Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-07-04

Institution as the Fourth of July Is to the
American small boy. only ever so much
more so. If it were put to the popular
vote OF the English people tomorrow
whether 1t were better to demolish the en-
pre- navy or the Derby. the result would
surely tend toward the annilation of her
maritime power; and even with this fact In
MIND no one who has not been there TO see
can form anything like correct concep-
ton OF what the Deadly means. All Lon
don turns out to see it. There have been
over quarter of a million people
princes, thieves and paupers, duchesses.
barmalds and heterse- packed together in
countless battallons TO watch the big race
on EPSON Towns. Away In the early
morning the vast concourSe starts for the
course. The first corners are the pedders.
thieves, trlcksters, sh0wmen and sharpers:
the next TO arrive are the great masses of
the British public: the latter ones are the
princes and titled ones. the Swells: the
arlstocracy of the modern Rome
The grand stand, the club stand and the
prince stand tower high above the
course, facing the finish post. Along On
either side Of them, ON the outside of the
course, the crowd Is gathered and squash
Ell from Iottenham corner down to the
road. Carriages, hansoms, dragS, brakes.
CABS ana costermongers barrows COM
mingle with the plethora of humanity like
ralslns In pudding and on every side rise
the yells of peddlars. the whines of beg
CARS, the songs OF itinerant MINISTRIES and
gypsy singers and the shouts of the scat
tered book-makers as they bet against the
fayorite or the field. Within the course
1t Is Just the same, save that private stands
prpHfp ed nv crn,,,l,+Dr.- - Il.
! admission fees of anywhere from q shilling
TO malt a crown. take the place of the mon
ster stands on the other side of the track
That track. by the way, Is the green.
| sprlngy turf of the do=...r without anv
artlticlallty about it, The field is free for
all the world. Prince and pauper, thief
and constable enjoy like privileges there.
Even the untathered mongrel. who invari-
ably gets IN front of the horses at the
start, Is entitled to the right of way there.
1t Is public common, the inherited home
OF the gypsy and the nomad. BY two
! o clock the crowd Is as thick as can be. and
| no brighter, gayer, more varied sight can
be imagined than the spectacle presented
| by the common. Then at $50 the race is
| called, the betting redoubles in vivacitv.
the booKmakerS in Strangest HARLEQUIN
| garments and multi-colored hats redouble
their yells and odds. The welshers slip
out IN the turmoil and excitement of pub
| lie enthusiasm, the horses start. ''They're
| off! shouts some one THEY'RE off, re-
echo some 100000. Then a silence falls
over all, and settles there for maybe a
minute. Lattenham corner is passed: the
weaker ones are out of it, and the stavers
are left behind. Yell after yell goes up:
yell after yell and cheer after cheer. Many
are silent for the favorite is a conner; but
| still the enthusiasm catches nearly every
| body, save those who are hit too hard.
| ''SaInfoln wins" they shrek: lie NOrd
wins! ''Sainfoin!" Orwell wins lie
Nerds winning" A pause, and then a
murmur like the distant roar of a cata-
ract. ''Salnfoin wins" The Derby is
! over: bat many wait to see the end of the
| day S meet. Those who have won can af-
! ford to; those who have lost don't want to
| go home.
All get drunk; nothing so conducive to
consolation and so helpful to ioy as getting
drunk. 1t is o'clock. and all are :.pretty
well, thank you" and all are startin1
home. The coster in his barrow with his
moke leads the way; next comes the neer
IN his four-lu-hand. Like the tail end of
the funeral train Of some public man. the
| procession back to London is mixed.
Ladies whose pride would sour syrup smile
on DANES in cheap calico; officers of the
! guards throw kisses at the wives of coster-
mongers. All is merriment; all suggests
a spree: even on top of the princes drag a
soupcon of public love making between
| other peoples husbands and wives suggests
the notion that the Derby is over.