Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1883-04-21
ECLIPSE" AGAINST THE. WORLD.
A Very Celebrated Ruuntng Nars
HesOunted bY Ore who
Saw L.
Josiah Quincy's Reimbursement

On the eth Of May, 1873, nearly 'fifty seven
years ago, there was . great excttemspt
long.expected race Of Eclipse againsr the
world" was to be decided on the race-couySe
Ion'Long Island. It was an amicable contest
between the north and the south. The -New
York votaries Of the turf-a much more prom.
inent interest Than at pfeselt7had offered 10
run Eclipse sgsinst any horse that could be
,preducedy for q purse o. 80 3D. and tiM
southern gentlemen had .accepted the cl,a!-
lenge. could obtain no carriage to take me
10 sa .hs Z sas a,s
ierotnd. They We're dfivsii fapitiiy, and We're
In yesyseloee connection; So much - rthst
when one Of them suddenly stopped the poles
& p lssssA ss ds5sn % ssss.sSss .stsroush
fOIsrrisiag! band aSY ssssiSbly which
WAS simply, 0yerlowerings it.Nas, estiplate4
that there were over 1Q0, 900 persons upon the
ground; Ths sSndl,,9ls @ S e .ls fsos re- .s Ssrs
wsss mileiaI lssSyh;s 4 oofsse friend. ths
tisfesfSf = ihs Socast SeS. @ ySf VIII s6mmanded mn %
q view Of the whole 9std. There wss great
dihiduliy n ehaEih4t tkei sra5K 66sn Eclipse
sas .tsSd FS:y wsas nsssi Sst s 6
traxsapittk fiReiRhes men heSIahlgii ia8
the air; they soon effected that se4lssrl4g n
the multitude which al other methods had
sai;ss sailsS r sSsS@HRl5SR @ ~ RGw sfsst IS d.
than half rtbe sperts6opo ifs was .suddeeis
sd adGsRssa Ss sfa III aSga & ss 81 sa
fused to ride. To substitpts spo>hef; a jhit
place seemed slm0atlile- giving up the, con.
sad ss Is Ss sis H S iSSss sSssaT sSss ssa; r.;
psq kied sedyttst sieaA fdE de- ssaftslG
Sssss So Rassa sssasa
its climax. on went, ,thehhosa, ;eiefy eye
dashed by The judxss3 fstpnd .ands every Dine
Sir Henry was in the lead. The spirits of the
southerners seemed to leap up beyond con-
tnol, while the depression Of the,mDre phleg-
.sS asfss Sees 81 y sa ss 5ss hSsss III
| orator of Virginia, q man to be noticed more
particularly in y succeeding paper. Apart
from his intense sectional pride, he had PER
sonal reasons to rejoice mt the turn things
| were taking; for he had bet heavily on the
| contest, and, 1t is said, proposed " sail for
Europe upon clearing enough to pay his ex-
penses. rf - rfs'eff7lri, 2 u ~. :.
Half an hour elapsed for the. horses to get
/ their wind, and again they were brought to
the stand. But now circumstance occurred
which raised u deafening shout from the par
tisans Of the north. Purdy was to ride.l How
his scruples had been overcome did not appear,
but there he stood before ts, and was mount
ing Eclipse. Again, amidst breathless sus-.
/
sfr Henry took the inside track and kept tie
lead for more than two miles and . half
Eclipse followed close ON his heels and, at
short intervals. attempted to pass. Atevery
squirt he made to get ahead, Randolphis high
ssa sese voice
MIR. Purdy! You cart do It, Mr.. PHrdy! /!
You can't do 1t, Mr.. Purdy n But
Mr.. Purdy did do IT.. And as he took the
lead what a roar Of excitement went upf
.F l.
pense, and although had not . cent depend
ing, lost my breath, and felt ss II . sword
had passed through me. Purdy kept the lead
and came in length or 80 aheed. The horses
had run eight miles. and the third heat was
to decide the day. The confidence on the part
of tile southern gentlemen was 'sbsted. The
manager Of Sir Henry rode up to the front Of
our box and, calling to gentleman, said !:
I'.You must ride the next heat; there arc hum
dreds of thousands Of southern money de-
ride; he don't keep his horses mouth open.'
The gentleman positively refused, saying that
he had not been In the saddle for month :.
The manager begged him to come down, and
John Randolph was summoned to use his
/ eloquent persuasiOns. When the horses were
next brought to the stand, behold the gentle
man appeared, booted and spurred, with q
red jacket On his back, and q jockey-cap on
bis head. On the third heat Eclipse took the
lead and, by dint Of Constant whipping and
1 squirting, won by length this closely con.
tested race.
There was never contest more exciting.
4 Sectional feeling and hea. y pecuniary stakes
were both involved. The length Of time be-
fore it was, decided, the change Of riders, the
varying fortunes, all intensified the interest.
I have seen the great Derby races; but they
fnish almost as soon Is they begin, and were
tame enough In comparison TO this. Here for
nearly two hours there was no abatement II
the strain. was unconscious Of everything
al nd fY,G
ed, That the sun had actually blistered nJ
cheek without my perceivfng 4. The victor,
were Of eourse sxultant, and Purdy, mount
ed on Eclipse, was led to the judges stand
the band playing "See the Conquering Hero
ne ,ouihsrnsrs out bore their iosss,
was suggested that the comparative chances
Of Albums and Jackson at the approcschins
presidential election should be tested BY !
vote Of that gathering. "Ah," said Mr.
Randolph, ~ the question Of the presidency
be no opposition. Mr.: Purdy would 60 to
the White House by accamation.~
have thus endeavored to describe, from
my journal Of that period, the first greal
.contest between the north and the south |
contest in which the grandiathers Of many o.
my readers were deeply interested. 1t seems
to have tOreshadowed The sterner conflict tha
occurred forty years afterward The victory
resulted in both cases from the same cause
} the power Of endurance. 1t was, In the Ian.
guage Of the turf, bottom against speed. The
north had no drawer men than were found IL
the confederate ranks 1t had no ADLER Rener.
ais than Lee and jackson. Is had only Erest
er resources. Let us hope that, as on tbs
J former occasion, the gentem IN Of tile soutl
will acquesce in result that neither valoI
nor skill could avert. and that, uniting theil
spirit with the resources and energy of the
north, we shall together advance the virtue
prosperity and glory Of our common country