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ANCIENT AND MODERN ENGLISH BETTING. Not a tithe of the betting takes place on the turf nowadays tiiat existed in what is known as the "Hastings era." The plunging that took place on Hermits Derby has never been equaled in the annals of tie- race. The Marquis of Hastings lost ov.-r 00,000 and Lord Stamford almost as much. Sir Joseph Hawley lost over 50,000 on one bet through backing his horse, The Palmer, against Hermit Cor tiiat amount with the owner of the latter. When Hermit was knocked down to Mr. Chaplin M a curling at the Eltham Stud auction for .MH . C. J. Merry bought the next lot led into the ring for a similar sum. This horse he christened Marksman. He hacked his purchase against that of Mr. Chaplin with that gentleman lor 0,000 in the Blue Ribbon of 1S67, and he lost his wager by tiie narrow margin of a neck. As proof of the paucity of present-day betting it may be mentioned that when the owner of the Lincolnshire Handicap winner of 1900, Ob. won a bet of 0,000 to ,500, it was extensively chron-ieled as a notable bet. Ob again won the same race the following year, strange to relate, and his Franca owners sole wager was 0,000 to §2,000. —London Sportsman.
