27 



•with safety, that there are now about oue hundred known places of 

 sport, or Race Grounds, in the United States, most of which are under 

 the jurisdiction of their own Jockey Club, and subject to its laws. At 

 the majority of these Courses, there are two meetings annually, continu- 

 ing from four to six days each, and races of heats are invariably run, 

 with bat few exceptions, one of which is a single heat of three miles, 

 the last race of every season, over the Washington Course, at Charles- 

 ton, South Carolina. All other races are generally from one to four 

 miles, the horses being graduated to the length of the race. 



Many of these Courses are enclosed, affording thereby much conve- 

 nience to trainers, comfort to spectators, and a greater facility in pre- 

 serving order, besides adding considerably to the splendor of the spec- 

 tacle and to the funds of the Club, without being altogether dependent 

 upon the annual subscriptions of members. 



On these different Courses, the purses offered may be safely set down 

 at one hundred thousand dollars, besides a considerable sum in colt 

 stakes. Here, then, is a large premium given annually, but given for 

 what purpose ? and to whom ? Why, to the promotion of agriculture, 

 and the enrichment of \h.Q farmer ! Who breeds the horses, and, if he 

 does not breed them, who supplies their neighbors with the feed for 

 them, their grooms, stable boys, &c. ? Who but the farmer ! — to him 

 ultimately all the profits must go, whilst others are content only to par- 

 ticipate in the amusement. 



We have harped a great deal upon the fact of the increased value of 

 thorough-bred stock, brought about by racing. We wonder what the 

 people of the olden time would have thought of prcsmij^nces, compared 

 with those they were in the habit of giving. The difference is immense. 

 I will give a proof of it. 



It will be recollected by every one, if, as quaint old Chaucer says, 



" His study was but little of the Bible," 



that King Solomon, on his accession to the throne, could not, in all his 

 glory^ioWow the example of his father David, ?^^o alivays rode a mule — 

 (by-the-bye, the old gentleman once sent this said mule to his distinguished 

 son, offering him a mount to come and see him ; and it is wi'itten that 

 Solomon, to humor the whim of the old gentleman, threiv his ley over 

 the miclc, and went to meet his father) — and it will be further remem- 

 bered, that King Solomon could not stand the manner in which he 

 found the royal troops accoutred and horsed ; therefore, one of the first 

 things we hear of him, on taking the reins of government, or, to use a 



