Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-06-04

The Greatest Race Of the Year-Thc
Crowds and the EnthUsiaSm.

The Greatest Race Of the Year-Thc
Crowds and the Enthusiasm.
What Christmas and Fourth of July would
be If the festivities OF both could be put in
one. Derby day-or darby" as the English
pronounce It's to all ranks, conditions, ages
and sexes in England. From Derby day to
Derby day the minds of the whole population,
infantile as well as adult, are fixed upon the
favOrfte. For weeks before the day illusions
to the coming event I'LL the comic and serious
papers; the concert halls sing and Joke the ex-
pected points; lists OF the doings OF the several
horses are issued In careful bulletins; "b9tting
DOCKS" are opened In public places Even IN
the heat and turmoil OF war the Derby is for
Its season a topic Of more thrilling interest
than the loss of battles or the winning OF cam
pa1gns. Unless one has been In England dur
realizing sense of the intensity and univer-
salty Of the interest taken by all classes
Parliament adjourns for he day. Business In
L onoon Is suspended; sn occupations take a
holiday and the streets OF metropolis Of
4.O0O 600 OF people show perceptible thinning
out. Special trairs run from London on six or
eight ines at, intervals OF ten minutes, from
six In the morning until the hour OF the race
But the wonderful spectacles OF the day are
the lovely green lanes and splendid, smoorh
highways through Surrey to EPSON DoWDs tne
II c. track. Scores Of roads lead from Loudon
to Epsom and the route is between fifteen and
seventeen miles. The turnouts are as varied
as the men who take part Every conceivable
vehicle Is brought into play for the day. me
omnibus companies strip their stables; the
various wagons In trade are impressed, down
even TO the costermongers carts. 1t is day OF
thorough democracy. The duke in his magnfl-
cent coach. with eight and ten horses or the
SVEN with bis swag tandem, takes good -humor-
upTOaT1Ous company. The drive Is simply Pan
demonium, 80 far aSthe sights and sounds go.
Every body is good, natuTed; the men are yelled
sale destruction Of hnery that an hours ride
would involve II exposed to the jocose merry
makers Sometimes the roadway Is quite
choked, long tue Of vehicles. OF infinite FORM
color and condition, standing In line, the occu-
pants "chauffing" each other and waging q battle
royal with their squirtguns and other nipple
ments OF grotesQueiy offensive character.
Around the hats of the men are suspended long
gauZe wells, covering face, neck and bosom and
as the coaches whirl over the smooth road the
sight Is like witches revel or frOlic of M d-
men. Standing on the hill at EPSON the whole
horizon is dark with clouds Of dust, those who
nave been wise managing to get on the ground
In the cool OF TIE morning before the rush fills
the road and renders travel an adventure
hardly less serious than promenade through
contendmg armies In battle.
as no other time or nation witnesses. Toe
'DoWns" Is great naked plain rising to the
center. where the race course is laid out on
broad and nearly regular plateau. The grand
stand Is at the northern end OF vast el1p3e.
The course Is two miles for running and from
the grand stand the entire flight OF the horses
can De seen. The great crowd Is packed in the
center OF the course, the admission being nxeQ
at shilliDg-twenty-hve cents. The grand
stand Is divided into compartments, the Prince
OF Wales generally occupy ing the center, with
lis suite and the court. Inc Jolly Prince how
ever, refuses to conflne himself to any fixed
Place He moves about taking bets with demo.
mating part OF the spectacle for stranger Is to
watch the betting which goes on In a Jareon
fairly unintelligibie to any one who Is not
is marked by the English disregard Tor the
merely theatrical The only fanciful colors
seen are on the backs of the jockeys. who
meagre In flesh. Until TIE start they assemble
Il groups, giving their horses little spurts to
try their mettle, the crowd cheering clamor-
ous.y as horse makes some unexpected time
or risks Viciously With Ets rider. TO the regu-
lar EPSON visitor each horse is known by his
colors, and the favorites as they prance out on
the green sWard ara saluted with roars Of de-
light When everything is ready the bell is
sounded at the grand stand. There are GER
tain advantages In position, which are awarded
oy lot Long before the fateful signal the
multitude, never Under a quarter OF nil
lion If the weather be fair, is in fever
OF expectation. When the cavalcade Is drawn
up abreast the shouts and: murmurs die
out. The betting is suspended for mo-
ment. EVerybo cranes eagerly forward. The
lucky Jockey who secures .he favored position
IS saluted With tempest Of reclamation and
tnen the betting oeglnS anew. The horses as
they stand at the lar seem to understand what
Is expected OF them. They cease curveting
Every exeItion Is suspended and they fairly
show tnat they comprehend the necessity OF
Teserving their muscles for the two-mile flight
that is to MAKE or mar them-to iii their
packers, pockets or empty them. The prepare
tory signals have been sounded; the ftna, click
strikes; the barrier Is thrown aside: the group
shoot OF like flash.
Then there is an agony Of suspense. Millions
o, money are dependant upon the mettie OF the
beasts and the men who ride them. As the
cloud disappears 1t ia almost Impossible to dis
t,ngu1sh the 1.-the figures of the Jockeys They
animals necks. When the far corner OF the
elitpse has been passed and the home stretch
begins this croucning attitude is changed the
1ookeys ply legs, whip, spurs. and one could al,
animals. Pressed close to the long, arcned
neck OF the beast as it strains every muscle to
painful tension. they supplement- their flantc
meanwhile, keeps up continuous whlrlwInd
OF cheers, until the air is a tumu,t so wild thai
It Is impossible to think. Every interest
grand stand Oh TSs gS sHsy as edo oeaEs the the
fervor OF their action and gesLicul alton. Within
perhaps twenty PAGES OF the end horse that
has been In the rear slides up, With long, light
nlDg-like strides to the 'front.' dl5DlaceS the
leader. takes the inside and shoots like a me
teor under the bar-the yictc- Then the thun-
der OF sound redoubies. Millions Of men ami
women all over the Kingdom are richer or
every part Of the realm and the Derby is done.
Ihsn comes the breaking up. In a twinkllng
tn th le scene changes: The compact masses that
sta 1ne green s"a5d scatter the
of the downs is covered with a multi.
tude rushing to the trains, to the town,
TO the vehicles masseo along the edge OF
the downs. The roads L0ndonWard are
again mass OF good-natured or surly
people, just IS the fortunes OF the day may
have gone with them. The tide to the downs
is always distinguished by comparative So
nIlety, out the nomeward hegira is like a
world of Malays running muck. Bottles of
peer and stronger beverages are released from
the capaclous pockets OF The coaches and the
SOlrtQtv In no
excuses OF bacchanalian orgie. Until long into
Ine night, and even daylight. the mass streams
homeWard, the railroads sending enormou,
trains at intervals of ten minutes or an half
hour curing the denSeSt rush of the throng.
But no mere language can give an idea OF the
CROWDS. their merrymaking or the horse-play
suffered good-naturedly by all classes OF PEG
pie. The day Is the event Of the year, and
upon it the English world expends all the
savings and frugalit1eS OF an abSternious year.
PHILADELPHIA, HORSE.
Foreign Winners of the Derby