McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1884-01-10
RACING IN THE ANT1ponss.
Scenes Around the Melbourne Grand
stand
Gen F'ranclsco Ch onicle.

Fen Francisco Chronicle.
By noon the hill above the grand
stand was thickly covered with pie
turesque forest Of humanity; it looked
still in the distance, but was as unrest
ng as beehive when approached.
This was the democratic place-admis-
sion two shillings-and it was decidedly
the best point from which to see the
course. 1t is an artificial hill built by
the committee (they could afford it on
their receipts of 100000 a Year,, and
there was plenty of room on it, even
when occupied by some 10000 people.
The babies could freely roll down its
turfy sides while their mammals were
lost in admiration of he costumes on
the lawn below, where they intend those
babies shall promenade with the best
when they grow up. The scene from
this hill was wond erful. Beyond the
high-priced lawn and Enclosure was the
great "hat," on which an ever-moying
multitude stretched away into the dis
tance until they looked like Industrious
ants. But when the bell sounded they
massed themselves in a twinkling along
the course and became an organic
whole-a long curviug anaconda.
When q race was over the momentarily
motionless monster broke up again into
bits and WAS soon distributed over the
plain.
What can say of the grand stand ?
Probably $4,000 people were therein
or thereabout, mostly in cossliest cos
tumes-sotne of these imported for the
occasion 1T cost OF from f100 to f5O0.
Tie wonder of it, Credulous travellers
sometimes tell us of Hindoo jugglers
who conjure from the floor bush
which clothes itself with blossoms while
the spectator is gazing, and it seems as
il some magic had evoked this Victoria
Regia, whose petals were brilliantly
arrayed ladies. The dresses were finer
in general effect than in detail. But
criticism was disarmed when one saw
the happy, beaming and generally intel
hgent face of those so finely decorated.
1t was pleasant tolsee 30 many people,
evidently of humble origin, who had
grown rich enough to indulge their
tastes 10 D matter of 80 much moral
Importance as dress. There is some
thing to be said for that remark of a
Frenchwoman, that "the CONSCIOUS
ness of being perfectly dressed affords
satisfaction not to be obtained from
the consolation of religion" That sort
OF satisfaction was visible in every fem
mime face on the grand stand and its
lawn, and what is anybody else's pref
erence compared with theirsP The
whole race course, its environment and
arrangements, can only be described as
work of art. Their completeness Is due
chiefly to the Secretary of the Victoria
Racing Club, who tells me h9 knows
nothing whatever about horses and
racing. Ii this gentleman could only
succeed in reducing or regulating Of 1t
Is incurable) the betting mania, he
ought to 90 to England and teach them
there how to make q race an en- Joy able
holiday. EPSON knows nothing of
these careful preparations of tables for
luncheons, or of the regiment of boys
that remove all bottles and refuse from
the sward in large baskets.
l had nearly forgotten to say that
there was some racing yesterday, too.
Several times | managed to turn from
the human attractions and observed
small islets of variegated caps and sash
es floating around the pear-shaped
course, dark streaks of stoeds beneath
them, foam of dust in their wake.
Each horse and rider were fixed in one
Centaur form, and it was not without
beauty. But even the strained sinews
were less pleasing than the continuous
murmur that accompanied the mufled
drum-beat of the hoofs, rising through
all the scale-the single voice of the
hundred thousand-to break at last in
wild cheer to the victor. In that
cheer joined inwardly, but it was with
elation at beholding such vast con-
course Of human beings, with shining
faces and glad voice, forming together
a magnificent picture of human health,
wealth and happiness framed in the
scenery of q fresh and prosperous land.