Year: 1874




THE CHANTIILY RACES.


CONTRAST BETWEEN RACING IN ENGLAND AND


IN FRANCE-soME NOTABLE PERSONS WHO WERE


AT CHANTILLY-THE FRENCH MODE OF BETTING.
[FRoM AN OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRIBUNEl


PARIS, June III do hope that Bismarck
has not any Of his spies here said French friend as
we drove up to the Northern Railway station yester-
day. to take the train for Chantily "why asked
wondering what Prince Bismarck could have to do with
the French Derby Because" was the reply, seriously
made, "If that abominabe Bismarck we're 10
see oil those splendid eQuipages, these rich
dresses. all these people with pockets full OF
money-in a word, all these signs that France
is still rich cOuntry-he would pick quarrel with us a.
once the hope Of being able 10 ease US OF Few more
mlards." do not know whether any OF the innumer-
able spies, whom all true Frenchmen believe TO pass
lives IN sending reports to Berlin, were present OF
not at ChantilIy yesterday but what am very certain
about is that observant foreigner could help being
struck by the signs OF material prosperity displayed on
the road to the races The carriages and horses were
for the part such one would be ashamed 10
be seen with Central PARK In Rotten Row, and the
toilets Of the ladies such are 10 be seen nowhere
out OF France. -


ANY foreigner who goes To race meeting ct Chantily
cannot help being by the extraordinary contrast
between q French and English or American race
course. Races, whom they are run among Engiish
people, are generally supposed to include certain pro-
portion Of the rowdy element. If In England you DC
Quoted the accessories OF what IS called sport, you
would, In the minds Of nine English racegoers out OF
ten, have deprived racecourse OF half Its charms 10
have no hampers full of all kinds Of food and liquors.
to have no gypses to sing less disreputable
songs in fact TO have absolutely free from
all impropreties except much Is betting inevitably
brings IN It's train would to an ordinary English
man nearly bad having no racing at all Tne race
course of Chantilly with all Its natural ana artncai
surroundings, Is well worth coming many mile to see'
and Yesterday was looking all its best The foliage OF
the forest trees which form the back ground
to the Tribune" as the grand-stand Is
called in France, was moro than usually beautiful
this year account Of the late Spring what lremans
of the stately mansion OF the Condos Ia charming OBJ
ject In the middle distance the bright waters OF the lake
sparkling almost entirely around 1t. The bluo biis OF
the Ose stretch far away behind the house. beautifully
nllng up the background. OF the size Of the grand
Chateau which was destroyed in 1870. we may judge
from its stables which still stand right opposite the
Tribune and are themselves large enough to be the
palace of q sec0nd-rate king


II the landscape is beautiful much can hardly be
said for the spectators yesterday They were dusty ana
generally in O bad humor The stands were 80 utterly
overcrowded that 1t almost impossible to move
There was hardly for them to stand and stare
at the Orleans Princes in the state box. which,
by the way, Is their private property-a fact
which always kept Napoleon III. out OF II. Ihe
Count and Countess OF Paris were present. as
well as the Duke de and the Duke de Chartres
The Count Of Paris looks like Engshman who allows
himself to be dressed by French tailor, and has an
uptdy air In consequence In spite OF his long residence


in England Louis Philppes grandson did not look as II
he cared much about the Tho Duke de Nemours
presented strong contrast to his nephew, who is evil
IDENTIFY ambitious Of being thought citizen OF the world
The Duke NemOurs has been born three centuries too
late he is supposed to resemble Henry w. in personal
appearance, is very proud Of the fact, and
seems to wish he had been born $50
years ago. when there was neither liberty nor
equality OF any kind The hero OF the day was the
Duke do Chartres. He had invited the officers Of his
regiment the 9th Chasscurs to breakfast and French
men that he behaved about as well as any
binary French officer during the war against Germany
The crowd stared the Orleans Princes Just as they
used to stare Napoleon Ill., or at NJ Thers and as
they now do.at Marshal MacMahon whenever he shows
himself.


tits the fashion to talk and write of Frenchmen II
they were the rash and fmprudent OF mortals;
after toleraby long and very intimate acquaintance
with France and its inhabitants. have come TO the
conclusion that, the Frenchman. as general rule, Is
one OF the most siugularly cautious OF m0rtals. At
Chantiy everybody bets as matter OF course; but
whenever you hear stalking more than dollar at
time YOU may be pretty that he is not Frenchman
The faces of the assistants at the great race were
curious study for painter. Few persons had won,
sataree having been left almost entirely out OF the
betting But nobody looked very unhappy and the
fact no doubt was that no Frenchman had lost very
much. When man only stakes very small part OF
his income he looks on his loss very differently from
the wretched being who as too often happens IN Eng
land has staked his all on a race.