Feeling Farewell to Earl Grey, Daily Racing Form, 1911-10-04

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FEELING FAREWELL TO EARL GREY. The departure from Canada of the retiring Governor General, Earl Grey, is nowhere viewed with greater regret than in turf circles. Earl Greys unaffected enjoyment of racing has endeared him to patrons of the sport not only in Canada, but in the United States, and the following excerpt from the Toronto Globe, describing the incidents of the closing lay at Woodbine, will be read with appreciation: "The frequent instances of the Governor-Generals Intelligent appreciation of the public interest in the sport of racing were fittingly crowned by his attendance with Countess Grey and suite at Woodbine for the closing day of the Ontario Jockey Clubs autumn meeting. Hie work of preparing for departure from a post and a home that he had occu pled for seven years might well have kept him at the capital, to say nothing of affairs of state, now of more than routine importance, because of the impending change of government. It is characteristic of the consideration for others which has marked his entire stay In Canada that he so arranged his affairs as to extend his patronage to the final event of the Canadian season. His Excellency and suite said good-bye to President Seagram and the Ontario Jockey Club directors after the sixth race, and as their carriages DasSed up the track to the eastern gate there was a remarkable demonstration -of enthusiasm, for the personage who has done so much good for the sport, more, indeed, than can be put into words. The Grenadiers Band played and the crowd sang and cheered. There is keen regret at the passage from his Canadian sphere of activity, and much heart was put into the singing of Auld Lang Syne slightly improvised to suit the occasion. "A descendant of one of the greatest Americans said as he watched the scene from the lawns: How I wisli we had in our great ollices men of such broad gauge and wide sympathies as your Governor-General, who can form his opinions from his own knowledge and experience, and gets at the right aspect of things regardless of clamor or extraneous Influences. It is the curse of our system that our officeholders are always trimming with a view to re election or some personal considerations, and so rarely are permitted to pursue their own convictions, and act according to their consciences. "


Persistent Link: https://drf.uky.edu/catalog/1910s/drf1911100401/drf1911100401_1_4
Local Identifier: drf1911100401_1_4
Library of Congress Record: https://lccn.loc.gov/unk82075800