Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1879-07-02
From Our Regular Correspondent
Paris Letter.
PARIS, France. June l, ls79

Paris Letter.
PARIS. France. June |. 1879.
Just one year ago. when saw for the
6rst time the race for the grand priz. there
was Marshal McMahon seated in the most
prominent place on the grand stand. sur
rounded by the shah of Persia. who APP
peared to be dressed in - gentleman's
gorgeous morning wrapper and smoking
cap. Amedeus. ex-king of Spain, and other
royal personages. To day President NJ.
Greyy has the place of honor. and other
royalties surround him. Frenchmen and
French women enjoy the race just the
same, no matter whether a republican or
an imperialist president occupies the pur-
pie pavilion. Gay, enthusiastic, art-lov-
ing. excitement-craving, sublime, selfish,
grandly contemplate French people! To
see them and to know them is to open an
entirely new volume of human nature.
1t may be well to remind your readers
that the grand priz dates only from 1868.
Before that time foreign horses could not
compete for prizes in France. or rather
they could not carry off any prize. When
the jockey club was applied to on the sub
ject they declared that their statutes for
babe them to let sixpence be diverted
from their funds in favor of foreign
horse. The difficulty was turned by NJ.
de Morny, who contrived that the grand
prize of one hundred thousand francs
should be given half by the city of Paris
and the other half by the five princlpa
railway companies. The idea was just no
less than ingenious, seeing that the city
and the railways both gain by the influx
of visitors. The first grand prize was
won by an English horse-Rangen-and II
great cutlery was made on the score that
the good people Of Paris were simply
making present of several thousand
pounds a year to perfie Albion. But the
second years prize was carl led off by NJ
Delamorre's Yarmouth, and of the sixteel
that have been run for, up to and includ-
ing to-day, zine have been won by Frencl
animals.
To come to the event of the day, and to
begin with the weather, which has so i'm
mense an effect on such meetings; j
looked black and threatening all the morn
ing, and at 1:30, just the hour when thu
majority of visitors were preparing t.
start, there came on sudden and violent
storm. The weather then remained fai
till some time after the grand prize had
been run, and 1t was only those who
waited to see' the racing out who wer
caught in Il second downpour as violent II,
the first. The course was unusually well
filled to-day, and fancy there were more
drags, on the hill than are generally to b.
seen. AS TO the grand stand it could moi
have held more people. Not only Were
all the tribunes ,ensely packed. but the
entire space was occupied by compact
throng, and half the numbers in th,
weighing ground can have seen no more
of tue great race than if they had remain
ed in Paris. The presidents tribune was
thoroughly we'll filled. M. Grevy sat in
the middle of the front row, looking, il
must be confessed, as if he did not at al
like his prominent position, and rs though
he did not care the least in the WORLD
about what was going on. Madame and
Mdle. Grevy were, of course, there, to.
gether with the ladies of several ministers,
and also remarked the presence Of Count
Beust, Prince Orlof and several Other
ambassadors. AS it is certain 10 be stated
that the prince of Wales was there, it is
well to note that, if his royal highness was
c nspicuous Mt the Longchamps race
course today, it was by his absence. 1t
is known, of course, that the prince never
attends Sunday races, but some of the
French papers give such circumstantial
accounts of the disposal of his time when
ne is in Paris. that, if he manages TO be
in all the places he is supposed to attend.
he must, indeed, have The gift of ubiquily.
The bell rang at the appointed time,
and The course was speedily cleared but II
long delay occurred before the horses
came out one by one on the course. After
the canler the animals walked past the
tribunes in Indian file, and, having reached
the starting place, to the right of the
weighing ground, the start was Mt once
given. All round the course, up the hill
and down again rs far rs the straight run
home, the running was made by lvuran-
gelle. the stable companion of Nubienne,
followed closely by NJ. Fould Avenues;
but when they reached the level the pack
WAS so close together that they might, to
use the expressive phrase heard uttered
on all sides, have been covered with a
handkerchief. The colors of Lagrange,
Blanc and Fould were then seen to the
fore, and Flaws H., Salteador and Nuh-
enpe came on so closely together that the
issue seemed doubtful in the extreme. The
struggle indeed was remarkably hard, but
Nubienne succeeded in passing Salteador
by neck, Flaws II. following scarcely IL
head behind. Seldom has race been
more holly contested, and although the
result disappointed the expectations of the
majority of spectators. the entrance OF
Nubienne into the weighing ground was
greeted with warm applause. At all
events, the English horse had not carried
off the prize, and this was great conso,
lalion to French losers-not that Nubienhe
mad not been backed; M. Blanc, his owner,
has been SO lucky Of late that many had
faith in his star.
The other races had little comparative
interest, and Immediately after the grand
prize had been run, began the gradual re-
turn homeward. To those who left the
course it seemed as if all Paris had come
out to meet them. All through the Bots