92 RACEALONG 



FROM GAY TO GRAVE 



It is rather unusual for a fair ground or race track 

 to be purchased for a cemetery. As a rule the growth 

 of towns or cities result in streets being opened 

 through the property and homes or factories cover 

 the land which was at one time devoted to racing. 

 That is, however, what happened at Clinton, Mass. 

 in 1929 when John E. Thayer sold the fair ground 

 and race track to St. Johns Church which will dis- 

 mantle the buildings and add the land to its 

 cemetery. 



A proceeding of this kind was recorded at New 

 Orleans many years ago. In the ante-bellum days the 

 crescent city had one of the finest race courses in 

 America. Its name was linked with the Fashion and 

 Union courses on Long Island, New York, while its 

 equipment was superior to the old time race grounds 

 in Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, or Mississippi. 



The name of the Metairie Course at New Orleans 

 still at times appears in print. It was there that 

 Lecomte defeated Lexington in 1854 in the only 

 race the latter lost while Lexington also made the 

 three mile record over it. 



This course was controlled by the Louisiana 

 Jockey Club, an organization which included in its 

 membership many southern planters, a few of which 

 bred and raced horses, as well as a number of gentle- 

 men in New Orleans. Some of these were what would 

 now be called high rollers. They bet heavily on the 

 races as well as in the games which were run in the 



