The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1907-10-02

naugurated.
My trip over the river not therefore, as
quiet and devoid of incident as had anticipated.
The stage was overcrowded, and it only by ac-
companying McClusky around to the stable, that
| secured the coveted seat beside him ON top
Not only the stage full, but every available
turnout, carriage, buggy, wagon, anything
wheels, was pressed into service and made to do
duty for that occasion. 1t the barbecue
over again, minus the political enthusiasm and
parade.
There enthusiasm, and to spare-but of a
different character. Groups of men gathered
together at every street corner discussing eNcit-
That something had all of the ear marks of a
secret conspiracy, for no one spoke above a
whisper.
had not intended to go on to Lexington but
had not been long with McClusky before l
changing my mind No could have listened to
his seductive discourse concerning the glories of
the race track and racing in general, without COM
ing to the same conclusion. To miss good horse
at Lexington to lose of the oppor-
tunitieS OF my life.
'Thars whar you'll see bosses is bosses; SIGH
bosses as you never befo saw in your life an
never will see gin, unless you keep on goin' to
the Lexington races, which don't put past you by
any means. It'll be the grandes' sight of your
life
He told me of the origin of the races; how
few fine old Virginia gentlemen transplanted
Kentucky soil, had first met to match horses as
they did in Virginia as early as the seventeenth
century. How these meetings became annual and
state each year to Lexington
He told me of the magnificent racing esab-
lishments planted all about the little inland
city the finest farms, with stables like palaces;
for it had been discovered that there some
thing in these blue grass lands with it's under
stratum of limestone, that produced such bone
and sinew as could be found nowhere else in the
world.
He told me of an English nobleman Lord Alex
ander, who had established Ly the finest
racing stable in the world" having the finest i'm
ported thoroughbreds in his stalls. Everything of
the finest, like all these Kentuckians. matter
where you meet them.
He told of the evolution of the farmers
horse show into the track-eNcusively for
men, at first But you know he added, moth
ing flourish an git along without the woman
in it. and it warnt long till they begin to go two
three of them in lunches in their carriages
which they drawed up to the track n':lg bout whar
the grand stand is now. and it warnt long befo
they all broke in just like they did at the cattle
shows, and now it's hard to tell whether it's mostly
boss show, woman show They'll be thar
Col. Claiborne Miss l4sbeth, and all the rest
them You can't miss it; the grandest sight in
the world.
OF course this decided me. | resolved to go
Back OF | heard the men talking under their
breath about Sure thing" At Shakerown they
got out Ito stretch their legs" they said | took
the opportunity to ask McClusky what was this
"Sme thing" they were talking about.
well, you see. it's this way. Capn Phil not
long ago hitched up to ole farm wagon what
seemed to him like promisn young boss.
he bought him from the niger that owned him for
forty or fifty dollars, maybe more, to drive to his
buggy; you he's mighty fine lawyer, an
practices law in all the County courts round bout
here and the Circuit court. too, for that matter
an needs a spry horse. WE'LL he finds this horse
IL little spryer than he thought fur, an didn't
keer much bout usin' him that away, an the
boss agettin' fat an sassy. So his boys-all
three of EN- what got home from the safe an
though