Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-07-09
Very Different Ffdn tie Suburban or
Brooklyn Handicap.
MORE LIKE 4 Bic GARDEN PARTY
Where London'nsotiety Can 8,
Seen atrlts Best.
IN THE ROYAL ENCLOSURE

uoy "AeiSoi THO long race the SOiQ
cup is to be contested, begins in London
and Immediately after breakfast Boston
on the morning of a Harvard commence
ment is the only parallel that occurs to an
American. All the streets of Mayfair are
crowded with carriages. brakes and cabs
converging like corn into hopper toward
Waterloo station. There is an hours pam
Drama from thu window of railway car
rage, swift glimpses of emerald lawns, red
tiled cottages, trees all neatly trimmed,
brooks with carefully boarded banks a.
miniature landscape looking as though It
was accustomed to be swept and garnished
every morning by the lawn mower and
pruning knife. Finally the little engine
pulls up into Ascot depot; and then follows
the mad, perspiring, scrambling charge
upon the ticket office?
Not at ALL This is England. The trains
cargo Is disembarked as leisurely as though
the world were hating it's revolution for
the process No corporation hireling
clutches your coin and bowls Move on
there!' while he puffs vile tobacco smoke
into your eyes. 1t is benevolent old gen.
tleman in uniform who hands out the
pasteboard quite alphabetically for the
trouble he imposes. He even pauses for a
civil remark, observing:
"A fine, soft day, SIR
lou admit tn, softness, but are not SO
sure it is fine. The rain is dripping down
in rivers, but to the. manifest satisfaction
OF the veterans. fer a rainy Ascot morning
Is the best assurance of sunshiny after
noon; II the should appear in the
morning there would Inevitably come show
ers before dinner. Instead of the rush for
places, which an American visitor natural
~ expects, all the arrivals stroll away as
deliberately as lovers by moonlight through
grassy lane walled by green hedges with
overhangtng cherry trees bursting into
white and red blossoms. Every man has
TWO or three women in tow, most OF the
women enveioped in oilskin wrappings, ard
in their efforts to save their drapery from
the wet, exhibiting few inches of silk
stockings and a wealth of embroidered
linen with real English frankness. English
women never shrink from necessary dis
play of their ankles, nor Is there any ap-
parent reason why they should.
Garden of Dainty Hues.
The rain does stop ass soon as all the
Londoners are installed IN their seats in
the grandstand, an hs Thea the whole field
bursts forth, like nsothsS Transforming into
butterflies. from ma shes and oiIskins
to bewildering ssFdenS of dainty hues
For Ascot, though M dsSreputed to be
great race meeting. Cd really nothing more
than a magnified lawn party. Ameri-
cans experienced In races at home have
come prepared to see a huge circular track
overloaded with dust 0affd surrounded by
rough board fences placarding the merits
of ready-made clothing and patent medi-
cnes in letters large as yellow New York
war extras. Ascot fmpresses these Ameri-
: cans first. as does every other feature OF
England-except tie paHy-by its small
ness. 1t impresses them also by its order,
Its cleanliness, Its asseppblage of distin-
gusshed and stalwartt men. who are all at.
tired as alike as priYa ties of one regiment,
and the pink-faced women no two of when
are dressed at all alike. and by the OPP
pressive solemnity that broods over 1t.
Why are all these people gloomy, the
American asks. Can he have mistakenly
stumbled upon some ceremonial OF pubic
sorrow? And where are the grounds, and
where is the racing track?
Here is q gfandstand. and around it are
several thousand ladies gathered in the
open field. over facing the tiers of seats
stands q row of endorsed four in-hand
coaches swarming with weli-drossed peo-
pie; behind the red and blue coaches Is
massed the populace, several thousands Of
those who in England, are contented to
acknowledge themselves the "lower class
es." Back of the lower classes village of
tents rears It's white roofs. Beyond are
rolling green fields. with red cottages sur
rounded by trees. and clear beyond the
cottages wooded hills dwindiing away to
a deep blue blur. -
Quaint Little Procession.
But what has all this to do with horse
racing and where is the race track? While
the foreigner IS asking THESE queStlOIS
shrek of trumpets comes on the breeze.
Then battalion of policemen march down
the lawn in front of the stands and leave
an open trail In their rear like the progress
of a snow plough, the people quietly falling
back and lining up along the sides of the
trail, no one resisting, no one rushing back
into the opening after the officers nave
passed, and one getting dubbed. A
quaint little procession trots down the bed
Of the channel which the constables have
moved. 1t is ushered along by posse of
gentlemen. mounted on splendid steeds and
arrayed in gorgeous regalia handed down
from feudal times scarlet, gold and green,
the chief Of whom you learn Is the Earl of
Coventry whose official designation is mas
ter of the buckhcunds and who draws a
fat salary from the pockets OF taxpayers
for such important functions as this one.
Following the group of horsemen with the
medieval titles and trappings come haii-
a-dozen open carriages attended by red
coated outrders. In these carriages are
their royal highnasses the Prince and
Princess of Wales and several of their SIS
ters. cousins and aunts. The bands play
"Britons Never. Never. Never Shall Be
Slaves" perhaps by way of asserting to
the royalties the Independence OF their sub
jects. these titled patrons OF sport are
ushered into an iron-railed Enclosure, which
Is already populated by two or three num-
dred gentlemen and ladies' of ths elect and
then the days real business Is ready to
begin. A bell rings. dozen horses canter
up the pathway, which the polcemen nave
swept. mounted by gay Jockeys bobbing up
and down. and Tapping their arms in the
mechanical English style. whereupon 1t
dawns upon strangers that this grassy road
is the race track. For this first race tine
runners are aligned along the crest OF
knoll far up the meadow. They have
straightaway track, seemingly down hill all
the way, although. OF Course, It Is level
from the whitewashed starting line at the
bottom Of the siopeos Down the turf they
come. huddle of. cleaning colors, until
just before the stand they develop into
horses and riders, every Jockeys whip arm
threshtng like Windmill; several even
leaning over the necks OF their animals rs-
gardless of traditional English forn.thanks
to our Tod Sloane. SIS . )
Enthusins nnoin bad Form.
The American spectators begin to yell as
the race finishes, bit they stop short and
look foolish when they discover that they
are doing all the cheering alone. They are
reminded again that this is England. and
Englishmen do not give Vocal expression to
their emotions. There is a brief silence,
while the horses pass. then the buzz OF
conversation starts again, and that mo-
ment of stiffness is the only recognition the
runners get for their efforts. Some one has