University of Virginia Library

What is a steeple-chase?

Congress Hall, July 13

Think of a three-mile race over walls, fences, ditches, and
hedges-over the pastures. Think of three John Gilpins flying
like death on a pale horse; think of three fire engines bound
for a fire; think of a mad horse race up the Roman Corso from
porta del populo to the capital during carnival week! Bret Hart's
Chiquita running herself “clean out of her harness” was a “slow
coatch” to the crazy leaping of the steeple-chasers to-day.
Away they went in a three-mile race—“hell to split over the
prairie,” if we may quote from one of the “new departure” poets
—Oysterman ahead and Tammany and Julius neck and neck,
the jockeys flying like frightened Tamershantys.

Now somebody shouts for Oysterman—now lace handkerchiefs
swing, and the tenor voices cry for Julius; then little Tammany
makes a spurt, and, forgetting politics, a dozen hats wave for the
horse whose name has lost its prestige.

“Two to one on Tammany!” shouted the silver-moustached
Fernando Wood, as everybody enthusiastically shook their handkerchiefs.

“No Tammany for me—Tammany has balked in the harness,”
exclaimed the wife of an ex-Congressman, and in a moment
she won a dozen “three buttons” on Oysterman.

The reply was satire boiled down; for the lesson of a city
scourged by two Halls—Tammany and Okey—with their riots
and corruption, was warm in the memory of all.

[ILLUSTRATION] [Description: 628EAF. Page 012. In-line Illustrations. Images of four African-American jockeys.]

JOCKEYS.

Belmont and Harper have been
figuring for the star jockeys for the
Kingfisher-Longfellow race to-morrow.
The venerable John has
succeeded in retaining Bob Swim,
who ran Longfellow to victory at the Branch. Bob is the
smartest jockey in the States. Light, muscular, and as trickey as
Mayor Hall, he is sure to cut across, or through or over, and win
every race. Two years ago he rode Douglass Johnson's Muggins,
capturing the Saratoga cup; then he rode John Harper's Littleton,
at Lexington, Ky., where he was ruled off the track for crossing
another horse's path. Yesterday a little jockey wedged himself
between Bob and the fence, winning a race, which he never
would have won if Bob had not been on probation, and afraid
to squeeze to the boards the impertinent
little rider. But to-morrow,
when $80,000 depends upon the race,
Bob says he'll win if it is the last race
he ever runs.

JAKE.

“Who is to ride the Fisher?” I asked of Mr. Belmont this
morning at the Union.

“Why—Jake, the smartest boy in the world.”

“Who's Jake?”

“Jake is an Island boy,” continued Mr. Belmont. “I got him
pardoned out of the House of Correction. Don't you know
Jake?”—and the red-hot Prussian was as indignant as Bret
Harte's Jim when he said:

“Jake,” said the natty Belmont, “is the brightest boy on the
track. I've got twelve different boys, most of them from “the

Island,” but Jake can steal them all poor. He has the best whip,
the best spurs, and is sure to steal the best place on the track.
But Jake divides with the boys, and they like him. Last summer
he stole two pet chichens from my trainer, and the next day
the little rascal presented him with one of his own chickens all
dressed!

ALBERT.

Major McDaniel's boy, Albert, who rode Oysterman to-day,
is as black as the ace of spades. He is a native Virginian—
raised on the Major's farm. The Major paid $150 for him when
he was three months old—taking his sick mother, who was
thrown in in the bargain. Major McDaniel, who is a plain, blunt
old Virginian, fairly worships the boy, who, in turn, looks upon
the Major as the very Cæsar of the track.

“How long have you been with the Major?” I asked of little
Albert.

“Dun-no; 'rackon it's gwine on twenty years.”

“But, Albert, you're not twenty years old.”

“Wal, I'ze done been with Major Mac all my life. Sometimes
down in Virgin, and sometimes up at the Patterson track
—then over to Nashville and Memphis.”

Like Artemus Ward, whose daughter had been singing the
“Mocking Bird” for three weeks, Albert thought he should like
it—living with the Major.