Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1922-09-18
RUSS TURN TO
. HORSE RACING
Sport Was Dropped Four
Years Ago During Big
" Revolution.

racing III 1lu6Saa0.
nearly as popular in the old days as
tea drinking, is slowly coming back
/ There are isoNmany race followers
In Russia that even during the world
war invent on about as usual. Not
until the revolution came, when the
country was almost turned inside out,
| was racing forced to close down. -Four
years ago, when racing was actually
given up, millions of persons thought
it meant the end of everything.
But this summer harness racing
began again In Petrograd. Moscow
and various other cities. Now Russia,
or at least the racing fans, are be-
ginning to feel that after all the
world has started to right itself
again. = =
The government conducts the
sport; the pari-mutuel system of
betting: the concessions at the. tracks,
and everything in general. and the
army helps to keep things going in
orderly fashion. Soldiers see to 1t
that no one gets in free, and that
there are no small boys, nor men,
kpeeping through the fences. A sol
fdierS band furnishes music between
i races, when the crowd s~cranbles to
place its rubles on it's favorite horse.
The racing in Moscow goes on three
days a week. The track is just at the
edge Of town, near many fine old resi-
dencss. now community houses with a
tin stove pipe protruding from every
other window.
In Charge. of soviets.
All the profits. as the government
announced at the beginning, so to-
ward a fund for the relief of suffer
ers in the famine districts. The races
are under the direct charge of the
! Soviet Horse department Of which
General Brussilofr is the chief. Cen
eral Brussiloff is as we'll known in
Russia for his interest in clean sports
as he was a fighting man.
Individual horse owners participate
in the various events but h MAORI
ty of the trotters are owned by the
government. Many Of the horses
were sired by American stations.
If Russia has her troubles. they arr
not in evidence at the pavilion. Their
are more smiling faces and Laughter
at the races than any other place II
Moscow.
The track itself is as good as ever
but the block-long grandstand Is al
run down at the heel, like SO much o
Russia. 1t has not been painted II
seven or eight years, and many Of tn
fixtures have been torn away, 10!
fire wood. perhaps, in winter.
But the crowd is the thing, an
there are nearly as many women a
men. The latter in general appear
ance are; healthy and well-fed, an
here and there a fat man hobs aboq
In the excitement of winning or losinl
a Bet. Many Of them wear straw hat
ana pongee suits, naturally yellow
but more yellow than ever now wit
wear and4age. Ordinary trousers an
the white linen Russian blouses ar
the popular dress for the men, a
they are cool and cheap.
Women Well Dressed.
The women as a rule are falrl
we~ll-dresssd, - fashions go today /
Russia. But none are fat-only
are of good material. in most in
: stances pre-war stuff. altered an
tAade over time and again during tn
years of stress until, If inspecte
closely, one may see the SEWN
marks and shadows Of the cuts of tn
previous arrangement.
The millinery has a suggestion q
snartness-at a distance. There ar
still more Partisan styles in Moscow
copied from the books on model
Many of the ONE wear diamond
and other jewelry, and sit in ooxe
quite proudly indeed. with thei
dope, books and glasses; smokin
the long. paper-stem1aed cigarette
and visiting and gossipingp EVEN 9
they did in the days before" whe
there was nothing In particular t
worry abouk
with the aid of the light summe
evenings up here in the north til
fraces, which are made up of 1S
20 events, begin at 4 orS5 o'clock, an
often it is nearly 3 before the la
Z contest has been run off. Then I'll
a crowd breaks for the exits. dash'
through the babble OF beggars. an
starts toward the city of COLDER
domed churches in automobiles,
auto bus, trarnway, droshky and +
foot. just as ths people did in Il
days Of old when Russia was in h
prime.