Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-05-23

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WASHINGTON.
A YOUNG MAN WHO Is BOTH A LAWYER
"A and "a sport" publicly announced 10 his
friends recently, just before the races came OF,
that he would rather win the steeplechass than
have thorough knowledge Of Law.
Now, what . strange tumble Of opposite
things this is Just think Of il! Win IL do
gentleman rider on the race track any good II
he is . good lawyer2 Not bit of it. What has
Blackstone to do with raising horse skillfully
for the water leaf? On the other hand, will It
avail lawyer in his Office or the court room
anything If he il good ridsr2 What has
1ockeying horse on the quarter stretch TO do
with plesdings or torts? Nevertheless, the law
and the race track sometimes run foul Of one
another-as, for instance where there are laws
against pool selling and book making and they
are enforced.
The writer for The stan marveled over this
young mans remark and made further inves-
ugation. Meeting . wsll-known literary char
acter, who is also fond Of horses and who has
been pretty successful in the race Of life, both
IN the hgurativs riding Of Pegasus and the
literal riding Of thoroughbreds and hunters,
ne put this question to him:
TRIUMPH AND pIsAPPoINTNINr.
"what was the greatest triumph Il your
lifs2'
Without Ithe slightest hesitation the answer
came: winning . steeplechass against six
horses At Ivy City over the full course"
ave-, What was the greatest disappointment You
Again the man Of letters answered promptly,
as though he had not the slightest doubt on the
subject. Coming in last in dat race Of
mile year ago at Pimlico."
But how about your successes and failures
IN literature. Didn't they make an impression
"Oh, Of course, but the sensation Of pleasure
oi PAIN that they give 10 nothing compared
with the triumphant feeling of the man Who
passes first under the wire. or, may add, the
keen agony of passing under it after every one
else has gone before you"
soME WHO LOVE HORSES.
One thing is certain. 1t 10 quite compatible
with . serious business man or professional
mans character to be fond of horses. The late
George Bancroft used to be out on the road
on horseback up to within the last year Of his
It, Henry Adams, the historian, rides and
takes an interest in it, and Henry Cabot Lodge,
VINO 10 both literary man and politician,
hunts foxes whenever he gets . chance. A
large proportion Of the rich men In Washing
ton have sporting proclivities whether they
or by professional pursuits or inherited them.
Of course the older men don't ride in races,
put they 60 to races and take very lively in
terest in them.
It was one Of these that was seen recently
talking to his son and giving him some in
structions just before . race-instructions. by
the way, which the son received rather i'm
patiently being thoroughly convinced that he
knew all there was to know on the subject
ana when the youngster came in first there can
% no doubt that his father was proud II him.
WHY PEOPLE co TO RACES. ~ =
The two things that people ought to 20 10
. race course for are to see the horses and
the riders. The men who know nothing Of
either and who 60 merely to bet might Is we'll
stay at home and play cards. There are two
opinions, OF course, as to the sinfulness Of bet
ting, but the man who has an interest in horses
and who knows something about them and who
heightens the natural interest he feels in q race
by friendly bet shouldn't be mixed ND with
the men who know nothing about horses or tho
way they should be ridden and who have no inter-
est whatever in a race beyond pecuniary one
It Is this species Of individual that has brought
the race track into disrepute with some people
But the cure for the evil 10 not to be found in
abolishing racing, but in abolishing the profess
sional gamblers from the race track.
Now, the gentleman rider race meeting has
this great thing to recommend it: Most OF the
people who go know both the horses and their
riders. They have many Of them ridden along
the road with both. They have probably
formed some sort Of opinion Of them and they
like to see them put on their mettle. But it II
not no every one who likes TO see the rider put on
the conventional gentleman rider racing cos
tune. White duck trousers. skin tight about
the knees, and above that az loose as the
pantaloons Of an old-fashioned circus
clown, are not usually becoming, and when
the rider is so unfortunate a. to be knock
kneed the effect az he walks before the grand
stand is anything but artistic. The jockey cap,
too. pulled down over the ears, with long visor
in front, ismore curious than beautiful and espe-
cially 10 1T disagreeable to see when the wearer
Is prime dude and wears single-barreled
eye glass screwed into his left eye The APP
pearancs OF this glass eve peering out from
under the long visor cannot be appreciated by
one who has not seen it. Happily this horrible
monstrosity of the ultrs-fashionable young
man is now seldom worn, but the writer dis
Of gentlemen riders where one of the Jockeys
wore one in mile race and never dropped it
until the race was finished.
THE RACING COSTUME. q sgi9i
Well, then, if the gentleman riders costume
il 30 ungraceful why does he not change II?
Why does he not wear high silk hat and re-
spectacle pantaloons. There is a method in
his madness. The fellow who isn't first in a
race has his face showered with dirt from the
heels Of the horses ahead Of him and the only
protection to his eyes comes from that hidsous
brim to his cap. 1t is in great measure q
necessity. As for the trousers, they are ssnsi-
BILE, too. A tight, smooth surface about the
knees leaves freedom of action in clasping the
horses sides, and, if the rest Of the trousers
were not loose, there would be O very strong
probability that they might get torn to pieces,
for there il more or less strain brought 70 bsar
upon them il their folds are not ample.
"Isn't Mr.. just lovely? Oh doesn,t hs
look manlyY' This was the remark overheard
on grand stand at the track recently as one
OF the riders passed by, and the young girl who
spoke really meant 1t. Mr.. - looked manly
in one sense certainly, for NO woman could
possibly have appeared in public dressed a. be
was without danger OF arrest but there was
not much that was lovely in his make up, Ne
cessity decreed his costume in the first place
and then fashion exaggerated il, for while the
jockeys trousers must be loose about the bodv
that is no reason why he should enyelon him
self in q couple Of abbreviated balloons.
Toreturn to the professional man who has n
pride in his horses rs well as his profession a
good case in point was the late Senator Hearst
He was o Senator of the United States: he was .
collector OF revolutionary relics and A natron
OF literary men; but in addition to this he had an
ambition to own the finest string of race horses
on the track, and had he lived a few vears
longer this wish Of his heart might have been
gratifed. After all, the man who really loves
norses seldom loves anything else so much.
HORSES BRc0Nx 4 PASSION
The turf has been the ruin of MANY NAV