An American On English Racing., Daily Racing Form, 1909-05-14

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AN AMERICAN ON ENGLISH RACING. New York. May i::.--Here is another amusing description of English race track action, from the Heralds American Race-IJoer: "The second spring meeting at Kl st ■■lilt began Tuesday with a burst of sunshine, warm weather mid good spirils. Those who wore overcoats were lial-iast.il with regret all the afternoon. There was quite a large attendance, but not a big crowd. ""Among those present was King Edward, in a brown bowler hat and a gtav suit of clothes that dl. lift tit him any too well. Look. said a distress* il English woman, pointing to the kings back, theres a wrinkle. Now isnt that a shame." •"lie- king came down by automobile and spent most of the time sitting on the sleps in the bib eiielo lire. He looked very browned and well after lis two months trip on t|ie eon linen I. Captain Bred and several other persons accompanied hhm. "It wa. amusing to hear the new ones — the first tril | ers -and the American tourists point out several thieh set. short men with white whiskers, as the king. "A man by the name of Thompson, who is a shoe merchant in New York, was the favorite. At least nine out of every tin Americans present left alter staring at him with the idea they had been looking at the king. "As a matter of fact, the king was the least stared at of all those in the place. That is the Lnglish custom, and a very nice one. too. ""His majesty, when not posing us the king, is ignored, lie goes to races ns a private citizen and is not embarrassed by a curious, gaping, rubber necking crowd. " Even kings have feelings, von know, and dont like to be looked out of countenance." said Edward lioss. of Flushing. N. Y. When I told him that the man a few feet beiiind him was the king of ireat Britain, emperor of India and defender of the faith. Boss didnt even turn around. lie is a typical American, but not a first tripper or pestilential tourist. "In the paddock I met E. S. Willard. This. said he. waving his hand round the enclosure where Unhorses were being shown, should be the resort of novelists. It is the home of fiction. "In the second race American money was largely up on Mark Twain, for sentimental reasons. Sil.v fool. said Jim Hughes, of Denver, as he tore up some Mark Twain tickets. Ive heard Mark Twains drawl and I should know that any horse named after him would simidv walk round the track. Mark never talked faster thin ten words a minute or went faster than two miles an hour. That bet was no joke with me though. Talk about "Innocents Abroad." Im one. "In a compartment with me on the train back to London was an American from Hartford. Conn. He was chewing tobacco, and conspicuously displayed on the wall of the car was a sign which said: "Spitting prohibited. Two pounds fine for the lirst offense, five "omuls for a subsequent offense." My countryman from Hartford expectorated to the value of about ,000 before we reached London, but I didnt see him pay any fine."


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1900s/drf1909051401/drf1909051401_1_3
Local Identifier: drf1909051401_1_3
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800