Year: 1869

THE COCKNEYs AND THEIR CnRNIvAL


There were some people on the hill and stand at
EPSON yesterday who ventured TO assert that the
attendance was less than usual. and some others
who had survived the pers Of the road held that the
patrons Of that mode Of getting TO the Downs were
falling on year by year. The former opinion stoutly
combat; to the latter, with some msgvings, am
disposed to give in my adherence don't think l
ever.saw such crowd gathered that great Surrey
upland, which Ii almost as famous In the history OF
England battle nelds Of another kind. AS to the
| road, / do beNeve that 1t Is hardly 30 popular
| as 1t was In the days Of my youth, when people
turned up their noses at the very idea Of the rail
| There are classes who even yet, when you can be
landed within five minutes walk OF the race course
for something like half dollar, would think 1t
Dissertation Of the Derby day TO travel over the iron
instead OF the macadamzed high road-the 'swels -
to-wt who go down in the family carriages, or the
| arissOcratc drags the young city men who cannot
| refrain from contemplation Of humanity from the
knife board OF an omnibus, and the humble east
enders IN their family coaches the unassuming
barrows and trucks drawn by the faithful but stub
| born "neddles." However they get over the four
| teen miles that separate the Downs from London
the cockneys will 60 there this particular Wed
nesday OF May, and folks who talk OF the decline OF
the turf are either totally blind to the signs OF the
times or have never been to EPSON. 1t is OF course
| absurd To suppose that any but q small
fraction OF the visitors are attracted
by the love Of sport; for should fancy that con-
| siderable percentage have some difficulty In dis
tngulshing horse from Jackass The Londoners
SIMPLY look on the Derby day as the occasion for
annual wild burst OF enjoyment, when they may be
allowed to run completely loose, throw aside con-
ventiona restraints as rule get drunk indulge
in all sorts OF extravagances, and after spend
ing lot of money. laying the seeds of chronic dys-
pepsa, and, curing immediate headache, once more
becoming respectable citizens for another 364 days.
The British, French humorlst inform the world,
take their pleasures sadly 1t may be SO; but he
either has not seen them on the Derby day or he
has observed as integently as the Illus trous Count
Smorltork. Whatever their conduct generally, on
that particular occasion they take their pleasure
like madmen, OF, to put the case more mildly, they
behave like the warm blood southerns-or Europe,
not America-at carnival time.


THE DERBY AS NATIONAL EVENT.


Though the Londoners care little for the race but
as the excuse for grand burst OF enjoyment
nothing could prove more satisfactorily the intense
love OF the Englishman for horsenesh than the inter-
est taken In this the greatest equine struggle in the
world II is that TO which all our racing during the
whole year leads up, and as the day approaches for
its decision the excitement 1t arouses hardly,
l should think be fully appreciated by foreigner.
The sporting community, pure and simple, is q
comparatively small fraction Of the populations; but
1t s wonderful to observe how their spirit pervades
the entire nation. IL Is more than twelve months
since betting commenced on the great event which,
after one of the most magnificent contests record
was won yesterday by Pretender From that time
the interest In the result as favorite after
favorlte triumphed or was ''bowed over" In the
successive races Of minor Importance, such as the
Champagne at Doncaster, the Middle Park Plate and
Criterion at Newmarket, the City and suburban and
a Newmarket
results OF these struggles have been eagerly watched
and commented on by the public at large the won
derfu market changes they occasoned nave been
everywhere canvassed, and the sums OF money
that have been invested on various candidates
People who would be ashamed even to talk OF horse
racing at other times are caught deep In the con-
ana sporting journals grave parsons lawyers with
heads stuffed full OF cases, merchants who can only
are are not ashamed as the last week OF May lap ap.
proachss, to ask their sons and nepnews what
BET q shilling during the rest OF the year
now send their soverelgns to the commission agents
There Is not club, or government ONCE, or mercsn
tile establishment, or workshop IN London, perhaps
from half q crown upwards. In defiance OF the
police betting Is carried on to fabulous extent In
before the race the sporting fraternity ar are set ali
agog with the Derby, and for weeks prior to the
great day the general public give the goby to every


THE DEPARTURE FROM TOWN.


Deep was the anxiety felt oil over London on
Tuesday night with regard to the weather which
was far from reassuring. Rain fel for hours In
torrents, and many looked forward to afternoon
such as those on which Daniel ORourke and Maca-
ron won the EPSON far from being pleasant
place wet day, for on those uplands II can rain
with will and muslins, and white petticoats and
generally look far from comfortable when thoroughly
soaked and covered with mud. The morning was
not calculated to dispe anxiety, for the cold was
such az TO give rise To misgivngs that should
the race In terrific snow storm, as We DID when
eye. Nothing daunted however, the sight-seers
went on by theiI respective routes In the deyilmay
warded by OF the most glorious afternoons with
which we were ever favored on the Surrey Hills.


THE ROAD AND ITS HUMoRs.


Though as have said the procession to the course
could have discovered the fact until assembingat Ep-
som. They observed that the gathering OF carriages
showed a percepuble falling on Az an early |
hour OF the morning the bumbler class
brought out OF hospital for the day, the eggsheke
pony phaeons ALL in fact that ran the greatest risk
OF coming TO grief were on their way through the |
pleasant lanes that lead from the southwest district
OF London. AS time went on and people began TO get
feverish as 10 the chance Of seeing the race the cav
alcade swelled In ITS proportions until IL un.
broken limo OF conveyances OF the most heteroge- |
neous kind that reached almost from the outskirts
OF the metropolis to the course ITSELF The weather
being charmlng-for the clouds had now broken up |
into bright, summer-like cumuli, through which the
sun streamed In all his gory-the travellers INDUCED
In all the extravagances with which experience has
made us so familiar. Sport commenced as soon as
they got into gody Clapham, wnen the peashooers /
were brought out Of their pockets and broughtInto
vigorous use, false noses were donned, salutes were
exchanged with the servant maids who peered out |
OF all the windows along the road chan was hurled |
at the dowagers and sexagenarians enjoying the |
pleasant warmth In their front gardens, and kisses |
were waited to all the boarding school misses peer
ing over the walls OF their establishments. Cockney
humor is rather same aud tame, and It would weary |
your readers To tell them OF all the mad pranks In
which the travellers indulged they passed along
those glorious lanes, overshadowed by the hickest
foliage, bordered by fresh green hedges and casting
up not particle OF dust TO mar the enjoyment OF |
the procession.


THE ROUTE BY RAIL.


Very many thousands OF holiday makers preferred |
TO journey down by one or other OF the three lines
OF rail- and the commotion they caused at the vari
Gus stages was tremendous. Scores OF trans |
despatched from each at intervals OF ten minutes;
but, Notwithstanding the crowded state OF the rals
they were sent out without soppage without acct
dent II Is estimated that upwards OF 200 people
were taken down by the different companies; but |
there was no incident TO which Il is necessary to |