The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-07-05
GRAND STAND and BOXES FILLED
WITH GAY ASSEMBLAGE.
The Promoters Furnished a Fine
Racing Card = other Events
Aside from the Derby.
Second indianapolis Derby.
Welsh Girl CMcJOynD.. 4
John Coulter (sullivan).
Oriana (Burlingame) .............. 3
Time, 1;41 IA.

Twenty thousand people saw Jim Hand
repeat his Derby coup of last year with
the speedy Welsh Girl at fair grounds
track yesterday afternoon. Twenty thou
sand to whom the past was naught and the
future a matter of utter indifference; twen-
ty thousand in purple and fine linen. or in
rags and tatters; twenty thousand many
of whom gripped tickets calling for small
fortunes or who nervously fingered the price
Of a ride back to town cheered the
game mare she breezed under the wire.
winner of the second Indianapolis Derby.
The sun was hot, and heat waves rose
and fell; the sky blue and all nature
in gala attire; there We're other races. 9TH
er winners, other tickets to be cashed or
torn up; but these things were forgotten in
the mighty roar of applause that went up
when Welsh Girl, bearing the red. white
star on back" of the lucky Hand flashed
past the post half a length in front of the
lightly-weighted John Coulter In the grand
stand, in the betting ring, massed along the
fence, in carriages in the inner inclosure.
wherever there was space for two feet and
a pair of shoulders men and women shout
ed themselves hoarse. waved hats and hand
kerchiefs and went wild over the sport OF
kings.
A MASS OF COLOR
Long before ? o'clock the grand stand was
a Kaleidoscope mass of color. Every seat
was taken, and still the crowd in end
less stream kept pouring in. Women, old
and young. plain and pretty, for the most
part young and pretty-the old and ugly
seem. somehow. to be alchemically changed
for an event of this kind-dressed In every
fascinating conception of summery gown.
men nattily attired. proudly attentive. but
still nervous to be off to the betting shed.
found places some way, somehow, and fixed
their eyes on the clean. smooth track. bend
ing forward for a first glimpse of favor
ite horse. The judges stand, with its knot
of businesslike officials the paddock, far
down to the right, with its army of rub
bers, stable boys. trainers. the betting shed.
where men were lighting like tigers. sweat
ing in internal heat to exchange good coin
for hieroglyphic-inscribed bits of past
board showed out to them by red-faccd,
thick-necked. striped-shirted gentry-aIl
these things intensely absorbing. compell-
ing. exciting. enthralling in their newness
and novelty. lighted up eyes. brought from
some nook and corner of the brain a sport
All this was from the grand stand point
of view. Back at the entrance TO the
grounds the cars kept winding around. dis
charging one after another full loads Of ex-
cited, happy people. In the stables and pad
dock, I'm well-ordered Bedlam. graceful
horses were being led out, dancing and
plunging, busy trainers were shouting curt
orders in English so plain. as TO be impos-
caps, bright-colored shirts. booted and
spurred. were getting their riding ipstruc-
tions. Touts. cocksure. complacent.
''snooped" here and there. rubbed shoulders
with a trainer or stable boy, eager 10 get
a bit of first-hand information. Everywhere
vendors of cooling fluids were calling their
wares. programme boys were believing,
there was babel of tongues. rush of feet.
fever in the air.
BUSY BOOKMAKERS.
Immediately in front of the grand stand.
under temporary awnings the bookmakers
were preparing for business. The Indiana
Club" 1.-The Columbia Club" this club and
that club. this company and that company.
were putting up the betting boards maxi
ing out the betting sheets. figuring on odds.
each man with furtive eye TO what his
professional Dfetnren were DONG IN the
same line. Into this sun-baked. sweat
streaming temple of the little gods OF
chance rushed red-faced. gleaming-eyed
men, clutching bills and coins. in a fever
TO get their money on certain winner
before the field was of. Some had tips.
some had lunches some had had a
heart-to-heart talk with stable boy who
knew that his owners nag simply couldn't
lose. some were form players. some relied
purely on luck. but athe animus was the
same. They were mad 10 bet. mad TO have
a play in the most popular form OF gam
bling under the sun-picking q race winner.
IL was like taking life into s.ses hands 10
venture three times into the inciosure.
Once one might go and escape with ease;
twice with rage and pain, a third time
with positive danger TO life and limb. IL
was pandemonium. hubbub. Bedlam. all in
one
indianapolis has never had a race meet
where the betting fever ragged so flercely.
The '.pikers' were In the majority. OF
course All wanted 10 play but few could
risk more than q couple of dollars. Now
and then would come some quiet man, un-
ostentatiously. A few words 10 the book
maker and roll OF bills. maybe a hundred
dollars maybe two hundred. perhaps even
five hundred would pass from the hands of
one to the other. Such were regarded with
huu