The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1884-02-08
RACING IN THE ANTIPoDEs,
Scenes Around the Melbourne Graud
Stand.

BY moor the hill above the grand
stand was thickly covered with a pic
turesQue forest of humanity; it looked
still in the distance, but was as unrest.
ing as a beehive when approached.
This was the de mocratic place-admis-
sion two shillings-an1 it was decided
ly the best point from which to see the
course. 1t is an artificial hill built by
the committee Uhey could afford it on
their receipts OF $50, 900 a year,, and
there was plenty of room on it, even
when occupied by some 100000 people.
The babies could freely roll down its
turfy sides while their mammas were
lost in admiration of the 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
wonderful. Beyond the high
| priced lawn and inclosure was the great
| fiat" on which an ever-moving multi
tude stretched away into the distance
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 c~urving anaconda. When a race
was over the ~momentarily motoinless
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 there or
~thereabout, mostly in costliest costumes
some of these imported for the coca
| sion at a cost of from gl00 to E500. The
wonder of 1t! Credulous travellers some
1 4.-~zr All ,,u IF IlTnlnn ,rvnla rryb n
lconiure from the floor a bush which
clothes itself with blossoms while the
spectator is gazing. and it seems as il
some magic had evoked this vast Victo-
ria Regia, whose petals were brilliantly
arrayed ladies', The dresses we're finer
in general effect than in detail. But criti-
cism was .disarmed when nj saw the
happy, beaming and generally intelligent
faces of those so finely decorated, 1t
was pleasant to see so many people, evi.
IDENTITY of humble origin, who had grown
rich enough 10 indulge their tastes In Il
matter OF so much mSrai Importance as
dress. There is something to be said
for that remark of a Frenchwoman, that
1.-THE consciousness Of being perfectly
dressed affords q satisfaction not TO be
obtained from the consultations of re-
l~igion." That sort of satisfaction was
visible in every feminine face on the
grand stand and its lawn, and what is
anybody else's preference compared
with theirs? The whole race course it's
environment and arrangements, can
only be described as a work Of art. Their
completeness is due chiefly to the secre-
tary of the Victoria Racing CLUB, who
tells me ne knows nothing whatever
about horses or racing. Ifthis gentle-
I a onYrlA aplrr c,tnonn1 IN ra6tosnnr ~
regulating tf il Is incuraDle) the betting
mania, he ought to go to England and
teach them there how to make a race
an enjoyable holiday. EPSON knows
nothing of these careful preparations OF
tables for luncheonG, or of the regiment
of boys that remove all bottles and re-
fuse from the sward in large baskets.
/ 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 sashes
noating around the pear-shaped course,
dark streaks of steeds beneath them.
foam Of dust III their wake. Each horse
and rider we're fixed in one Centaur
form, and 1t was not Without beauty.
But even the strained sinews were less
pleasing than the continuous murmur
that accompanied the untitled drum-beat
Of the hoofs, rising through all the scale
1.-The single voice of the hundred thou
sand--to break at last in a wild cheer to
the victor. In that cheer 1 joined in.
wardly. but it was with elation 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 Q
fresh and prosperous land.--M. ID. Con.
way In San Erauciaco Chrnaicla