The morning news., 1889-05-07
SPORTS IN WASHINGTON.
A CITY WHERE THE GREATEST PEO-
PIE ATTEND TIE RACES.

tonable Except B.cycling-Statesm c n
Do Not Play Billiards in Public-Fan-
cies of &C cngressmen Tom Reed and
Henry Cabot Lodge.
(Copyriqht 1921
WASHINGTON, May 4-Mr. Harrison d id
not follow g example Of his illustrious
predecessors by being at the spring meeting
at Ivy City, but that can be ex used on the
charitable ound that he was in New York
most of time attending the centennial
celebration 1t is a fact that the races at
Ivy City, which to all inten and purposes
is Washingtons driving park, though no
driving is done on it, are the initiation of
the sporting season and are recognized as of
national importance by the distinguished
folk who dwell in this triangular town.
From such iata as are at hand it appears
that Gen. jackson set the fashion of race
going. He was an admirer of horses and
an enthusiastic turf ran, and was fire.
auent attendant at such races as were held
in this vicinity in his time. Since his in
cumbency of The white house, every Pre- l.
delt has appeared at tie races at least once
in season, except Mr.. Harrison, for whom
there is ample excuse, and Ru harford B.
Hayes. During all MS term Mr.. Hayes re-
Trained fro u visit to the track.
Tue Presidents a ssuce from the recent
contests at Ivy City nad no appreciable eff
feet on the popularity or fashionable con-
sequence of the events. Washington is
eIoug of southern city TO make tue races
a society event, and the grand stand w4s
filled daily with handsomely dressed ladies,
who appeared to take not only spectacular
but financial interest in the results
A very pretty romance grows out of tho
seaso concerning persons whose names
am not at liberty to mention, and if di
meuti m them, they might not appeal IA
millarly 10 the great mass of American
readers.
This is the romance An Office seeker
whom | have in mind now had established
himself at one of the leading hotels. He
had b. ought with hin his wife. a recent
bride as il happened, aud a very handso ne
young woman who attracted telti0n
whenever she appeared upol the leading
streets of the city. For some reason or
other, which is not importa t TO explain,
and which the present writer knows moth
ing abo It, President Harri'o had not see
any peculiar fiJneSs il this oltice-seeker's
personality to cause him to appoin, this
applicant to any foreign Office or other
position.
AIS Idu DcCOulS RE6dOlH 01Udu6I6u
and it began to appear as IL the unhappy
patriot VINO was failing o get the reco sni-
tion of his services to the country which he
desired, would have to take an apartment
upon the floor abJve that which he occu-
pied.
Then the Ivy City races opened He
himself kept his eyes upon the waite house
a called upon the President either pers Dn-
ally or through some deputy in the shape
Of 70 not Jax r,J
left his wife to sniff for herself as we'll as
she could. Therefore upon bright and
sunshiny day she TOOK cab and went out
to Ivy City. Nobody can tell what was in
her mind at the time, whether she went to
enjoy simply the prospect of several fine
contests, or whether really had in mind
the idea of making a flyer" upon the races
to help he husband out of his ex remities.
The fact is, nevertheless, that having ar
rived at the track and having secured a
good seat in the gra I'd stand, she at once
got into communication with the bo k
makers througl one of the messenger boys
employed for the purpose and placed some
money upon tne fl st race,
1t would be pleasant to describe the emo
tions that swayed her as the horses pre-
a ed for the start i'd as they fin ally came
dashing around the track. raj ling cou Is of
dust But as the prese 1t writer il no novel
ist and no hiStori N, he can only tell what
happened, which was that the hlrse she
bet on cam in first and she woA at consid-
erabiy heavy odds.
With the nerve that sometimes accom-
panieS the play of the pr Professional gam oler
and sometimes the risks Of he ignorant
amateur, she placed all the money tnat she
ad won IL BON another horse a ID as luck
would have it, he also cantered in at the
head of thu ruck. To make a very pleas
story short, she came away from Ivy
City with 50, l5J 10 uer pocket, W ich sum
she promptly turned over to her husban |,
reserving perhaps a paltry hundred or so
to enable her to shop u on Pen lsylvania
avenue. the zap " couple is still in-
stalled in good quarters at their hotel
awaiting the time when, of course, tie
President will learn to recognize the un
speakable merits of the man in the case as
public servant.
Outside of the races, Washington is not
a sporting city. There are few orga iza-
tiOns here il the shape of athletic clubs aid
there is little local inter st manifest ell in
such sporting eveuts as pugilism, COG ing
mains and rowing The Potomac affords
splendid facilities for the latter sport which
have been ut lied many tines, but as a
matter Of fact local interest IL aquati is
NOT strong.
There is no doubt that the uneu who make
Washington society SO remarkable, that is.
the senator's and representatives. indulge
from time TO time according to their individ-
ual tast 8, in all s rts of games and pastimeS;
but they do it quietly and in their own way
and the public sees little of 1t, and quiet
il it done that no influence is exerted upol
the city at rye.
In bicycling this city is ahead of all others
probl ly in tue world. The reas N is sim
ply that the streets here are So d Iely paved
that bicycling is not merely plea,u g but
a necessity for those VINO wish to go a out
in q speedy and comfortable fashion. All
kinds Of machines whicl are to be propelled
by the rider are in vogue, and some of the
patterns are as strange to the casual observer
as would be q Russian droshka.
There are not only the ordinary two
wheeled affair, il which the rider sits upon
O slim backbone and moves the extended
sp 'kes of the big front wheel, AID also
here he sits in similar way and propels
himself with the smaller wheel a advance,
but there are also contrivalces wit wheels
and cog, that resemble roughly the old
ia hion Cd velocipede, aud there are three
heeled affairs a Il four-whe lei affairs
wo ked not .ly by one ma but b two,
carrying not onl the propellers but their
families and friends. until the spectat r is
at a loss to comprehend how the power is
directed to the drive-wheel.
There are, of course, many bicycle clubs
including one OF the ladies', which is , fire.
fer to it casually III this way. 1t certainly
is not an frequent thing in Washing on
TO see ladies bowling along over the m
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