Evening star., 1899-04-15
SCENES AT THE RACES

Il went out to the races one afternoon
last wsek for the first time in my life," said
a middle-aged man of correct department.
Didn't go to bet. but Just to see what it
was all about. They ell told me there'd be
no fun If didn't bet, but 1 went anyhow.
saw plenty of things to keep my mind
employed-some of them amusing, others
not SO.
Il had free view throughout the after
noon of two singing actresses, for the priyi-
lege Of seeing both of whom together on
the same stage on Monday night previous
had paid $1.5O. On that occasion-on the
stage-one of the actresses, the stout q
might almost say faD one. didn't give me
my moneys worth. She didn't like the au-
dience, and so she practically declined to
do anything whatsoever to please the au-
dience. Her more popular companion in
that nights performance pleased me more,
although she didn't do anything but appear
in bathing suit such as never was on
land or sea. That was all there was to
her performance, and she didn't try to con-
tribute any further to the audiences happi-
ness, either. But in the grand stand at
the races 1t was different. The fat actress
preened herself throughout the afternoon
and held her head very high. However,
she couldn't possibly disguise the fact that
wen, We are getting along in years, for
fact. Now, when 1 was quite young fell
low 1 used to think that this fat singing
actress-but, pshaw! we can't always be
young can We? l noticed the astonishing
difference in physical conformat ton between
the young woman who had appeared in the
bathing suit on the stage and the same
young woman who received the adulaton
OF the Willie-boys on the grand stand dur
ing the afternoon. Really, it was quite
startling, the difference-almoSt incredible.
1t gave me a nsw idea of the kindliness of
stage lights and the value of those pur-
chasable affairs which tend to improve the
human form, and so on. Quite new idea,
l assure you.
Then, straight across from the grand
stand. outside of the track grounds on the
other side, 1 enjoyed my observation of
the colored lads in the trees. Their view
was practically as good as mine, and L
dare say they enjoyed the racing quite as
much. They looked like so many huge
buzzards up among the branches of the
trees. 1 wonder if they wagered among
themselves on the results of the races? 1
saw what feared might be casualty hap
pen to one of these tree buzzards. 1t was
when that little black midget called Seaton
1 believe, was riding horse that was lead
ing the other horses. / watched the tree
buzzard with more interest than I watched
the race. He waved his arms wildly, and
when the horse upon which SeatOn was
seated galloped down the stretch and cross
ed the wire a winner by what / think my
speculative son called a head the branch
rocking suddenly gave way and down he
went. 1 couldn't see the buzzard as he hit
the ground, the fence screening him, but
he must have fallen about thirty feet. Sure
ly, l thought he would be found dead. 1
was about to raise an alarm, when, with
the aid of my field glasses, l saw him re-
mount the tree and establish himself on
another branch. How great thing it is
to be homeless and a buzzard!
Then, seated in the grand stand behind
v-6r
young woman who was pointed out to me
by my son (whose wealth of information,
by the way, is really quite amazingly as the
owner of a number of valuable race horses
out at Benning. Finally, one of her horses
came out to race with quite large field of
other horses, as my son told me. The
young woman sat quite rigid in her seat,
and she paid no attention whatsoever to
the remarks of the young man with her.
She had eyes only for her horse the favor
lite, l understood, in the speculation. This
horse was left some distance behind the
others at the start, and 1 watched the
young woman. She bit her lips and clench-
ed her teeth, and she gripped the sides of
her seat, and muttered 'Clod. Clodn over
and over again. Then her horse seemed to
get into his stride and gained upon the
others, and the young womans face be-
came illuminated. He'll just walk in, she
said, amiably, turning to her companion.
But the horse finished next to last, and
the young woman's face flushed with anger.
Its the boy, she muttered. It's the whelp
of a boy. Ride? He cannot ride in a street
car. It's the last mount he'll ever get from
me, the shoemaker Extraordinary knowI-
edge, this racing Information, ito be pos
sessed by the divine sex, isn't 1t? Oh she
looked very angry. I should have been
quite afraid of her had not my son been
along with me- I really think she might
have been incited to the use of violent
phrases had she not felt the restraint i'm
posed by the presence of other less inter-
ested persons in the grand stand.
Then my son pointed out to me a young
pale-faced, rewd-eyed-looking man whom
he called 'plunger.' The 'plunger' had
just Won $1,000 on race. my son told me,
excited. Think of winning all that money
in the space Of a minute and a half l de-
clare, almost tempted me to tempt the
Goddess of Fortune myself Truly, there is
something demoralizingly fascinating in the
contemplation of men accustomed to the
accruing of such large amounts with such
seeming ease. / observed that all of the
young men, including my son, regarded this
extraordinarily lucky youth in the 'plung-
ing business with reverence bordering upon
awe
But the awe of the young men In study
ing the movements of the 'plunger was as
nothing compared with the absolute idol
atry with which the members of the colored
population on the outside of the grounds
followed the movements of the midget
black jockey. SeatOn. when he emerged
IduistHt ana IIldSnlHCefN, from the paddock
to pick up the reins of his drag and drive
back to Washington. Now, l should esti-
mate that this lad Seaton is about ten or
eleven years old. He is one of the very
smallest, and surely the blackest human
thing l ever saw In trousers His raiment
was quite letter perfect from the colored
point of view. He was arrayed in a sheD-
herds plaid sack suit of fine tailoring, pat
ent leather shoes with white CATERS gray
kid gloves and square-topped black derby
hat. He carried a walking stick with a
horses head answering as knob, and in his
red cravat was a large and very brilliant
horseshoe pin composed of diamonds. He
was surrounded by about a hundred color
ed persons, ranging in years from ten to
seventy until he stepped into his drag with
his 'valet-gracious me, his valet !-and the
degree of scorn with which the midget re-
garded his worshipers was really worth
going miles to see. When they crowded
him. seemingly for the mere purpose of
touching his garments for luck, he looked
them over and said. Git back, yo nigguhs
Nigguhs. lemme be!'
"Oh. one can enjoy ones self at the races
without betting, and then the one plunger
In my family, my younger son, lost enough
for both of us, you see.'
VICTORY OF PEACE