MY FIRST VISIT TO THE DERBY.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2674, 31 August 1889, Page 6 (Supplement)

MY FIRST VISIT TO THE DERBY.

(By Max o'Rri.i. ) Thouh I have spent ](i years in England I hii'i never sf en ii the Derby until to-day. Can their be in the whole world such u rlirty, hootinir, swearing, brazen-throated foul-mouthed crowd to be seen ? And I am told that things are vastly improved, and the scenes to be witnessed to-day ,ire no match for tho Derbya of Auld fjniiyr Syno ! And what a roud ! From Westminster we drove over a route strewn thick with bills, paper debris, advertisements of fusees, advertisements of the Gospel tent to bo found on the course, with orange peelings, coooanut shells, empty bottles. Tho only redeeming feature in the whole thing seemed to me the treatment of horses, the care with which they were driven, and at intervals, along the road rubbed down, watered and refreshed. On the course I saw a man furiously driving and whipping a poor horse which had unfortunately got into his fiiimpaiiy, quite set upon, by an indignant crowd that looked likely to make a very good amateur K.S.P. A. The working man is no doubt better aware than anyone who talks to him of humanity to his horse, that it paye to treat the animal well. Looking at the way iu which he is often found treating his wife, the extra gentleness extended to Dobbin may arise from shrewdness. Or is it something else ? A fellowfeeling makes us wondrous kind. In the carts, cars, shandrydans that I passed on the road, there were three distinct types of face ; the bull dog, the fish, and tho sheep. What an unlovely company occupied each cart, with its layer or two of men iu front, and all the women (the females, I should rather sav) stowed away behind in true British fashion. Where there was an appareut absence of anv linen on the persons of the men, there was an extra display of ostrich feathers on the wonderful hats ef the women. As the various vehicles discharged their cargoes some truly amasing toilettes that had been blushing comparatively unseen, in the carts on th« way down, now joined the general jarring and swearing. One, noted carefully in detail, will give an idea of many, though I doubt if it could have been outshone on the whole course. Dress of sapphire blue silk, covered to the waist with beaded frills ; a gigantic hat of crimson velvot surrounded by ti wide band of irold l.ice, and further adorned with a long and brood encircling plume of dazzling apple-green hue. The finishing touch was put on this attire by a train of black luce, which started from tho waist and trailed a yard behind its wearer. Just after witnessing the check in the career of the Jehu whom the crowd took in hand for lashing his horse, I stumbled upon a female (ight. Two enraged creatures with fine feathers and foul tongues wore in the thick of a quarrel which they evidently intended to settle on the spot. No interference here. On the contrary, hearty encouraging cries from the male by-standors of " Go it, old gal ; I'll 'old yer 'lit," and other evidences of tho absence of any intention to spoil sport. The main business of the d*y ou the downs is evidently eating, drinking, and getting photographed. I will venture to doubt whether a half of the people who flocked to Epaom on Derby day see a horee race. Horseplay there was of course iu plenty. Is it not an invariable accompauiunt of every British holidaymaking in which the masses take part ? On the whole, however, it must be admitted that it was a good-tempered crowd, rough and rowdy, but not riotous, ridiculous and dirty, but with hero and thare a diverting touch, such as the impromptu foot-bath of an individual who removed the dnst from his boots by calmly swilling a pail of water over them. To fun pure and simple tho neirest approach seemed to bo tho wearing of a big bounet by a man. How the cockney loves a holiday and how he will toil at taking it ! It would be hardto say wherein the pleasure of the Derby lay for tho six fellows whom I noted going down with a hand cart. I say with, for only four of them were upon it, No. 5 was in the shafts, and No. 6 pushed behind. Where they had joined the stream I caunot of course say, but when we passed them they wore ou the Epsom side of Tooting, and with baskets on board were clearly enough bound for the course, if not for tho grand stand. To one who goes to minglo in the crowd and not to look on from tho grand stand, the impression left is not a pluas.iufc or cheerful one. I returned h*inu feeling that if horse racing was instituted for the improvement of tho equine race, it has certainly not conduced much to the improvement to the human one.