Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-11-18
AMONG THE HORSES.
The ldlI Visits The Great Equine
SHOW In IeH York.
ILIY GIRLS on EXHIBITION THERE.
wsIi.Dressed Chsppiss aud Malicious shst-
land Ponies Gotham II Captured
By Merry Richmonders.


Richmond people last week. and what our
citizens didn't see In the town Is worthy
Of no recognition. Far be It from me 70
tell In detail what the Virginians d'd
upon their pilgrimage. for the tourists
would shudder at the thought, but VIII
say, In general terms. that my friends
went to the Empire State to attend the
great horse-show now in progress In the
metropolis. Three fourths Of the crowd
'Qike MYSELF didn't know draft-horse
from a trotter in the 2l4 class,
but all the same they felt that their DUTY
required that they should see the show.
and so they went. Before we got through
with the great equine display. however,
we became thoroughly "horsey." and dis
cussed the merits OF the different animals
as knowingly as IL We had all been born
in a stable with halters around our necks.
It's funny how soon people learn To work
the mighty game OF bluff. After Il day or
two of careful practice they even get
so skilful that they can fool themselves.
Why, towards the last. 1 imagined that
I was q regular Preston Belvin. and had
I stayed In New York another week 1
verify believe would have written
book on the turf.
The display Of women at the New York
horse show was the finest that have ever
seen anywhere-and l have been In fe-
male seminaries, too. The show. as you
all know, is big social affair. where
everybody tries to make everybody else
,t. a.. arfh
You put on your best clothes. stick your
hands in your pockets. look like you own
the earth, and saunter around on the
promenade with a Ward McAllister air
until you exhaust yourself. and then you
sneak out, and resolve to abstain from
beer in order to meet the expenses OF
your trip. But l started to comment on
the exhibit Of women at the horse show.
OF course, anybody who knows any
thing at ALL knows that the equines are
the least important feature OF the whole
business. You so to see the girls, ana
you see 'em. too They are there to be
locked at, and expect to be inspected
in fact, they would get hopping mad
If you didn't stare at them. l don't
think l ever saw quite as much femininity
in my lfe-leastwlse, not since the day.
when, in a moment of madness, went
into Broad-street dry-goods store.
where a special sale of bleached-cotton
remnants was pending. In justice to the
New York maidens, l will say that they
are all thoroughbreds. and. from my own
observations. should judge that they can
20 any gait you call for. Most of them
belong to the 2:i0 class. They are all that
good clothes and crockery (diamonds)
can make them. And they are pretty.
49,. ipk V.lf
they know just what to do. Altogether.
/ admire the damsels from the Empire
State, and hereafter they can so forth
to meet the battle Of life with the blessed
assurance that they have my endorse
Eent.
Without meaning any dlscourtesy TO
the horses that I inspected at the show,
/ will next say a word or so concerning
the men saw in Madlson-Square Garden.
Never have beheld a finer dressed gath
ering OF the pipe smoking brutes. They
were all that tailors can make q man.
and the radiance OF their silk hats was
only equalled by the lustre Of their patent
heather shoes. Hong-tailed overcoats
0hat hide the patches in your trousers)
are the proper caper with the New York
chappies, while high hat" Is Just as
essential to the general makeup as Is
the mint to julep. And then. too, to be
without kid gloves IS as awful as life
without tobacco. Last. but by no means
least. IL you wish to roll with our -four
hundred you must have a white chry-
eanthemum about the size OF an Early
York cabbage. The chrysanthemum craze
In New York Just at present is worse than
l have ever seen 1t. and the florists arc
producing some exquisite specimens. They
Uhe flowers, not the men, to whom
started to allude) come in pretty much
all colors, except blue, and even this tint
is procured by means OF dyes. After 6
o'clock In the evening nearly all OF the
stronger sex appear at the horse-show
In evening dress. but this style ia hardly
more becoming than their afternoon garb,
when they let their cutaways flutter to
the breezes and adorn themselves with
the white satin four-in-hapd and patent
feathers. Without a silk hat in New York
man can never hope 10 be mistaken
for mulc-mlllionalre, unless indeed, he
has a distinguished cut of features like
myself.
As confessed before I am no fudge OF
horses, though travel certainly does i'm
prove a man. and my visit to Madison
Square Garden has undoubtedly expanded
my mind and likewise contracted my
pocket-book. Though not prone 10 crltl-
cizing my own town. and though duly re-
spectful to my friend. DR.. Jud. y. Wood,
OF Prevention-of-Cru Animals fame,
/ must frankly say that Richmond horses
can never hope TO ''join In the procession"
until they get their tails docked. A horse
without n bob-tail is as much out OF
fashion as a man who hasn't had a shave
for n week. The equines that were on
exhibition didn't have and more tails
than-I started TO say a jayblrd, but that
won't do-than a rabbit. In fact one OF
the hunters that took part In the hurdle
races was named "Cottontail," though a
small boy who sat behind me insisted on
whetting my appetite by calling him
Cocktail" For the life OF me I can't
imagine how those steeds get along in fly
time without their tails. but I presume
they work a biuf on the insects by
making some sort OF fancy movement with
the last lingering remnant OF the caudal
appendage that still clings 10 their back
bones. In the kindergarten department OF
the show / saw many Shetland ponies who
wore bangs, or had their hair arranged
in imitation of football players. For natu-
raj cussedness these ponies can hold the
worlds championship against all comers.
/ attempted 10 be affectionate with one,
without having first had formal intro
duction, and believing in American reel
procity, the little duffer essayed 10 kick
a hole through me. But / still live. He
never touched me. BY the way. saw
the world-famous PAGER. Robert j.. In the
stalls. He IL worth his weight In gold
almost, but for all that he didn't look
like he had had a square meal for some
days. When I beheld him he was chew
ing a straw. though didn't see the julep
that ought to have been on the end
OF II. So far az could ascertain. there
were no Virginia thoroughbreds at the
show, and Charlie Stokes. who Is walk
ing encyclopedia on horse-lore. said he
didn't think much Of the equine display
anyhow. though he expressed satisfaction
at the feminine exhibit.
From the number Of Richmond people
whom saw In New York I should judge
that fully 800 Of our citizens are now In
the northern village. The majority OF
these went via the Old Dominion Steam-
ship Line, and as the sea has been excep-
tIonally smooth Of late. and very few got
seasck. they imagine they are born sail
ors and that Christopher Columbus and