New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-07-06
THE ASCOT WEEK.
THE GAMBLING-THE ENCLOSURE ON THE
CUP DAY-TIIE DRESSES OF THE WOMEN.
II.

Near Windsor, June ~.
If Ascot were only a meeting. it would be
easy to pass it over without notice. IL Is, Dc
lieve, an event of the first magnitude OF almost
the first, in that very large and very singular
world where the chief occupation OF lie IL Vhe
running of horses, and winning or losing money
on them. But Ascot. like Newmarket and San
down, attracts many people who care ht'ie loi
racing. and some who care nothing for II. 1he
first view of the Enclosure on any DAY OF 'he
four during which the meeting lasts would con-
vince Won Of that The conviction might even DE
too strong and broad Whoever saw this brilliant
companv for the first time would surely say 10
himself that they were assembled for some other
reason than n desire TO know which OF a certain
number of horses could get his head past a par
ticular post at a particular moment Ana yeV' SO
strong is the hold which mere racing has on the
English mind, that the social aspect OF the LII
closure is deceptive. Look at IL before 'he r"ccs
begin and you would say it is gardeh-paIS'
Look at il when the horses are running, or just
after the contest is over, and you may De eAcuseu
il YOU think it no better than an outdoor Oapel
Court or than Wall Street itself; a CAMPING PIT
mic, in short. IT. =
Those who know best say that gambling is
a more popular amusement now than ever W.
fore. and that never before was it practised So
in the Enclosure you will see enough ana more
than enough to prove that it is, at any rate, tie
nastme of many women whose other interests III
life are very numerous 1t is not connned 10
those who seek distractions for old age, or lor
dulpess or for vacant days. Among lhe kechcsO
gamblers are women who have everything: yo"'h
beauty rank social position, admlratloh troops
Of friends and wealth. They may not bet heavily,
but they bet There is an article in the soclai
code of to-day which forbids them TO transact
business directly with the Ring. Ihey 40 hoU
like their husbands, and brothers, and COUSINS ana
lovers. walk up to the iron railing behind which
is collected the noble army Of bookmakers, ana
chatter with them about the odds. These gentle
creatures entrust their commissions TO their male
friends: and put upon them, sometimes, con-
siderable responsibility.
They demand, first Of all, information, which
they probably call tip. They wish their race
cards to be marked it is a ceremony often enough
transacted at breakfast or IL the hall While walt
ing for the coach to drive to the door, Mheh
the numbers go up, decision Is taken SO much
is to be put such a horse at SUCH price, OF
It the best price obtainable. The sum is not
always, and / think not often, large. You al
most wish It were when you see how much human
emotion is stirred by the winning or losing OF "a
five or ten dollar bill by people TO whom 1t can
not matter whether tney VIII OF lOsts i-oOh IL
that lady in one of the verandahs. Sue has
$4,000 a year. She has staled the sum OF S2j
on the favorite, and lost it, and she is in such
distress Of mind and so angry with herself over
this disaster that her hest friends do not Ike TO
approach her till the first agony is past. Look
at that other, younger and fairer and not less
well off. Her commissioner, who is neither her
husband nor her brother nor her cousin, has just
brought her the that he could not get
what he thought fair price about The horse she
had directed him to back. and had therefore
taken The odds about the favOrltc, who IS
favorite no longer She receives him and his
views with O. stare Of rage Look in any dlec-
ton Not on all, but on many faces whose fresh
ness and sweetness You were admiring half an
hour aro. is the look which hardens the features
when the soul is bent on gain. If some OF these
lovely beings but knew how much less lovely
they are in these critical moments!
much more serious business, of course, is the
,ungipg of the men. The day of tie plunger
is past said some too knowing man; arguing, per
hans from the extinction Of and another
puncer of notoIicty Bit as one goes down
another comes up: the race of fools is not a race
that dies out. No 'plunping? One Of the hes;
known figures in the Ealldom this week is that
OF young man of perhaps twenty-three years o7
age: with title, fortune sometimes computed
at half a million of dollars year, with any
place open to him, with one of the best houses
in London, with gallery of pictures which he has
already begun TO weed with the experience of
his father 10 profit by, who IN his time nearly
wrecked greatestate by mad betting. lie profits
neither by example nor by opportunity. lie has
Just laid S25, 1000 10 $4,000 on. not against
specified event. The specified event comes off
this time, and he pockets the tenth OF the sum
he rsked Ii was what is called a certainty.
The bookmakcr took the bet readily enough, and
for two reasons that certainty is commonly
very uncertain; and that il is desirable TO en-
courage youthful folly. The $4,000 are to his
mind an investment at good interest and good
security.
rash remark was once made in print TO the
effect that admission 10 the ROYAL Enclosure at
Ascot was certificate of social standing. II
ever there were a time when that was true, il
long since ceased to be true. In theory the
Enclosure is Royal because royalty occupies il,
and used perhaps, 10 invite a few friends to share
it's privileges. In fact, although the royal family
still use it, the Enclosure is space within the
jurisdiction Of the Master Of the Buckhounds, and
ii is he who issues what are still called invita-
tons Some Of them really are So The greater
number aro asked for, and given because they
are asked for, and not given unless asked for,
cept TO a very limited circle. Lord Coventry, as
said yesterday, is popular official, and not less
popular because he has found it possible 10 issue
2,700 tickets to this coveted ground: many more
than any of his predecessors had granted The
result is, Of course, crowd, but the English
are every year becoming more gregarious. and they
like crowd There many of thenl who
would be out of it if there were not crowd.
The greater the crowd too, the more beautiful
is the spectacle. From any point where the whole
array can be seen the beauty of it is bewidcring.
When luncheon time comes there is lull in rae
ing an hours intermisson between two events, -
and not a few OF the glittering company stream
over from the Enclosure TO the other side of the
course, where the four-in-hands are ranged in
line against the rails. In simpler days luncheon
was spread on the tops of the coaches; that was
the height of Injury. This is still done. but IL