Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-26
First Local Horse Race.

d clergyman, ATTENDED the nTSl morse race
ever given in Washington, which he de-
scribed as "a great and fashionable exhi-
bition. The Senate actually did adjourn
for three days. not on account of the
races, you will observe. but merely to
admit Il mason to plaster the ceiling of
their chamber which had fallen down
few days before He writes, THE House
of Representatives met and adjourned:
but you must not suppose this was done
to allow the honorable gentlemen to show
themselves on the horse ground-you are
rather to imagine that no business was in
due state of preparation to be acted upon
My mornings work having been de-
spatched. / went to the place of rendez-
vous Not only the gentle and SIM
pie were there. but almost all the great
folks. including the officers of the govern
ment. There were great number of Ia
dies. who mostly sat in the carriages
which brought them. Several of the rev.
erend clergy were at this exhibition of the
speed of horses. The sport being over. the
great men and the pretty women. and the
sporting jockeys and the reverend Sirs.
and many of the little folks. quilted the
field. Among the rest one gentleman. who
has a wife in New York, went to his
lodgings. and as soon he had eaten
his dinner took his pen in hand and
wrote her an account of the whole days
proceedings
THE race ground is on an old field with
somewhat of rising in the middle con-
tinued Mr.. Cutler in a letter to his wife.
The race path is made about fifty feet
wide, measuring Just one mile from the
bench of the judges around to the stage
again. In the center of this circle pro-
digious number of booths are erected
which stand upon the highest part of the
ground.
Under them are tables spread. much
like the booths at commencement Cam
BRIDGE. but on the top, for they are all
built with boards. are platforms to ac-
commodate spectators. At the time of
the racing these are filled with people of
and without the circus, is rising ground
where the carriages of the most re-
spectacle people take their stand. These.
if they were not all democrats. l should
call the noblesse. Their carriages are
elegant. and their attendants and servants
numerous. They are from different parts
of the southern and middle states. and
filled principally with ladies and about
one hundred in number.
All Glasses Represented.
1.-The ground within the circus is spread
over with people on horseback, common
hacks and single carriages; great num-
Der of women on horses. and many in
rich and elegant dress. On the eastern
side is the stage for the bench of judges.
elevated fifteen feet from the ground at
a distance of about ten rods. toward
which the horses approach first. is an
other stage on wheels. This is called the
distanced stage. If any horses in the
race do not arrive at this stage before
the foremost arrives at the stage from
which they started, they are said to be
distanced and are taken out. and are
not suffered to run again in the same
race.
While the horses were running the
whole ground within the circus was
spread over with people on horseback.
stretching round. full speed. to different
parts of the circus, to see the race. This
was a striking part of the show. for it
was supposed there were about 800 on
horseback. and many of them mounted
on excellent horses. There were about
200 carriages. and between 5000 and 1000
conditions. from the President of the
United States to the beggar in his rags:
of all ages and of both sexes. for 1
should judge one-third were females.
1t was said the toll collected from
the carriages and horse people on foot
passed freel was $1.2OO. -
Mr.. Tayloe of this city is one of the
most famous of the Jockey Club. He had
five horses run, one on each day; all came
near winning, but failed. He is said gem
orally to be lucky. He is very rich-his
1t is said that Holmes has sold one of his
winning horses for $1,000. So it is that
these nabobs sport with their money.
Vast sums were bet the ground by
individuals. 1t is said that one member
of Congress lost, in private BETS 500
Such are the evils attending these races
F. in one respect / was much disap-
-.ited. Among the numerous rabble
saw very few instances of intoxication.