Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1884-02-08
RACING IN THE ANTIPoDEs.
SCENES Around the Melbourne GrAud
s$s Stand ss n f


33s Stand.
" BY noon the hill above the grand
stand was thicklY covered with q Pic
!uresaue forest Of humanity it looked
still in tho distance, but was as unrest
ing as beehive when approached.
This was the democratic place admis-
,ion two shilling and It was decided
" the best pointfrom which to see the
course. 1t is an artificial hill built BY
the committee lthey could afford it on
their receipts of $780, 900 q Year,, and
there was plenty Of room, ON it, even
when occupied by some 2OG,0 600 people.
The babies could freely roll down ite
tnrfy sides while their nn..ra mas were
lost in admiration of th6 J.05tnmeb on
the lawn below, where they intend
those babies shall promenade with the
best when they grow UP. The
scene from this . hill was
wonderful. Beyond the high
priced lawn and Enclosure was the great
stdat," on which an ever-movinx multi
tude stretched away into the distance
until they looked like industrious ants.
But when the bell sounded they massed
themselves in twinkling along the
course and became an organic whole--a
long curving anaconda. When a race
was over the momentarily motoiQless
monster broke PIP again into bits and. was
soon distributed over the plain. * 49,,
What can I say Of the grand stand?
Probably $4,000 people we're there or
thereabout, mostly in costliest costumes
SOME Of these imported for the occa-
sion at cost of from G1O0 to $500. The
wonder of it! Creduious travellers some
times tell us of Hindoo jueglers who
conjure from the floor a bush which
clothes itself with blossoms while the
spectator is gazing, and it seems as if
some magic had evoked this vast Victo-
ria Regia, whose petals were brilliantly
arrayed ladies'. The dresses were finer
in general effect than in detail. But criti-
cism was .disarmed when one saw the
happy, beaming and generally intelligent
faces of those SO finely decorated. 1t
vas pleasant to see SO many people. evi.
GENTLY of humble origin, who had grown
rich enough to indulge their tastes in
matter OF so much moral importance as
dress. There is something to be said
for that remark of Frenchwoman, that
"the consciousness of being perfectly
dressed affords satisfaction not to be
obtained from the consultations OF re-
lieion." That sort of satisfaction was
visible in every feminine face on the
grand stand and its lawn, and what is
nybody eise's preference compared
with theirs? The whole race course, its
environment and arrangements. can
completeness is due chiefly to the secre.
fOr IF no iof1 fY1h hN
tells me he knows nothing whatever
about horses or racing. If this gentle
man could only succeed in reducing or
regulating tif il is inca.able) the betting
mania, he ought to 80 to England and
teach them there how to make race
an enjoyable holiday. EPSON knows
nothing of these careful preparations of
tables for luncheons, or of the regiment
of boys that remove all bottles and re-
iuse from the sward in large baskets.
/ had nearly forgotten to say that
there was some racing yesterday, too.
Several times I managed to turn from
the human attractions and observed
small islets of varlegated caps and sashes
floating around the pear.shaped course,
dark streaks Of steeds beneath them.
oam 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 muffled drum-beat
Of the hoofs, rising through all the scale
the single voice of the hundred thou
sand-to break at last in wild cheer to
the victor. In that cheer I joined in
wardly, but it was with citation at be-
holding such q vast concourse 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 a
fresh and prosperous landau. D. Con.
Uav in San francisco ChrnnicIa