The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-06-21

meaning everything Of whatever name or
nature. that contributes 20 the amusement
OF all classes Of the community.
Among outdoor sports | suppose horse
racing stands ~ the head. For i've days
in the week. from the month Of March ura-
I'll November. you will find flat racing
somewhere in the vicinity of the great
English capital. Hurdle racing can be en-
joyed ali the year round. These races are
held not only near London, hut al over
England, on the outskirts Of the smaller
cities and larger towns. Newmarket -
called the horse racing metropolis, while
~ EPSON. the great Derby and the oass
races come off. The derby week" 10
probably the greatest sporting period IN
the annals Of the year; il occurs ut the end
of May or the beginning of June. EPSON
Downs IS pleasant little town, and Is
conveniently reached by railroad from
Loudon. The station IN the town is about
y mile distant from the grand stand. the
road 10 which, for considerable distance,
Is very steep As visitor once said OF
this place, Epson Downs, is liz | should
think they better call il EPSON Ups, after
the steep old hill we've got 10 climb 10 get
there"
Carriages al the station convey the visit
the way from - cents 10 SIS, depending
on the style" in which you travel There
is a great deal of racing sport az Ascot.
where the contests take place about two
weeks after the Derby. Thursday of that
week Is called the scup day," and great
crowd is always in attendance, but big
stakes are run for on Tuesdays, when the
best horses in the kingdom contend for
the purse. Not only All the swells and
sports of London attend the races on these
two days, but the display of handsome and
well-dTessed women is a remarkable sight
in itself. They sit in their carriages and
drags, which occupy . position opposite
the grand stand The life and gayety TO
be seen at the Derby has been well por-
trayed in the famous engraving called The
Derby Day, which i have seen exhibited
in various public resorts in the United
States.
There Is no law against betting on horse
races in England. Anybody can bet there
on the track, and At the great races Just al
luded TO il may be said that everybody
does bet, from the shop-boy in the trades
mans shop 70 the heir-appareur himself.
In ordinary races, outside of the Derby
and the Ascot, bets are made straight on
the horse unless il is handicapped. There
are very few patrons OF the turf who do
what you call in New York ''place bet
ting"
Racing is such large and important
element Of sport in England that it il not
surprising 70 find many persons who make
adishonest living in connection with the
pastime, but | do not think there are any
more, In proportion to the population thar
there are in the United States
The three-card monte man formerly
hourished st the race track, hut II he works
now . DAYS ne has 10 get OF in some cor
ner where the police cannot see him. In
the spirit OF truth he can lift up his voice
and sing the refrain, They're after me"
Greenhorns sometimes lose money by
putting up bets with unknown book
makers who turn out TO be '.welshers. i. e.,
they run away with the funds in hand and
do no; pay bets when they lose. OF course
in the immense and miscellaneous multi
tade that gathers on the great race days
man is liable 10 meet sharpers of AL kinds
aud he must keep mis- eye OPEN" of
course he might run across the same kind
OF people AZ the funeral OF great prelate,
or in the lord mayors procession.
Americans can scarcely form an idea OF
the vast crowd Of people TO be seen az the
Derby races. An estimate OF l.0p0,OO
don't think would be out Of the way. The
grand stand alone seats 10000 people.
The race track is turfed and not made
ground as are the tracks here The dis
tanee from the paddock to the grand stand
is a mile and a quarter. There IS always q
half hours intermiszion between each or
binary racing event, and three-quarters Of
an hour If il is big race To foreign Wis
ltors this may seem quite . wait. One dis
gusted American who once visited the
track was complaining to his fellow
countrymaa about this arrangement
The feIlow-coantryman promptly asked
him why ne didn't stay at home.
Then the disguised American told the
story about Horace Greeley and the re-
turned Californian. IL seems that the
great editor was sitting IN a hotel reading
room and overheard > man who was loud
" pralsing the gloRous climate and won-
deTtul resource IS OF California Greeley
finally became tired, and turning 20 the
man, inquired: We'll, my friend, If that
is such > wonderful country out there,
why did you leave it7" And the man
turned around and gently and quietly an
swers-i. Because / was a ID fool -
But where there Is one American who
stays away from the Derby because he
doesn't like the peculiar and time-honored
methods Of conducting the race, there are
hundreds who would not miss being pres-
ent for any consideration whatever
| should say that the love of both in
door and outdoor sport in London was
f0steTed more by her clubs than any other
agency. l suppose there are more than
100 clubs IN the English capital devoted
TO one object or another. whites. In
81 James street is the oldest club and
was founded In I750 In the year 1914
this elub gave a ball and entertainments
IN honor Of the allied sovereigns then
IN England. among whom were the car
and the king Of Prussia, the cost OF
the celebration amounting 20 nearly $50
90. A banquet given 10 the duke OF
Wellington hy the same institution cost
nearly $1,000. Both the army and
navy have clubs. The Atheneum
IS Tor men Of learning. The Reform Club
building in Pail Mall Is q magnificent
structure, and cost over 10000. The
Carlton, near by. j. also flne building
The actors and bright yoang literary men
paEroniEe the Savage and the GaTrick; the
Prince of Wales IS member Of the for
mer, though his fayorSte club, founded By
/. himself IS the Marlborough, IN Pail Mall,
which Is the most exclusive club IN Lon-
don No one IS allowed 70 become menu
her who Is not personally known 10 the
| prince.
The Turf Club is the center Of aristo-
cratic ~rarr2fne life The roarhsng eigaf.a