The Washington herald., 1907-10-13
by DEXTER MARSHALL.

derbiit, e ave been ere a good many
years" said the young English-speaking
Poissy fabman, who drove me out TO St
Louis-ds-Poissy. William X Vanderbilts
training headquarters near the town OF
Poissy some thirty-five miles. little TO
the north OF west of Paris I remem-
ber vare we'll when e come. / was small
boy then. Every year since then e have
been ere sometimes; e used to come
from Paris in the train but no e come
toot toot, in ees motor car
does not stay much about the town,
no; e stay at 'ees place an keep busy
about 'ees 'orses. But everybody in
Poissy an in this neighborhood think e
is ware fine man; e give much work to
the men of Poissy an ether places roun
ere Some years ago e ave employ
'undred two 'undred men. z is-w'at you
can it?-ha'l right? Ees zat eet?"
The Vanderbilt farm" as it is some
times termed by the Anglo-AmeTican col
onists in Paris, is anything but a farm in
the ordinary sense, since no appreciable
part of the ground within its inclosure is
devoted 10 cultivation. But il is big
enough for a very respectable farm either
in France or the United States. as 1t
covers not far from 80 acres. while its
soil is fertile enough 10 raise any Of the
crops which are produced on the srnil-
ing. hill-circled plain around it.
Instead of being planted TO potatoes, or
sown to wheat OF oats. nearly all the area
Of St. Louis-de- -Poissy is given over 10
horses. which its owner keeps in order to
carry on his racing career in France, and
neither money nor pains has been spared
IN the effort 20 make the establishment a
model one Frenchmen and Englishmen
as well as Americans, agree that the at
tempt has been quite successful
High Fence Surrounds II.
The entire farm" IS securely lnclosed.
after the manner OF the French. partly by
high wall. and partly by a stiff hedge,
ten or twelve feet wide that is re-en-
forced by a wire fence. Either hedge or
fence would be difficult to pass; COM
bined, they are practically impregnable.
Yet, apparently the lord Of the domasi
does not rely upon them wholly to keep
intruders out for at various points he
has displayed cOnspiCuOusly the an
nouncement:
lei Il a des PIECES a loups." which,
freely translated. means.
LUX OUT TOT LQe WUlI traps. ~
So far as I know no one ever has in
Vesugated for the purpose OF learning
whether there are any traps in the hedge
or not. There are no similar warnings
on the wall. It is such a piece of mason
~ as only Frenchmen build; about nine
feet high, OF rOund-fEished. buff stone
capped with brilliantly red tiles Il is 50
new and il reflects the light so brightly
when the sun Is shining that YOU can see
II plainly from the hills miles away in
every direction. The newness and the
-and-spanness Of the entire estab-
Ashment are among the most distinguish
ing characteristics Of St. Louls-de-Pois-
sy. II is in region not altogether de-
void OF other new buildings. to be sure.
but where most structures are gray and
black with age At Poissy is the second
Oldest church now standing in all France.
say the people there; it was built In the
twelfth century, and although portions
Of ii seem 70 have been restored. il looks
quite as old as it is supposed 20 be.
Chateau stfu Unfinished.
The Vanderbilt training farm is. reached
by sandy cart track. which branches
from the fine main road leading from
Poissy TO Meulan, both Of which are on
the River Seine. There are two entrances.
just inside the ornamental main entrance
stands the new chateau-the cabman call
ed 1t a "castle"-which Mr.. Vanderbilt
has had built for a residence when he
chooses to occupy il. but which is not
yet quite ready TO live in.
While the owner of the place was in
France in August, but attending tbe
races at Deauville, TrOuviIe and other
racing centers. Mrs. Vanderbilt was llv
ing in pretty little red rooted white
stone cottage just outside the yellow
walls.
There are many who say that the train
ing grounds at st. LOuis-de-Poissv are
the finest in France. AS I haven't seen
them all cannot say whether this is
true or not, but the establishment GER
tainly is well planned and well kept up
The entire incl0sure is practically level
and the turfed course. with two long
stretches, has a circuit of a mile and 4
quarter The sand course just inside the
other IS perhaps hundred yards shor4-
er. One Of the stretches of the tl1rf
course is quite FIVE furlongs in length
which gives a chance for a long straight
away dash.
The turf on the outside course is kent
In as good condition as the turf should
be on the putting greens of "a first-class
golf course, although a bit longer. As
France the course has TO be watered
plentifully every day water for that pur-
pose being pumped from the Seine into
water tower upon its banks about half
mile from the western boundary Of the
farm Within the inciosure and near its
eastern wall is another smaller water
tower, which is connected with the first
by underground pipes.
French Race on the Turf.
All the racing in France, as In Eng
land is upon the turf Consequently the
more severe exercising Of the horses at
St. Louis-de-Poissy is done upon the turf
course. the inner, shorter, sand course
being reserved for the slower gaIlops.
Inside tIl- rack there are twenty-five
large paddocks, in which all the horses
on the place can be turned out at once If
it is so desired.
There are stalls for sixty-two horses,
besides the six or seven hacks" The
stalls. which are very roomy and well
ventilated, are located IN stone stables
with thick walls that insure GOODNESS in
the hottest weather ever known in the
valley Of the Seine. The stalls for the
yearlings. Of which there are thirty-fve.
are In what is known as the riding
school It is nearly or quite 600 feet long.
and its inclOsed and roofed-over track
for the exercising of the yearlings. which
surrounds the stalls, IS about rod wide.
Five times round this track makes
mile, and its short turns are sharply
raised on the outside.
There is nothing in the world appar-
emily, that William X. Vanderbilt likes
better than to watch his horses nj work