Omaha daily bee., 1902-10-26

Civ 11N
must 90 early to get full view of it. BY
IL O'Clock the walkways are so full they
are no more than blurs and blotches OF color.
At least half the onlookers are women,
tricked out in holiday bravery. Children
likewise abound-the most part in gay coats,
some few in somber black ones. But even
the black coats have redeeming fripperies
Of lace and color in head and neckgear. Tho
surprising thing about the whole assem-
blage, indeed, is that it is a dress parade,
no less for the spectator than the perform
ers. Beyond a doubt, going to the Speedway
stands to many uptown residents very much
for what going to church did to their rural
or village ancestry.
However that may be, the crowd is in
excellent humor with itself and the world
at large, with no greater present ambition
than to be reckoned "in the know" as re-
CARDS the speeding and the speeders. 1t
chats and preens itself. and rufies into
gentle ripples of interest at the daring Of
venturous small boys, or at the sight Of
cunning small girls Juggling at the reins
out in the road. 1t moves gently up and
down, and back and forth, or turns to view
critically some racing shell upon the waters,
gently curling the lip as 1t hears the cox
swain roar out orders evidently Intended
to reach it's ears. Showing-off on the water,
1t has not come out to see or hear. The
shells are, indeed, but NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
which some of the over-nice among the wo-
men incline TO resent. Bare arms, and
chests and legs seem to them out of place
in the face OF daylight; Notwithstanding
other women applaud the display and talk
knowingly with their escorts Of feathering,
reaches, body swings and strokes.
Here Comes the stars.
Momentarily some star of the Speedway
flashes down the line. Murmurs go all
about: Nathan Straus has Cobwebs out
this morning. Pshaw! l was sure he'd
drive Alves instead" Hello! Fred Gerken
in the side finest 1t can't be he's going
to quit the game!' "There comes Claus
Boiling! Now look out, somebody. He
told my cousins uncle yesterday he had
the heels of everything likely to show
today" albert Bostwick's trainer has got
knee boots on Johnny Agan. Yes. Bost-
wick is automobile-crazy. still he has moi
quite given up horses"
A lean. brownish bay. with fair head
good legs and light middle piece flashes
past. One spectator grins at the sight
saying sageIy: David B. looks as though
he'd run Jest about to match his namesakj
this mornin'." Instantly somebody retorts.
wait till you see him finish! It's my be.
lief he has never been quite all out here
no more than the man he's named for"
Maybe So" says a judicial third per
son; but, say, did you hear about old Cob.
webs? One day a while back Straus go
two friends to hold watches on the old fel
low while he stepped a quarter after he go
going for all he was worth, and he made 4
in 20 seconds fiat. What do you think o
that? A 1856 gait for a horse 10 years OLE
and a faster quarter than ever CresceuI
trotted in a race!"
Hes a wonder-no mistake" say tn
onlookers; then huddIe to the curb, sayinI
all together in a breath: "And here h
comes nowi Hurrah! He's having it GU
with Dave Lamar and Sally Simpson"
Down course two little dust clouds hav
resolved themselves into flying harnesseu
racers, with drivers sitting low and clos
behind. The wagons look eob~webby-hardl
stout enough to endure the impact Of rapi
, air. But nobody thinks of that; all han
breathless on the race. The man in from
has a strong. Hebraic face, bearded, shrewd
eyed. kindly. The lips are set, the eye
tense, the whole pose full OF power to clair
, and keep. The whip is held upright, tn
reins tightly clutehed-now and again h
t speaks a low word. too low to be heard b
! the sidewalk throng, though evidentl
reaching the ears OF his horse. Cohweb
may know intuitively what his master ask
he goes. goes. with his mighty stroke OF
machine. His stride is low and stealing
: his ears are fiat against his beautiful chest
/. nut head. his eyeballs fare, but rot wit
temper-he has tho stay and the spiIi