548 



NEW ENGLAKD FARMER. 



Dec 



One o'clock, P. M. The grounds of the Exhi- 

 bition, this forenoon, have been crowded with vis- 

 itors. The number of visitors to-day far exceeds 

 that of yesterday. Every train of cars that come 

 in, adds largely to the crowd and it is expected 

 that the inhabitants of the city will, out of cour- 

 tesy, be tempted to move out and abandon the 

 town to the strangers. The extra train from Bos- 

 ton arrived at half-past 11 o'clock, with seventeen 

 cars ; trains from other directions, are in like pro- 

 portion. 



The exercises of the day commenced at 9 

 o'clock with the display of Matched Horses. 

 There were 18 pairs exhibited, some of which were 

 very excellent. This was followed by the exhibi- 

 tion of Colts. Some good animals were shown. 

 There were about 20 three-year olds, and about 

 the same number of younger colts. It is worthy 

 of notice, that the colts were all of the Morgan or 

 Black Hawk breeds. Next came the exhibition 

 of Fancy Matched Horses, with the testing of 

 3p38l. Mujh interest was felt in this portion 

 of the day's proceedings, and some truly beauti- 

 ful teams went over the course. 



Second Day — contintjed. 



Springfield, Thursday, 6 P. M. 



This afternoon's exercises upon the Society's 

 grounds have comprised the exhibition of Stallions, 

 between the ages of 4 and 7 years, and geldings of 

 all ages. Of the former class, there were 27 upon 

 the ground, and of the latter, 108. The whole 

 was interspersed with trials of speed in the ring. 

 But few of the horses are timed, and consequently 

 it is not known how fost the generality of the ani- 

 mals are. 



The scene to-day has been most enlivening. The 

 seats for spectators, which will accommodate about 

 4000, have been filled, a large proportion being la- 

 dies. The enthusiasm which is quickly created for 

 a particular horse, is one of the most curious fea- 

 tures. A favorite horse is greeted with most up- 

 roarious shouts, while the "slow coach" is hooted 

 and hissed, and driven from the track. 



I have been much interested in witnessing the 

 operations of the groomsmen. The care they be- 

 stow upon these dumb creatures is truly wonderful. 

 It is a consolation to know that even if the horses 

 are hard pressed in the ring, they are cared for 

 with far more assiduity than the drivers, some of 

 whom, it is not too much to say, labor as hard as 

 the horse. The operations of the grooms brought 

 to mind the lines of Byron : 



"The Cossack Prince rubbed down his horse, 



And made for him a leafy bed, 



And srnooth'd iiis fetlocks and his mane, 

 And slack'd his girth, and stripp'd his rein, 

 And joyed to see how well he fed. 



****** 

 That steed from sunset until dawn 

 His chief would follow like a fawn." 



It is astonishing, particularly to the uninitiated, 

 how many good points every horse possesses in the 

 view of the owner. Every owner of a horse claims 

 that his horse is as fast as any other horse, that he 

 has as much action, and as good bottom. For the 

 time being, every spectator is a connoisseur in horse 

 flesh, and the claims of the different animals are 

 canvassed with as much acumen as though they 

 were ' ' thorough bred' ' horse jockies. Every horse 

 has its friends, and it willnot be their fault if the 

 value of their proteges is not doubled before they 

 leave the city. 



Third Day. 



Friday Morning—^ A. M. 



The heavens certainly smile propitiously on this 

 Exhibition, for the third and most important day 

 has broke with every indication of beautiful weath- 

 er. The sun is coming up, people are pouring in- 

 to town on foot, in carriages and by the early 

 trains, and people who did not go to bed at all last 

 night, are turning up from every chair, sofa, and 

 resting place in town. The crowd yesterday was 

 past all calculation, and it will be far surpassed 

 to-day. 



The exercise will be much more exciting to-day 

 than on either of the three previous days. In fact, 

 to-day is the exhibition, as the preceding operations 

 have been merely preliminary. At half-past eight a 

 race against time will take place, on the following 

 terms : A Vermont horse, owned in this vicinity, 

 if able to trot around the track twice in three min- 

 utes—just a mile — then the owner takes $2000 for 

 his horse ; if he fails, the owner forfeits $5 to the 

 Society. 



The grand scene of all takes place this morning, 

 at 9 o'clock, being the grand entree and procession 

 of all the horses. The combined circuses in Christ- 

 endom could not present a scene that would com- 

 pare with it. There will also, during the day, 

 he exhibitions of the bst animals of the different 

 classes, and if there are any horses of extraordinary 

 merit present, they will be found out to-day. The 

 grand banquet, for which great preparations are 

 making, also takes place this afternoon. 



At 8 o'clock a salute of cannon announced that 

 the grounds of the society were opened, and the 

 people immediately began to . congregate. At 9 

 o'clock, when the bell rung for the exercises of the 

 day to commence, there were more people on the 

 ground than at the same time on any previous day. 

 Fully one-half of the people upon the seats — which 

 will accommodate from 4 to 5000 — were ladies, who 

 during the whole exhibition have continued to man- 

 ifest the deepest interest in all the proceedings. 



The first thing was the grand entree and proces- 

 sion of all the horses. It is impossible to give an 

 idea of the magnificence of this scene. There were 

 at this time, not less than 10,000 people on the 

 ground, and the curveting, prancing, wheeling, 

 neighing, dancing of the 500 gallant steeds all at 

 once in the ring, and all mirrored in the moving 

 beams of a bright October sun, formed a scene 

 worthy the pen of a Waverley. The celebrated 

 description of " the field of the cloth of gold," 

 would be as appropriate to the present occasion as 

 it was to the scene it so vividly pictures. The pro- 

 cession was led off by the celebrated horses " Oas- 

 sius M. Clay," and "John Anderson." After 

 them came the whole number of gallant steeds, — 



" A thousand horse— and men to ride — 

 With flowing tail and flying mane — 

 A thousand horse, the wild, the free, 

 Like waves that follow o'er the sea." 



Everything about th-e horses was worthy of 

 study. To the lover of the horse as an animal — 

 and I confess myself to that weakness — the dilated 

 nostril, the eye of fire, the quick moving ear, the 

 arched neck " clothed with thunder," tiie flanks 

 all flecked with foam from the champing bit, the 

 mottled skin, the fiery action of the proud an- 

 imals, gave the true idea of the nobility of the 

 horse. But again, there Avere other features 

 worthy of attention. The horses were few of 



