Year: 1874

lions. In letter ne gives ms view OF
the return from the great Derby race
as follows:


The great Derby was over. The event
of the year had gone to be numbered
with the past, and thousands of pounds
were lost and won, and thousands of
expectations realized and blasted.


And after that the enormous throng
of people with their twenty thousand
vehicles began to look about for the
home start, and from that time until
near midnight the huge army was in
motion.


Many hundreds of people heS come
to EPSON by the cars to-day, who had
previously gone by road. On this day
there can be no class distinctions in the
trains-the greasy and dirty and pro-
fame crowd in with the clean, the up
right and the decent but the dust of
the road is so binding and strangulat-
ing that many ran the risk of indecent
language and purified breaths to get
rid of the dust.


But it had rained the night before,
and the road out was as free of dust as
the kitchen of New England farm
house. Yet many of the gentlemen
taking the road had provided green
wells which were idly twisted about
their black and white hats, and added
a picturesque effect to the scene.


.s If the drive out was season of gaiety,
the drive in was grand carnival.
t. The frolic now became more definitely
boisterous. Each of the drags and
many of the omnibuses were provided
with bugles. Scores of men had taken
on false noses and whiskers, or adorned
themselves with little dolls of pliable
limbs which they worked in all direc-
tions, according as their taste suggested
or the occasion seemed to demand.
These dolls were stuck in their hat
bands, pinned to their breasts, or held
in the hand. I do not doubt that there
were at least five thousand OF them on
the line homeward. It is an odd con-
ceit; but crowds are given to odd con-
ceits. N-...


There was also another feature to
the procession which was not quite so
harmless as that of the dolls. 1t was
the pea-shooters with which the outside
passengers had provided themselves,
and busily used on passing fellows to
the great danger of their eye sight,
| We finally got away from the grounds
and took our place as particle in the
mass which was rapidly melting off and
escaping through the channel of the
highway to London.


The road was thronged, frequently
blocked, and at no time passable OF a
greater speed than walk.


But the chatting, and flying peas,
and convulsive dolls continued without
abatement.


We branched off to another road for
relief, but succeeded only in reaching
another and equally strong current Of
leather, flesh and wood, and jumping
into it at the first opening our gaily
colored van was swept along with the
| current.


What jolly, rollicking crowd was
that. How they huzzaed and sung, and
laughed, and chaffed their neighbors
and villagers, and sounded their bugles.


Every one of the numerous villages
of brick and cobble we passed through
contributed it's enthusiastic witnesses
to the pageant, and as we rolled through
the paved and narrow high street we
were saluted from every door and win
dow and saluted in return with a vigor
that showed there was nothing small
about us.


Old men in the procession whooped
with the rest. Middle-aged and fesEy
women resting back in their cors shook
sandwiches and vegetables at their
turbulent fellows. While others mount
ing their handkerchiefs on their sticks
swung them to the breeze, or waved
wine bottles and wine glasses above
their heads.


Men, women and children in the
carriage, on the walk, or in the window
threw kisses, winks, amorous glances
and rather broad innuendoes at each
other with freedom that was appalling
to stranger.
Some of the ladies looking over gar


den walls or from lattice windows die


not seem to appreciate the delicate at


tentions spooney young men we're level
ing at them from the top of the passing
busses and drags, but others answered
back as cordially as was sent to the m
: Here and there on the green turf b,
the road side, a family had drawn VI


their trap, and with a white cloth be
fore them, had spread out tempting
meal and were doing ample justice tt
it. Cutting, chewing, drinking ant
: shouting in one breath.


Here in a garden to public house
in front of which were stamping an(
noisy crowd of men and horses, wer
. long tables hastily set, with scores o
' our fellow travellers taking tea, ale
l wine and sandwiches as coolly and O
: calmly as if the road, which q hedg
9 separated from them, was not tremblin,
: beneath the weight of an uproariou
9 Derby crowd.


1 It was nine o'clock, and we wer
/, three hours on the road, but yet we hat
j not come into London.


: All about were broad, green fields
U acres of smooth turf and beautiful
park, hedges and gardens, blossoms an,
s scents, cottage and hall.


Q The roar of the multitude grew i


magnitude. Imagine hundred an


fifty thousand people bent on having
: fun, and hurting nobody, let leose o.
n two noble highways, and you get a
n idea of the society found myself in.
! 1t was such a good-natured throne
s and so susceptible to sensation. ]
= laughed at hedge, screamed at a tree
Q shouted at cloud, and roared at
l. breeze.