The International Monthly, Volume 4, No. 1, August, 1851Various
History
The International Monthly, Volume 4, No. 1, August, 1851
Various
Art, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals; Literature, Modern -- 19th century -- Periodicals; Science -- History -- Periodicals
Amid this wilderness of vagabonds may be seen grouped together at the
further corner of the stand the representatives of the gentlemanly
interest, numbering, as Benson had predicted, about half-a-dozen.
Losing, with his yellow blouse and moustache to match; Tom Edwards, in
a white hat and trousers, and black velvet coat; Harrison, slovenly in
his attire, and looking almost as coarse as any of the rowdies about,
till he raises his head, and shows his intelligent eyes; Bleecker, who
had just arrived; and a few specimens of Young New-York like him.
Benson carries his friend that way, and introduces him in due form to
the Long Islander, who receives him with an elaborate bow. Ashburner
offers a cigar to Losing, who accepts the weed with a nod of
acknowledgment (for he rarely opens his mouth except to put something
into it, or to make a bet), and offers one of his in return, which
Ashburner trying, excoriates his lips at the first whiff, and is
obliged to throw it away after the third, for Charley Losing has
strong tastes, will rather drink brandy than wine, any day, and smokes
tobacco that would knock an ordinary man down.
The stranger glances his eye over the scene of action. A barouche and
four does not differ more from a trotting wagon, or a blood courser
from a Canadian pacer, than an English race-course from an American
"track." It is an ellipse of hard ground, like a good and smooth piece
of road, with some variations of ascent and descent. The distance
round is calculated at a mile, according to the scope of turning
requisite for a horse before a sulky--that being the most usual form
of trotting; for a saddle-horse that has the pole,[6] it comes
practically to a little less; for a harness-horse (especially if to a
wagon) with an outside place, to a little, or sometimes a good deal
more. Around the inclosure, within the track (which looks as if it
were trying hard to grow grass and couldn't), a few wagons, which
obtained entrance by special favor, are walking about; they belong to
the few men who have brought their grooms with them. Harrison's pet
trotter is there, a magnificent long-tailed bay, as big as a
carriage-horse, equal to 2´ 50´´ on the road before that wagon, and
worth fifteen hundred dollars, it is said. Just inside the track, and
opposite the main stand outside, is a little shanty of a judge's
stand, and marshalled in front of it are half a dozen notorious
pugilists, and similar characters, who, doubtless on the good old
principle of "set a thief," &c., are enrolled for the occasion as
special constables, with very special and formidable white bludgeons
to keep order, and precise suits of black cloth to augment their
dignity.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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