Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-07-09
An English Holiday.
THE DERBY AID IT'S CHARACTERISED FL
TURES.


Edward h,ng in the Boston JOURNAL
What is ''the Derby" to-day? The
Derby is not fashionable race, like the
Ascot. Society does not put on ITS nne
clothes to 90 down to Epson, but, on the
contrary. dons gray travelling suits, white
hats. light colored gloves, and equipped
with the prudent umbrella, sets oui pre-
pared to be iostled by the mob, hni to
have its ears filled with sand. Thos.- who
pretend TO know assert that the ID, rby is
steadily decaying as an institution. anu
that in few years it will be considered
quite done with. But for the present so
ciety goes down to Epson Just MS Its
fathers and grandfathers did. | 10 not
think that great many ladies 60. The
Princess of Wales was there yesterday,
but she rarely attends That which chiefly
strikes stranger is the absence of iadles.
As for the Young men of rank and Tor
tune, who are resolutely devoting them
selves to life of comparative idleness,
the racing mania fills n certain VOID III
their existence, and they waste tremen-
dous sums of money on 1t. GampilhB is
! A passion which has taken very deep ROOT
| in England, and betting on horses Is one
of its most seductive forms. Noble dukes
and others of high degree are not above
backing their favorites, and pocketihS
with noticeable alacrity the moneys
which they are fortunate enough to WIN.
A little check for ten thousand pounds
often comes as golsend to some us
tressed scion of an ancient house, who
would be very much ashamed to have his
real financial condition published To tne
world The Duke of Westminsterls SAID
TO have won an enormous sum on his
horse Bend Or" which won the prlncl-
pal race Yesterday. 1t will be seen that
Liberals as well as Conservatives are
consumed by the fever for betting on
horse races. III. K. H." frequently has
very large sums of money laid ON one OF
the horses at the Derby. He never falls
to attend the popular race. About half
past twelve on the day of the contest, ne
leaves Marlborough House, accompanied
by one or two other royalties, pr!ncesses,
etc, and large number of gentlemen OF
the Jockey Club, anu the party drives TO
Victoria railway station, where royal
train is in waiting. This train usually
consists OF eight or nine saloon carriages,
and is whisked down to EPSON town IN
about twenty minutes. These carriages
are in waiting to convey the august visit
ors. as they are always called by the re-
porteIs, To the grand stand, where rooms
commanding Il view of the entire course
are ready for them. When the races are
over the Prince and party return by the
same route, and in the evening he gives
dinner TO the members Of the Jockey
| Club. Although the Prince Is, and has
been for ten wears. one of the most famll-
| iar figures in London thousands of peo-
pie form lines and stand patiently, Ill
RAIN or dust. on the evening OF the Derby
to see him return and drive through the
Park TO the palace.
Along the furry slopes where the foot
path to the race course lay, hundreds OF
''cneap Jacks" had installed themselves.
These poor fellows, many of whom were
accompanied by their wives and children,
had come down TO see if they could turn
an honest penny by experimenting games
of skill and chance. While the races
we're in progress, they slept in the sun
shine, worn out with their dusty night
Journey from London. The police Will
not let them rest on the road, if they are
gong to EPSON, when they are travelling
bv night. For day or two before the
DERBY the roads from London are covered
with motley caravans of these adventur-
ers and humble folk. Thousands prefer
travelling the route over i'll one night, be
! cause it is cooler than III the day. The
country is secured by mounted police
men, and the word to the tramping hun
dreds is, .'On yon go or back you go"
Even when arrived i'll EPSON Town, the
trampers must press ON to the Downs and
there steep. IN the ,nrrnin5 they Light
campiires and cook primitive breakfast,
then install themselves. Here one sees
the degradation Of the populace IN ITS
most glaring manifestations. But the
lirhtsome air of the Downs seems to have
put little humor into the speech OF the
men, and as they cry their wares they
often provoke a merry laugh. Dozens OF
them have cocoanuts set up ON pms, and
you may bowl at the pins with round red
balls at penny shot. If You knock a
cocoanut over it is yours. The pleasing
and tiine-honored game of Aunt Sally
is likewise found along the road, and
everywhere, on every hand there Is drink
drink drink Nearing the race course
came into sandy hollow. where sat a
sturdy beggar, crying, "Oh. gentlemen
| Oh. your honors Here | be- Look ut
me. I'm poor old rough rider see
what be come to ~ He was blind and
was led about by corpulent woman who
looked as if gin was her delight. Then |
saw youth with no hands playing an
! ACCORDION, and an Irish mendicant, with
lengthy hair, wishing lis all ''long life,
and lat woman parading before her car
avan. and SO many other sights that really
| cannot enumeratc them. Very impress
sive were the long wooden booths filled
with horses munching their noontide
] nf where
people with red faces and redder noses
were examining themselves with meat and
drink, and the vast stretch of white pal
ing. with the grand stand arising to an
| immense height in the centre. This
grand stand was so filled with human be-
ings that the crowding seemed almost
dangerous. The Princess of Wales, in
gorgeous toilette, stood on balcony,
surrounded by ladies' and gentlemen.
And far away on all sides, but especially
within the circle inclosed by the race
track, were hundreds upon hundreds OF
drags and carriages and cabs and rough
wagons When | arrived on the scene
the great public was feeding. 1t was
sublime and terrible spectacle Men and
women were voraciously devouring great
plates full Of cold salmon, fowl and ham
Ia horrible combination y cold beef and
mutton and pork and were washing 1t
down with bottle after bottle of cham
pagne. | saw one frisky party drinking
champagne out of huge glass pitchers, or
..iugs," as they are called here. Young
women in blue silk and red silk and yell
low silk and orange silk and violet silk
and primrose silk disported on the tops
Of the draws i'll free and easy manner.
-, l,n f.1,n
wonderful stimulants. The clamor i'll
,.rrnscd momeutarl!v ROistarous fel-
lows threw down half emptied bottles Of
wine to the roughs, who speedily emptied
them. and ihcn staggered about with
them under their arms Negro minstrels
sang and danced, and old fortune tellers
came sneakingly upon one, saying IN
fawning tones
Vow, my pretty gentleman, let me see
your hand Destiny is waiting for you;
Do you see my wicked eye? Let me tell
your fortunci' Or-to lady
''My dear lady, let me see your pretty
hand. Don't be afraid of my wicked eye.
Let me tell you the secrets Of the fa-
tnre.
These old sorceresses, generally inho.
cent of any acquaintance with soap and
water, would tldHlptI u u tihS y 'ot
with splendid agility and. hanging on
with one hand, would with the other make
strange gestures as they foretold the fu-
ture. And the young men gave them to
drink. and made the old crones So merry
that they were llmentable spectacle.
did not see many picturesque gipsies.
fancy that the tribe has lost that element
on, of its character 10y its long residence
in prosac England.
At last II bell rang long and loudly.
% had come upon the scene Just as the gfea'
race was about to he run. Gradually, 10y
the efforts of large body of mounted
policemen, aud patrol on foot, the track
was cleared Of the thousands who had
invaded it. This took half an hour, nno
in some cases the policemen were oblige,
tom force to accomplish it. Then there
was Il long suspense, during which little
was heard except the cries of bootlnhkers
These worthless were mounted on litti'
r. 4. ll