The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-02-23

sts,ble came out ahead in tWenty-seyen |
races taking purses to the amount Of |
During that same year the
total value of the stakes distributed
was more thar 1000, 00o.
l wish / could take you out to the
Hippodrome near Palermo Park and
snow you the races. They are held
on Sundays and Thursdays, and also
on all of the holidays. Every one
goes and in the grandstand you max
see the president and his cabinet, the
chief officers Of the army and navy,
and all the world and his wife besides.
The ace track is a wonder. It is
two miles in length and las an inner
track for training purposes. The main
track is of sand and earth. The
grandstand will seat many thousands.
l was told there were about 20, zoo
there the last day 1 attended and
these people paid all the way from
81 to 81 entrance fees. The races are
under the Jockey Club, which owns
the track and it. 1t gets 10
per cen of the receipts. n this
amounts TO several million dollars a
year. A large part Of this sum is
given to charity, but enough is left
to make the Jockey Club the richest
association OF its kind in the world.
The Jockey Club has it's special
compartment in the grandstand and
this is supplied with elevators, and
furnished with cafes and eating ar
rangements.
| The betting at the Palermo races is
on the ~pari-mutuei order, the tickets
costing about n dollar in gold. They
| can be bought in lots from one to
| 100 or more, and there is straight bet
ting and place betting on every race.
At the last meeting eighty-seven
horses were entered and there were
rivers of men and wonlen going to
and from the windows OF the betting
establishments. Buildings covering a
half acre are devoted to pool selling
and it seemed to me that all were
putting up some money on every race
All were wildly excited. AS the horses
neared the winning post. 10000 PEG.
pie rose with a yell. The same emo
tons were displayed as these we SCI
at one Of our ase ball games. TIL,
crowd was w~ell-dressed, but Their,
were more poor than rich. There wer'
many Italians and Spaniards an
thousands Of native ~Argentines.
II is now a third Of a century sine
the Jockey Club was founded. 1t wa
started with the idea of improving tn
horses Of the Argentine and at tn
same time Of promoting good fellow
) ship. The government became inter
, ested in it and the club received som
Of its property on the condition tia
it could be held only as long as 1t wa
used for races, and that if the race
were stopped it should be returned
Today there is no probability that tina
8 property will ever go back to the GOV
e eminent. The club has grown n
: is now perhaps the most wonderful
&C. l:-1 -, %ho -y0~lA 7 hos cfnodiJ
S increased in popularity and it mas no
more than 1900 members, althoug
n its initiation fee is $500. The annu;
a dues are $50 a year. The club is NJ
a money-making institution as far {
e h members are concerned. It's enol
t nous receipts go back into the clu
furnishings and charities and to tt
S building up Of horse spirit and rat
o spirit. 1t has spent vast amounts c
d its club arrangements. The CRANE
D. stand at Palermo cost $780, 900 Al
l. theh special accommodations there II
% the members Of the club $4,000. tt
d stand for the jockeys and traine
e cost $4,000, and the ticket Off
where the betting is done $125,O0
n surroundings have cost more thu
81, 900. 900.
Is The Jockey Clubhouse in Buen
As Aires is one Of the finest buildin
20 of the city. During my stay l ha
I'd had the good fortune to dine there
DO company with the American minist
I'd and a party OF ten. We sat about
Of round table in a splendid little DIM,
room. finer, / venture, than that
any palace in Europe. and later on
DIS looked into the state dining roo
nd which is one of the mos beautiful
It. the world. 1t is lighted from abe
and the walls are covered with cos
tapestries and carvings. The clu
no house has been decorated by famo
is artists, and it is a mass of treasu1
SO from one end to the other. Enteri
tos from Florida street, the great bu
90 ness center OF the capital. you pass
,al celebrated statue of Diana by F
I'd. guienos and then go up stairs
s. marble, with balustrades Of onyx.
Use the second foo Upon the walls I
a the paintings of suck artists as Bt
nd nat. Bouguereau and ROyebet 3