The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-06-29

The Age-Herald the day after the BROOK
Ign was won by The Picket: IAN anaiy-
sis of the quality of the mighty racers
must Inevitably stamp the Brooklyn Oh
1904 as a race not truly won by the peer
less coursers engaged in the struggle.
- TT is true that irish Lad carried
Hermls a dizzy clip for the mile, the
time being 1889 2-5, yet the handsome son
of Hermence and Katy of the West can
in condition, hold his marvellous ngne
of speed well beyond the handicap as
lance" The dispatches form New YORK
now inform us that from barrier rise 10
finish post the swift son Of Hermenee
led his field, and passed the Judges
stand as fresh as when he started WIN
ming the classic of American turf events
the Suburban Handicap, value $4,000.
On Friday, four days prior to the run
ming of the Suburban, Hermis, with i'm
perious stride and frictionless gait and
grace that was fascinating, sped to VIC
tory In the Brookdale Handicap, well
ahead of the great Afrlcander and the
beautiful Eugenia Bureh, who struggled
hopelessly in the rear. 1t was a great race
itself, and many owners would have been
we'll pleased to have rested on these
laurels, but not so with those who
handled Hermis. They knew his great
ness, and were now convinced that he
had again come to his own, and that in
full possession of his splendid prowess
the horse did not live that could take
his measure in heart-breaking struggle
from wire to wire at mile and quar-
ter. Nothing short of the highest hon
ors could satisfy, nothing less than the
trailing in the Suburban dust Of the col
ors of The Picket Irish Lad and Proper
could wipe out the disgrace of defeat In
the Brooklyn and avenge the ignominy
of that historic day. So, when the brill
liant Suburban parade passed in review
before the great crowd of 10000 excited,
earnest people, Hermis, in the flush OF
victory, bearing proudly his mighty
achievements is the Brookdale, prestige
that stood sponsor-hostage OF promise
for victory in the Suburban, never ap-
peared with so proud a crest so glsten-
ing a coat and a movement or such grace
and pride and invinciole determination.
The great betting element of New York
stood their ground firmly, and quickly
proclaimed Irish Lad the favorite and
| the Picket a close second choice, but
the great heart of the people had parted
| from allegiance to their former idols,
| with reluctance perhaps, and today were
| worshpping at the shrine Of Hermis. 1t
| was Hermis they had come to see bring
| back the prestige of victory to the east.
| The famous duel in the Brooklyn when
| he and Irish Lad, in the death grasp
| which Titans take in extremity, wrecked
each the hopes of the other, had brought
out these great hosts to see the Brooklyn
m aay = a.
stored to the eastern turf. WiId, spien-
did tales fioated on the breeze across the
| green sward between the two famous
race courses, Sheepshead and Gravesend,
tales of lightning fast work done by Irish
| Lad and The Picket, but the only ques-
| tion that secured a moments recogni-
| ton was us Hermis in condition to run
! the distance?" The answer of his train
| er, young Will Shields, was, "Hermis is
ready to run the race of his life" and
| his knightly owner, e. r. Thomas, ap-
proved the statement.
$4,000 Excited Spectators.
| The soul of this great assembly was
| deeply stirred and it's emotions of joy or
| sorrow, as the varying fortunes of the
giant contest presented themselves, were
| distinctly apparent, A mighty crowd,
| like a single individual, discloses Its hui
man foibles, for it is intensely human,
| and In distress or disappointment utters
| its cry OF pain as in victory its note of
| triumph. So with the friends and back
ers of these champions of the turf as they
put forth the last mighty effort to reach
| the goal which meant wealth, honor and
historic renown. In groups of flashy men
and youths there was to be heard the
breezy idiom of the betting sheds-a
strange and marvellous vocabulary that
robed the common things of life with
/ weird, pregnant meaning, while near by
| the caressing voice, in exquisite dicton
| expressed lofty sentiment, stirring Incl
| dent or play of fancy. A faint idea, a
| far-away conception Of the inspiration
| of this intense occasion is impossible of
| lucid explanation. Yet, in all this turbd,
| excited mass, the iron mandates of beau
| ty held its sway, and found thee out,
and worshipped Of the beautiful In flesh;
| the obvious elegance and the piquancy of
| the array of beauty that thronged the
| club house, fresh from palatlal abodes
of fashion, dazzled the occasion with
brilliancy and CLINT and CLEAN of every
| color and diffused an indefinable aroma
which 1t is the prerogative of beauty and
| love to dispense.
| The short, pitiful story OF human life
is soon told, and the great Suburban is
but stirring incident to many of those
whose destiny was cast with the rising
| of the barrier and the falling of the flag
| on that momentous occasion. Bright
| tears of gladness moistened the fringed
| lids of some lovely, high-born girl, who
had wagered heavily on Hermis and
found an antithesis near by in the fine
gray hair on end of a distinguished gem
tleman who had backed Irish Lad to the
extreme limit. More than half million
| dollars were lost to the bookmakers by
| wealthy fasteners who backed irish
Lad, and it was the ladies', the populace,
the male and female theatrical profession
| that won their thousands on Hermis, for
Hermis has ever been the idol of the
ladies and the general public. Lew
! Fields and Lillian Russell Of the stage,
alone, won $4,000. Plungers and pikers
of the turf. alike were gorged to safety
in their feverish, mad desire to gamble.
Both played their limit. and the spirit of
| hell rioted in bosoms where human reason
had lost its bearings.
Half million Is an exceedingly useful
anu we'll rounded sum of money 1t ap-
pears magnificent folly when we re-
member that in that great city vice is
the bed fellow of poverty and the hand
maiden Of hunger, and all the nets of
devilish design oftener close around the
gaunt unfortunate than the hardened
thief. Again. and again, we must cry
mercy.
At the Post.
Starter Fitzgerald Che started the horses
here at Tie opening meeting at the fair
| grounds In 1890 received the princely
company as they came to the barrier, and
| quickly placed them in position, and with
kindly words he reminded the Jockeys