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COLUMBIAS BIGGEST CROWD CONDITIONS AT SOUTH CAROLINA COURSE CONTINUE TO IMPROVE. Public Experiencing Marked Success in Picking the Winners Officials After the Rough Riders Hotels Crowded with Racing Folk. Columbia, S. C. December 5. Todays attendance w;ts the banner one of the meeting. Those present included many ladies, who took advantage of the i!;tni:igcii:onts liberality in affording them free Ist isKion. Souvenir programs were given to all the I,;dit.. Contenders of lietter caliber than hitherto . rveil to promote interest and furnished a good brand f s,iort. Many of the finishes were close and the -nit ntion keen from barrier rise. Steward Nathai-; :u s presence in the stand has instilled a romarkabe degree of public confidence and betting throughout l ie afternoon was of liberal volume. Seven bookmakers were in line this afternoon and the prospects arc il.at there will be an increase of two tomorrow. Tin bitting was again conducted under a big circus t :;t, which will have to do service until the coin-1 It tion of the new betting shed. The public again I r Sited well, as all the winners were well backed, hKimliiig Ianl Davis, the longest-priced winner of T lit afternoon. Hjc opening race nearly brought a big upset when Republican, an overwhelming favorite, was put to it bard test and just escaped being defeated by Fan-cliitte. In the second. Belle Clem rewarded a big 1 :m wt-ll following by making good in handy fashion over an outsider, Moltke, with Oakley iu third p!,i e. There was much crowding in this nice shortly after the barrier rise, due to the starting of more hjrsos than was room for on the narrow track at tUis point. Jockey Skirvin was a sufferer from the isierference. As a result of the limited room at i.i slx-furlongs iioiiir. Steward Nathauson will recommend that only eight starters be permitted in these races, liertis. which was sold by J. L. Bryan t J. E. Sheldon following the horses last start, made good for his new owner by taking the third race from J. II. Iiarr. E. W. Moore took his first purse of the meeting when iaul Davis showed the way throughout in the I fourth raiv. Suregets victory in the fifth race li.cti d bis owner, William Gerst. nothing, as lie was Ivnncetl 03 over his entered price of 00, II. Ipirttscbell, owner of Fort Worth, which iinished soc-ji:d, doing the bidding. The closing race went to Ella Bryson. Incidentally it furnished jockey C. Turner with his second winning mount of the day, lie having scored a former : access on Sureget. The judges served notice today on the riders here r.sat Infractions of the rules relating to foul riding v. juld be dealt with severely. The track is narrow i its widest point, in comparison with other courses itr.d the officials intend to employ extra precautions to avoid accidents. The horses of N. B. Davis are due to arrive from Latonia tomorrow. Jockey McGovern was suspended for live days by the starter for disobedience at the post. The program book for next weeks racing was distributed to horsemen today. Late comers are experiencing diiliculty in finding a commodatlons, the hotels be.ing crowded. Several bookmakers now in New York have signified their intentions of joining the layers here and 1 r bably will post prices by next Saturday. Jockey Skirvin, who had the mount on O. Co. E.. was crowded against the fence while making the tarn out of the backstretch and the lads leg was verely bruised. Young Skirvin was advised not to rloe for the remainder of the afternoon, but he pluckily filled his engagements and won the fourth r..ce with Iaul Davis. Four horses, the property of Catesby Woodford, arrived from Lexington this morning and were un adid iu good condition. Every stall on the grounds .s now occupied and applications from several horse-isk ii have lieen turned down. Che Beverwyck Stable is due to arrive from Nor-f k tomorrow. Sidney Cohen joined the ranks of the layers this afternoon, making a total of seven books in line. A gid crowd was present and speculation was report- ii heavier than on any previous day of the meeting. T ere has been a steady improvement here since the opening day and it looks as if the meeting will be I lotitable for the management. A steeplechase course is being constructed, and three of the jumps have been located on the old l.ilf-niile track in the intield. The fences will lie of the regulation height and this brand of sport is ex-pe -ted to prove a strong drawing card with the local I uple. There are a numlier of good jumpers here .aid several cross-country riders.
