The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-07-03
At EPSON DOWNS.
The KotzssIllnar Party Takes In the
Races.
LONDON STREETS FILLED WITH
STAGINGS AND SCAFFO LDIEGS.

Strange Scenes at the Derby-The Mission
aries Were There AS Well AS the Book
makers-Preparing To Take In the Ju-
bilee Celebration-How the Londoner
Mingles FIattery and Business.
ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE OF THE PREss.)
London, June Son leaving our ina
tive land' the head of the family said,
with his parting blessing, "when in Eng
land do as the English do therefore
with light hearts and 'sgreat expecta-
tions" we started on June 2nd-Derby
day-for Epson Downs to see the most
famous of English races. All England
went with US, prince and peasant, titled
flame and tattered tramp-costers in
.>oats, vests and trousers trimmed with
rows of sspearly'' buttons; with them
their 'Arriets arrayed in coats of many
colors," and hats with at least ten or a
dozen waving feathers on each; near
chem charming English girls and Amer
This day 'all roads led to EPSON" and
many were crowded with vast company
of people too poor to provide any other
means of locomotiona than that nature
had furnished On other roads we saw
vehicles of every conceivable variety
donkeyS harnessed to box-like carts in
which sat grandsires, fathers, mothers,
aunts, uncles and cousins, while all in
terstices were solidly packed with babies.
Dashing by the phlegmatic donkeys
came the gay fourth hand, on the top Of
which sat beauty and the latest Paris
fashions in the shape of fair women, and
beside them, stunning elegance. which
is a synonym for English men. Inside
the coach were the lackeys, while vans
wines came in the rear. We saw "a beg
gar on horseback shoeless, hatless, urg-
/ Ing on his animal-which hardly deserved
the name of horse-toward the goal of
weeks of anticipation. Drags, hansoms,
the inevitable bus, in short everything
on wheels was moving to the Derby. AS
the train slowed up at EPSON, we heard
q perfect babel of voices, and on alight-
ing were surrounded by a multitude
clamoring for our patronage of convey
ance to take us to the ''Downs." ''Ere
you are, b 'eighteen pence for the races"
was screamed into our ears by a dozen
iJehus; "only two bobs for this Jack"
persuasively urged gentlemanly indi-
kidual; zone and six' yelled his rival,
with voice and manner commensurate
with sixpence discount. Our guardian
angel 1.-THE policeman) whispered take
the bus" and up we clambered. mag-
/ inc the crowd on Barnum day in Port
land, multiplied by hundreds and hun
dreds and hundreds and some faint idea
Of the people on and about the turf at
Epson may be gained; and yet this year
the numhe, fell 10000 short of the usual
crush! Speaking of the turf-when we
descended from our bus we saw no sign
anywhere of track but every inch OF
space filed with a mass of humanity, and
innumerable tents and tables from which
were offered for sale stale cakes. cookies
(huge snails), wrinkles, (small cockles)
and mice 'ard-boiled fresh (?( h'eggs
who once used Pears soap and no other
since" was rapidly removing the shells.
We looked around blankly. where is
the track please?'' we asked of one of the
two thousand policemen on duty.
"Track2'' he said mechanically and I'M
oomprehendingly, "Why yes track we
repeated, "where the horses trot." ooh
oh l'' he said with Il long breath looking
at us pityingly, 81 suppose you mean
the turf, /" then turning as if he thought
us too idiotic to be worth noticing, he
added, you are on the turf, and it's right
ERE the 'OrSes run. For one moment we
felt we were out of our sphere, and in
wardly ragged for not having crammed
sufficiently on sporting matters, to know
when to speak of tracks and trot' and
where "turf and run" were in order; but
like rubber ball when depressed we
quickly rebound, SO having secured a
front position we gave our undivided
attention to watching the flying squad
clear the ''turf'' Some seventy-fve or
more policemen in a line extending
across the enclosure would drive every
thing and everybody before them, while
at a distance of several hundred feet
limo cS1 To-
Sooner than could be dreamed the turf
was cleared of the multitude; then men
with steel-pointed sticks prodded empty
paper bags and handbills, with which
they quickly filed the sacks they carried,
and only orange peel and small rubbish
remained, which nevertheless made the
turf present marked contrast to Ameri-
cas- smooth and spotless tracks. In the
midst of the DIN we could distinguish the
voices of the London missionaries sing
ing gospel hymns, and near US was their
tent where services were held. All around
us betting was being vigorously carried
on. "Book-makers' in loud checked
suits, fashy jewelry and big boutonnieres,
were screaming until hoarse and red in
l, 20 to 1, 40 to /, Any thing you like,
we're giving it away, something for moth
ing
Everything was now in readi-
ness and the jockeys in red, blue and vel
low caps, rode by on their beautiful
horses to the start" The bell sounded
two strokes; shout told us they were
off, and before we could catch our breath
they dashed by, "Blue Cap ahead. By
the end of the second race we felt our
selves growing excited, and as the next
was 1.-THE race of the day" for the Derby
stakes, we eagerly. scanned our card car tc
fix the colors Of "Velasquez'' and 'fGaltes
More in our minds. We had strong
leaning towards ''Oakdene" ID. X. ii.
the Prince of Wales horse; our reason
being that we hoped to see the enthusiasm
of last year repeated, when the Prince
won the Derby. We were told by an eye
witness that the air was black with silk
tiles and new derby hats; the Prince
shook hands literally right and left
''You should have seen him." cried oul
informant, ~ never saw man more
delighted, his face was crimson, the PEG
pie were holding on to each of his hands
and shaking them up and down, and vel
ling like mad. Oh, it was grand sight;
Principles are all that save one at the
Derby" so our wagers were confined
to- ice cream sodas. We vibrated between
,sVelasquez" and "Galtes More," but
"Gubbinsn hath a winning way and