out from the carriage stand TO
the stables. Chaperone would have de
served his name II the race bad been
reckoned backwards. They did not all
come up TO judgment rs graceful iy as
might have been hoped, for while in the
act Of checking his steed, his rider in
disgust threw himself fiat on his back
where he remained for a while in mute
contemplation Of the azure ornament
Meanwhile Post Traders and Mule
Races riders, thinking the example q
good 6ne, Topped over gracefully to the
tune of the Star Spangled Banner, al
of which stars they clearly saw. We
cannot describe the enthusiasm which
the heat created, but il q fraction Of il
- tsiF aI nt fbn llef Sntipt