The Seward gateway daily edition, and the Alaska weekly post., 1919-07-16
VICTORY DERBY
 IS WITNESSED
 BY THE TANKS

Hundreds of American soldiers and sailors will have another good story tC tell the home folks when they get back the story of the Victory Derby. This was their chance to see the worlds greatest racing classic. and every or ficer and man who had the day free joyfully seized it.
 In popular interest. the Derby IS [, England what the annual Baseball Championship series Is to the United States. But no national event over there iS anything like it. The race, of course iS the climax and it focuses cverybody'S attention. hut Derby Day has so many other clements of inte'' est. beginning with the long. gay pil' grimage from London to Epson Down,; and including public picnic and ta.- nival on the grounds. that the only thing one can faintly compare it to in the United States is what Barbecue Day used to be during a big race meet at a Southern county fair.
 It is a great festival shared in hv all kinds of people. from King to beg gar. Interest in the Derby. which was revived at Epson Downs this year foI the first time since 1914. was nothing short of remarkable. The war-worn people seized upon it as an opportun ity for a kind of peace celebration For weeks they talked about it and read columns about it in the newspa' perS. The feveriSh excitement probah ly was due to the pent.up nervous emo tionaliSm generated by the war. But Derby Day was the safety valve.
 Never in the history of the race haS there been such huge attendance. An old bookmaker who hasn't missed 2 Derby in twenty years said that th' number of vehicles alone was not only a record, but "a record twice over"
 The Victory Derby differed from the DerbieS of other years not only m the size of the crowd. but in the pre- sence of so many men and women ih military uniforms. Tommy Atkins was all over the picture. Also demobilize'l 'Arry. wearing his silver service badge. with 'Arriet on his arm. Thei' was large sprinkling too of the Do minion troops. particularly Canadians and Australians. and not few French and Italian uniforms were in evidence.
 None enjoyed themselves nor" thoroughly. however. than the Ameri' can Soldiers. For one thing, the Derby was more of novelty to them than to their overseas cousins. and their in terest was piqued in hundred ways. They were trifle awed perhaps by the immensity of the thing. Only Lon don could furnish such crowd. Al most as far as the eye could reach the great sweep of the downs was a Surging mass of people.
 Sixteen big stands and the mann moth grand stand. which were all packed and running over. held only a fraction of the enormous gathering. The mile and half course of the Der by race was lined solidly with specta' tors on each side every foot of the way. Scores of thousands congeSted the infield Swarming like ants among the gaudy tents of the side shows. the bookmakerS' booths. gypsy caravans and vehicles of all descriptions. from aristocratic coaches and glistening lin cuisines to Irish jaunting carts an l coster's donkey-barrows.
 By one o'clock it seemed impossible to squeeze another wheel into the vast tangle. but the roads from London continued to spout their endless stream of traffic into the enclosure With horns blaring their melodiou'' call. the smart coaches and drags dash ed up the long hill. and with shr''l cries Of mock alarm the multitude scattered to escape the flying hoofs.
 Good nature reigned, even the cold driving rain that set in about noon and lasted until the time for the Derby failed to daunt the crowds high spirits
 The humble folk eyed with respect full curiosity the grand folk from May fair. Munching stale sandwiches con tentedly. they watched the lords and ladies and millionaires attack the tempting cold collations spread by SC, wants on the coach tops. One partica' larly inviting lupchsoa of lobster sal