The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1879-07-24

thus enabled to enter with greater relish
into the more quiet but not less pleasure
bic amusement of the Oaks day. This
interval is also Of great service to those
who have FLIES entered for 10th races.
The old course, now seldom used cX-
ccpt for the cup, is two miles, of an IT.
regular circular form, the first mile up |
hill.
The new Derby course, rs it is called,
is exactly mile and half, and some
what in the form of a horseshoe The |
first three quarters of mile may be |
considered rs straight running, the bend |
in the course being very trifling and the |
width very great; the next quarter Of a
mile is in a gradual turn, and is called
Tattcnham Corner; the last half mile
from this is straight. The first half mile
IS on the ascent, the next third Of mile
is level, and the remainder is on the des-
cent, till within the distance where the
ground rises again. The Derby is one
and-a. half-mile race for three year old
colts and tillics, and is usually won in
from 2m. AS. to Pm. 525s. The stakes
vary, according to the number Of the
subscribers.
1t has been said, with more truth than
usual, that ''all the world and his wife
goes to the Derby" From an carly hour
in the morning a continuous stream Of
humanity, in vehicles and Oh foot, pours
forth from London southwark, the head
Of the current reaching EPSON by nine
o'clock, or even earlier, and the end not
till past mid day The convcyanccs in
which the Londcncrs disport themselves
on this great occasion are of the most
motley description and indicate clearly
the fascination that the Derby
has for all classes Of per
sons. There arc the wcll-appointcd
drags, which have multiplied exceeding
ly since the modern revival of coaching,
and tho disappointed buses and wagon
cites, with four horses, which seem never
to have been yokcd together before, and
suggestive of doubt whether they will
make the double journey without mishap.
There are the quiet private carriages and
pair, and the more snowy vehicles with
the almost extinct race Of Positions, the
sporting publlcans Whitcchapcls, the
one-horse carts Of petty tradcsmcn, OF
costermongcrs, of "dealers.' Here and
there is in undertakcr's business chaisc
with business horse in it. the smart
hanson with its bower of gauzc, the four
wheel ''growlcr,,' pony carts with animals
hardly bigger than Newfoundland dogs
and street barrows drawn by wonderfully
fast trotting donkeys-cum multis aliis
quos nunc describere tonquma est. On each
side ct these IS an equally uniailine
stream of pcdcstrians-for thousands
pravcly walk from London to the Downs
Bicyclists Ga sort Of cross-brecd bctwccr
pedestrians and vchicular ridcrs) are il
full force, and from time to time seem IL
put fresh life into Il jadcd horse as they
flash by on silently revolving wheels. Il
was said some years ago, whcl
the railways offered such grca
facilities for getting to the scene OF action
that 1.-The glorics of the road would grad
ually fade. But the yearly increasin:
number of Dcrby-go have falsiticd thi
prophecy, and the road is as crowded an.
lively as ever. Not the least importan
feature Of the pageant is the ''station
aries" whose amusement is to watch tn
passing cavalcadc. The gatherings q
men and boys along the route, and til
maidscrvants ut the upper and the mis-
trcsscs at the lower windows OF tn
houses, and the pupils of the varlou
schools, proppcd up On platforms behin'
their walls, form a conspicuous teatur
Of the scene.
The Downs themselves, when the null
titudcs have fairly arrived, can only b
, compared to an enormous ant-hill, Gov
cred with human beings to the humble,
perhaps, OF quarter of a million. Their
is incessant motion among the crowd, cx
cept for the few brief moments whc
each race is being run. The Grand STAN
and its inclosurc seem SO dcnscly packc
: that they would scarcely hold anothe
form. This structure, which is cxccc,
ingly handsome and commodious, WI,
erected in 1929, the expense hein
estimated ut G13,S9O, which sum wa
, raised 10y means Of shares. The intcric
: comprises several rooms for refrcshmen
=. and saloon 101 feet in length and }
: feet wide. The whole lcng tl, of I'll
!. building is 1876 feet, arranged for the az
commoiation Of 5000 persons, with sea-
on the roof for $500 more. Besides thi
Il there are numerous other stands, whicI
: with booths and shows of every descril
. ton, line each side of the course for
!. considerable distance. The appearance
y Of the course previous to the start for IL
Derby, with the vast multitude who
= covers all gazing in one direction, is
). sight of thrilling interest, and unlike an
y other that can be witnessed in the wOrl
= The horses are saddlcd and led about Il
. some little time previous to starting, !
- the warrcn-a paddock near the cour:
to which the public are admitted G
~ foot ON payment Of a shilling, and whic
:, attracts vast crowds, some from curiosit
u to see the condition of their favorite hor
= cs, but the greater number to stare ut Il
u nobility, as nearly half the male porto
% Of the peeragc may he met with on tn
! spot.
" AS the moment for the race approache
/, the betting becomes more fast and furio,
u This goes on on all the stands and in Il
h. the Enclosures, in the Grand Stand parti
ularly, and especially in that portion Of
= devoted to the members of Tattcrsall'
J., There is betting, too, outside, where Il
81 81 ''list men, are busy at their special fun
~ ~ tions. They appear with the names
40 ttfClt IIlIH vi tllCIT Hills autl Days, I'LL
T. T. believing odds like double-barreIlcd f
}" bulls of Bashan. Some terribly roua
:, and sinister-espected customers arc anon
~ them, but as rule they are straight
y their dealings, and will generally ps
= you when you back the winning horse
IL for this reason, if for no other, namel
~ r. that the game Of laying the odds is t.
- good to give up by making default. Fac
y has his clerk who will give you tick
when you deposit the money, and tt
~ ~ money when you present the ticket, unle
! a by-the-way, a member Of the organize
Il, army of 'snatchers' tears the ticket out
u u your fingers, and then, with the band
~ ruffians supporting him, swears that yc
l. arc the thief and agg1cssor. The welshe
~ -, also abound in every nook and corne
~ and do good trade with your
~ men from the country
=, , sometimes goes hard, however, with Il
l. MON bnro If thic frnkornifv. tor 1,,1,on