Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-07-09

diabolical ingenuity which man who has
had his every faculty trained IN one
direction can exercise upon horse de'ei-
oped solely for speed. There was no
such rapturous enthusiasm as one sees III
Spain at bull-fght, or in America nj d
bolt race the English, even when strong
ly excited. make less noise and move
more slowly than most other peoples 40
But at the quadrupeds rattling down the
home vay. with almost supernatural
swiftness. there was vast shout, species
of combined Bra-ro, the cry OF the
swells. and Hooray the acclamation OF
the populaee, which showed some aglta-
ton.
The vast crowd now broke i'll all ilrec-
tions. A new season of eating and drliih,
ing set in. Boisterous conversation and
singing was heard. The winners were
iubilant, and the losers were reckless.
This race being the principal attraction,
the return home began. The hindreds
of horses which had been quietly feeding,
in long lines, were harnessed INTO the
vehicles. 1t was like the breaking up OF
an immense military camp. thousands
of country folk, with their hands hlled
with cakes and beer bottles, sat down by
the roadside, unlnindful OF the dust.
The little .'shows" were noisy with prom
ise of amusement. Jugglers danced and
poised on their heads on bottles, or h'lrl-
ed knives at each other. The hot sun
beat down with force on the heated crowd.
Tho departure by road for London was an
amusing spectacle. The jollity OF the
soiled, fatigued, flushed men and women
ON the tons of the drags and omnibuses
had touch of ferocity in it. People
felt an irresistible desire to smash things.
Now and then Il bottle went hummlng
down from drag into n humber vehl-
Gle. Pea-shooters were in full blast, al
though believe recent enactment pro-
hibited them. The amusement was
coarse, vulgar, and founded on no real
capacity for enjoyment There was not
single fine sensation evoked by the Der
by Day, except that produced by the ex-
ouisite breeze which swept across the
slopes. Certainly there is nothing low
ering to human nature IN the spectacle
of several fine horses making mile and
a half i'll two minutes and forty or hfty
seconds but to elevate this spectacle
into national solemnity, and to group
around it riotous conduct and grotesque
buffoonery, is neither inspiring nor SEN
sible. To wear doll i'll ones hat, to
drink to excess, to get covered with dust
and dirty water, and to spend dozens OF
guineas in bad wine and dirt-begrimed
luncheon-for the all-pc-meating dust
makes eating on the Downs Il hazard
ous experiment-thesc are not lofty
pleasures If one must see the Derby,
and wishes to do it sensibly, slip down to
EPSON by rail 1t can be done with the
utmost comfort for eight shillings-a re-
turn ticket included--and no dust thrown
ill.,
The London journals speak with mourn.
full tone of the decline of the Derby.
There is, according to their testimony. a
lack of betting as compared with the old
days. when man could put a thousand
on a horse without his market status be-
ing atf,c.ed" Wagers were formerly
laid in the winter even, AMI the carly
spring preceding the Derby each year.
Now the betting is nearly ali done forty
eight hours before the race.