Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-06-09
PONY. RACING POPULAR II
CHINA.
Betting One of Most interesting
Features at the Turf Meets in
Oriental Republic.

{, set the Flowery Kingdom the Celos-
tails find plenty of time to enjoy lie
on road, track and river. Pony rae
ing is popular sport, and a number
or meetings are held throughout China.
All sports are conducted along modern
lines, copied after American ana Eng
fish methods, while the scope embraces
u wide range from football. golf and
hockey to pony racing and field track
athletics t
Major Palmer E. Pierce, L. s. A.,
formerly President of the National
collegiate Athletic Association, and
zone of the leaders of amateur sport
in the United States. now stationed at
Iientsin, China, says sport is growing
very popular in China. Recently Sc
ries of athletic meets We're held at
Tiensin, which included two-day
open affair of mixed Chinese and Eu-
ropean events, an all-British fell
sports meet and a French field meet
in one week. The latter embraced
everything from a 22-mile race and a
l5-miie march to exercise and compe-
tition on parallel bars
| 1t is, however, in pony racing that
China is making progress, and Mayor
Pierce is enthusiastic over the man
ner in which the natives conduct their
race meets. He cites the Tientsin
Race Club as an evidence of the adj
vance of civilization in China, and says
] the grounds, track, stables and CLUB
i building would be a credit to racing
plant in New York city. This he at
/ tributes to the fact that the buildings
are new. replacing those destroyed by
the Boxers. and England and Ameri-
ca offered fruitful field to copy
/ Major Pierce, in a letter, gives the fol-
/ lowing description of pony racing in
China:
Thousands of beautiful chrysanthe-
NUNS, a flower that fiourishes in
'abunaant profusion in North China,
| were scattered about the veranda and
grounds of the Tientsin Race Club.
, making a brilliant scene for the WISH
tor TO the race meeting.
| 1t is a bit surprising to one fresh
| from other countries to find how well
conducted are all sporting events in
these treaty ports of the Far East.
Whether 1t be football, hockey, golf,
tennis or pony racing, the conduct of
the affair is admirable. Truly the
/ amateur spirit is prevalent, for pro-
fessionals are unknown, at least in
North China. This must be a legacy
! from the Englishman who first came
Ito trade in these ports and brought
with him the sports and the traditions
of the homeland.
| We hear that some of the amateur
spirit is being superseded in Britain
| by the professional. but such is not
the case in the Chinese ports. Not
only are there no professionals, but
also there is a general participation in
athletics of all kinds that is most re-
lfreshing to see. especially by one who
has been struggling with the ever pre-
|valent question in the United States of
how to prevent the professional from
monopolizing the whole field
But 1 want to tell you of the en-
tioyahle racing held here twice a year
by the Tientsin Race Club. This is an
Organization to which practically ev
lery one of any importance in Tientsin
belongs. Its grounds, track, stables
iand club buildings would be credit
to New York City itself. The build
linSs are new. having all been built
since 1900 to replace those destroyed
by the Boxers. This may account for
| their excellence, since the organization
was paid an indemnity for the loss OF
its old buildings.
i 1.-The terrain is almost a dead level
for miles about this city. However, the
race course is the most attractive spot
| in or about the place 1t is reached by
a well kept, private road, some three
| miles in length. To be sure, as one
| drives to the grounds he is reminded
| that in the midst of life we are in
DEATH for the graves of innumerable
Cinnamon can be seen to the right and
left. Eut there is no escape from this
horror of China. The dead certainly
are crowding the living. Not a road
but is bordered by this built-up graves.
/ Even the eighteen-hole golf course OF
Tlentsin is situated in a Chinese ceme-
terry. One of the local golf rules is that
u ball falling into an open grave may
be picked out and dropped without loss,
And there is plenty of excitement
and color at these race meetings to
/ make even the most susceptible sights
he may have seen en- route.
'The brilliancy of the flowers and
shrubs is enhanced by the colors of the
variegated clothes worn on such occas-
! ions Mixed with the sober civilian
dress of the men are the beauflfui cos
TUNES of women clothed by Paris mo-
l 0lSteS and the StflhltS uIuiola"S Va
= many of the officers of the great pow
ers. The French, German. Russian
| Japanese, Austrian, English and Amer
icau nations We're all represented IN
the throng that crowded the race
course last October. Here and thcr2
4 also we're seen the Chinese and Japan
csc-some dressed in their native cos
TUNES, other affecting European dress
i and manners. In the bandstand were
seen the red coats 6of the musicians
from one of England's Irish regiments
"The sun shone brilliantly and the
| air had a. very, invigorating quality
i Everything was conducive to gayety
and good sport. And good sport II
proved to be when the Mancburian
ponies appeared for the first race rid
deil by gentlemen jockeys wearing the
highly colored garments and sashes
that always pertain to such events
The band played its liveliest air, and
sorle of these ponies. so lately roaming
the plains of Manchuria. showed theii
Wild blood by unexpected and hard u
control gyrations.
"The sport, however, is not alone OF