Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-07-25
=; =: :: s &C.: STAR BULLETIN SPORTS : :s:s
Derby Day Is the
Racing Fixture
That's Different

the New York Globe, is far more than
a mere horse race. II resembles
Christmas pantomIne, Yorkshire pud-
ding, London fog, and the Magma Car
= N being one OF the bulwarks OF the
British nation. On Derby day the
Eritish Empire seems to surge back
from those far-famed lands where the
sun never sets and overflows upon
kpsom Downs. Ii is true that the
King Is there. and that society in its
newest bibland-tuckerie is parading
before the obllging photographer In
the grandstand; IL is true that there
are horses that run and men who ride
them, and doubtless to some these
things seem OF overwhelming impor
lance; but they are really only the
unimportant part that gets itself into
the newspapers. The real Derby day
is known to those thousands outside
the randstand-excursioni book
les, tipsters, gipsies, hawkess, Aries
and 'Arriets from London, tramps,
beggars-flooding Tie Downs with a
, constantly ebbing and flowing tide OF
humanity in jocular mood. The writ
eT remarks, commenting upon his own
observations there: ..
mo scene could be more typically
British-or more absolutely un-Ameri-
can--than the one presented on Ep-
som Downs The night before a.
swarm of gipsies and hedge-parsons|
and heaven knows what of English
vagabondage had settled upon the
Downs | counted more than 100 gypsy
vans, and then gave up from sheer
WEAKNESS ] had rot covered tenth
Of the territory. An itinerant parson
handed out tracts and took up col.
lections. A score OF tipsters, coat
less, perspiring, worked yaliantly In
rings OF supplemented, interested peo-
pie. Each had thrown his coat upon
the ground, and as the half-crowns
and shillings came in, each threw the
money upon the coat. The most
money went to the man who showed
the most money. Success begets con-
iidence. A penny tipster was kept so
busy marking his cards that his agent
fairly beat the people back.
".Give your money to Penny Jack.
II you don't he'll give II back
he chanted. Jockey EASTWOOD. once
successful on the English turf, now
wearing bright blue Jockeys cos
tune and supporting himself by a
cruteh because Of missing leg, act
ed as interlocutor for master of pat,
ter who handed out Lashwood's tips
ut shilling each.
scores OF bent and MANNED AMI
blind men end women felt their way
through the crowds begging for pend
iIIes vehlers Of lovely ellis here
your sweetjellisd eels-ail In jelly !
Oh! pressed their shiyeFy delicacy1
upon persons who wouldn't eat an eel
even to obifge a friend. Extraordin-
argyly dirty little gypsy children, wear
ing the cut-down or tied-up dresses OF
elders, danced for pennies through |
the throng. One imp of eight or nine
years held a mouthharp while he tap
ped out dance tune with single
drumstick held in the other. Gypsy
women pestered lovers Of quiet A
pair of young Cockneys, enjoyably
picked, put their noses together, In
Weber and Fields fashion and sang:
Hall abo'; hall abo';; hall abo'
for h'Alabam,' to the great delight OF
Americans, who threw them pennies.
Men and women alike stood be-
fore the scores of open-air bars, drink
ing their ale and whisky-and were
alike quiet and well behaved. In ali
the Derby crowd did not see one in
disputa5ly drunken man or woman.
Concertina- playing seems to be thei
one really Objectionable habit of the
British workingman Here and there
one would discover dense clump of
patient. quiet people, peering interest
eddy over each others shoulders. In
the center of the ring. his nose about
level with the knees of his auditors.
sat dusty minstrel squeezing away
at his whining instrument. Concert
ina-playing may be bad habit, but
it is not a vice. Not one of the con-.
certina specialists was begging for
pennies. Burned-cork minstrels,
sweating profusely through the black
entreated dole Clowns in dusty pier
rot costumes worked through the
crowds.
Everywhere takers begged one to
ave a shy at the cokernuts. A par.
rotlike cry of ''Oly chilly rose at
intervals in the crowd. but | could not
trace 1t to its. origin for some time.
Then ! found small man with a
great basin in his hands in which dill
pickles swan in dark mixture. Fried
fish at penny, well larded and dust
ed, offered sustenance to the inner
man"
The Derby race-course. it appears,
has rightly been called the worst in
Europe. Not one person in fifty can
see the start, not one in twenty has
more than glimpse of the back
and the finish is visible to
only 10 per cent of the onlookers.