Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-07-02
GROWTH OF OUTDOOR SPORTS
IN AMERICA
Noted Characters In Sporting Life
The Turf at COney Island.


Honor are your little gama, Iii lay down the
goose and shake the dtce-oox with You" He
became sporting prfacs In New Orleans. and
near the closs OF , me was w9en Ins conosdsrasy
great gaming house In New York. The tim 90
were flush, the currency inflated, aud the c)n
tractor was the current gentleman. Money came
in SO fast that the partners could not agree, ana
hence arose the rival house, of Morrlssey
4 Co. and Chamberlain, McGratn co. Tue
south being poor, sporting men from that quar-
field amusements were transplauted to Pater-
son and TO Jerome Park. SanfO d. Tragers and
Belmont were among the new nortaern IN "a 20
try the turf. AT that TINA We my not nave
best of the old stock had ridden into the can
non balls path and died like their Mosem
and his shadow-tf not necessary to ea:h other.
very partial to each others society. me sport
ing element became enterprt5ing on tn turf
Morrissey and Travers opened .ratoga; Caa n.
Monmouth Park; and as summer was raci az
season the turf became fixed feature of ouI
summer resorts, breaking out a. last In rlvaI
able as horses to racing. aud betting is the
scheme to make the general dull public pay the
expenses. Thus you can study In the small
circle OF one mile the universal race between
good and evil; the gallant horse and the para
site man; the broad Industrial economy aud low
avarice and artiflce.
AT COMFY ISLAND TRACK.
rose the triple victories of Parole, Iroqudis and
FoXhall, In the little space of sixteen years |
can well remember. going to Paterson, N j., In
1858, when 1t was perhaps the only running
course east OF Kentucky. Tae provincialism OF
the war and OF the slavery excitement was S
recent then that negro jockey was sympa-
tneticaily petted. and the news that old M.
led TO the most lurd reprooatton Of the turf.
Yet the turf was the first place af0er the war
Wnere social intercourse between the sections
began: Men IKE Puryear were seen creeping
Bowie and Ctabaugn from NJ aryland and divers
kinds Of men from Tennessee and Kentucky.
intent on stakes, BETS and sales Of yearlings
Every one CT them confessed that New York
was to become the Headquarters O; racing.
because here is the money" Con 5equentiy
pool rooms to surfelt are scattered over this
city, and Dookmakers are almost as numerous
as DOokkeepers. The profits OF q race track
are very great II you can put it close by a
great city, so that IL will be incidental to the
normal anusements, and can then give 1t
to the new Coney Island course, where q long
list OF names Is used as directors and private
boxes are built for turf magnates and patrons
and their families. and ''pool-selllng" and
county authorities. the whole makes q scene
between the borders OF brilliancy and dissoiute.
NJ SIS such as gambling only can color with its
peculiar lurid hue. In DuDufe5 picture OF the
Prodigal Son is one corner wnere his parasites
are throwing dice and 1t is the Only blemish.
yet the most intense spot In the broad, senSu-
Gus canvas. Gambling stands next to ghosts
In the superstition brought from our orthodox
ch1ldhoods Who does not remember the awful
darkness brooding upon the little family when
the big brother came home from college and In
his pocket the providing mother found pack OF
Cares? 1t sDDed that the very serpent Whic n
complimeDted Eve on her intellect had climbed
into our brother's bosom!
leland is probably under S10O, 900, not the cost
OF q small theater In the city and the theater
can hold only 500 people, while the race course
hEa ane city che ams
well: the horses pay the prizes they earn In
general One great racing day, with 10000
spectators, win pay the annual interest and
expenses on the Coney Island racing course
Alter the race is over, and before it starts, the
ocean bath Is at hand. IL seems marvel that
at such nearness to the seabeach a piece OF
nave been found.
Here is the latest vanity fair OF New York Yon-
DER are pair OF butchers, keeping a Little or zen
race horse, and have paid 81 500 for his young
full brother. Near by Is another Irlshman VINO
produces from 'anlde track the animal that
conquered both Blackburn and Parole. One OF
the most succe ssful and inolifereaJ Iinaaciers
OF the turf Is named Spencer. A man OF re-
serve and reading, he buys paintings instead CT
reeding horses and sale he recently hao
exec atoms OF people who only knew hin as
81 Or 11g man that ii opened their eyes to the
nor Dug hne- 8 OF his art knowledge. He reads
the lost elegant critical literature of Europe.
buys pictures OF Ge.ome that cost little for
tune, enjoys them till his house is filed aud If
be sells Goes 1t to advantage. RumOr saws that
he was once q merchants clerk, became fasci.
nated With day gaming, as It Is still practiSed
lar down town, and being reprimanded said:
my mind is so harmonious with that exercise
that VIII make business OF it and play prin-
c1pal instead OF VISITOR he flourished, became
the capitalist of Morrissey's establishment.
kept the books thereof like banks books.
looked on Morrissey's more brutal tendencies
with Ill conceived disgust, and survives him to
combine aesthetics and "the tiger" as 1t is never
st en- even in Landseer.
Sanford, once pred1cted to be the coming
king OF the turf, Is also novel figure among
hOlsemen. A prudent, polished, domestic man.
engaged, think, In the cotton business, and OF
New England stock, he spent much time com
mercially In the south aid saw a good deal of
racing. ut Is the only sport" he says "aG for
gentleman" On the turf his unrapacious
spirit OF accommodation is pleasing to see. He
was the first northern man after the war to 20
with horses to England. The name Of his great
horse, MOnarchist, may suggest that he had q
political bias toward Europe. He spent q large
sum of money In breeding farm in Kentucky,
reluctantly admitting that 1t raised the best
horses He is very deaf, but the pleasure OF tn.
eye is left him when his color5 blend VITA the
rest In the brilliant motion and contention.