The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-09-19
FROM THE OTHER SIDE.


They are off, The red flag drops and up
IN the grand stand the chatter of talk di-
mlnishes in volume. The horses sweep
along the broad track, the occupant Of each
sulky perched on the little frame that
serves as a seat. ridiculously close to the
tail OF the trotter he is urging. 1t seems
an hour to the expectant crowds before
the quarter-miIe post is reached. But now
II is passed. and on the horses go. straining
every nerve. And now they have left the
haif-miIe post behind. The grand stand
arises to its feet and stays there. The last
three-quarter mile post is left in the dis
lance. and the horses sweep down. the
home stretch. a mighty shout greeting them
and piercing the very heaven. They pass.
one beautiful slender creature well to the
front. The red flag drops once more. and
a tumult of cheers and exclamations rings
out. followed quickly by the chatter OF
talk again. Somebody's horse has won.
But it's over there. across the field from
the grand stand. that the real heart inter
est in the race has been leftover there
in front OF the long row OF great REQ
barns The people OF the grand stand and
the rail birds along the track are enjoying
the nerve-tingling sensations of the sport;
they are admiring the patrician-like thor
thCh opCC0s 70 y
their courage. but, after all. such emotions
are only those OF an idle within gratiied, of
a recreation that has been satisfied and
pleased. and they view the scene as they
would a play. It's the rough fellows lover
on the other side" that are experiencing the
true sentiment of the o~ccasion-the men that
have had a hand in the breeding of the
winning horse, the men that have known
his daddy" and his nanny" as old
friends.
STABLES OF THOROUGHBREDS.
The stables of the ~thoroughbreds at the
State fair are among the most interest
ing OF all the great features at the big
Indiana show. The little colony of horse
men, trainers. and stable boys is busy from
morning until late at night. Tbs boys are
up each morning at the break of day pre-
pairing the horses for their morning exer-
else and getting everything in readiness
for the drivers who put in an appearance
themselves before the days life of the ex-
position is fully under way. From the mo-
raent that work about the barns begins at
Gavin there Is enough to do TO keep every
body active until nightfall. for the horse
are treated as princes of the blood and are
watched over and cared for with the ut
Eosf diligence throughout their careers
Oh the turf.
After the horses have been groomed and
put through their morning work by the
ed. cooled out" and comfortably installed
In their stables. And there is little time for
fdling on the part OF the stable employees
when the morning exercises are at an end,
fer there are always a hundred things to
be attended to before the animals are con-
sidered in readiness for the strenuous work
Of the afternoon beginning with the clang
OF the gong I'm the judges stand. But life
around the training camps seems to have
Its charms. nevertheless, and the older en-
pioyes will tell you that when a lad starts
in life as a stable boy he seldom gives up
his work for any other occupation, but con-
u1ues to stick to his job until he either
becomes a trainer himself eventually or
falls into the rut of routine labor about
the barns from which he finds 1t impossible
to extricate himself.
The stable boys, themselves, the majori-
~ of whom are colored lads, are quite as
interesting studies as the horses. They
. bestow upon each other nicknames that are
marvels Of ingenuity, and the horses
too, receive cognomens that are in amusing
contrast TO the high-sounding titles of the
racing programme. 1t is not Wiiksdeer or