"ALIEN'S" LETTER FROM ENGLAND.

Otago Witness, Issue 2785, 31 July 1907, Page 75

"ALIEN'S" LETTER FROM ENGLAND.

(Specially Written for the Witness Ladies' Page.)

THE DERBY, 1907.

With the- return of the Queen to London society is crowned. . Her unfading beauty, her unfailing grace, still keeps Alexandra the ideal of what a Queen should be to look upon — the fairy princess of the story-book who never grows old, never loses her charm.' And grouped about Queen Alexandra ace some of the most -beautiful of England's women — women, some, of them, that it would b& worth going a long way to see, even if they were not set in.' the brilliance of the Court. This week her Majesty's presence j has graced many functions, but the great historical racing event, the Derby, where so many outsiders gei a glimpse of her," lost her presence through the rain. The morning of Derby- Day. was as unlike the proverbial English "day of j June" as it could pojeibly make itself, j At 10 o'clock in the morning rain, was i pouring in torrents from a black sky, and many a "dream" of lace and muslin and chiffon was laid by with, a sigh for "the selection of garments more durable. And ■ the aggravating part of the weather was that when Epsom Downs were reached' the sun shone brilliantly, and thousands who carried rainproof coats and umbrellas before the day was over revised the proverb that "discretion is the better of valour." To these who had no discretion in. the selection of ci>th«s was awarded the prize. But the scene lacked the brilliance and, colour of last year, when the great downs simply blazed like- a flower^ garden with parasols and dresses of every hue, although it was a stirring and brilliant scene nevertheless. Great disappointment was felt that the first lady of tie land was not present,' but the royal party was a large one. The King is never known to absent himself from the great national event. The Prince and Princess of Wales were present, also Prince Arthur of Connaughtt, Princess Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein, the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, Prince Christian," the Duke and Duchess of Conraught, and many others.The Princess of Wales looked charming in pale green. A great many notable people occupied' the private stands, and here the chesses were very pretty ; in the paddock the colours of the Indian officers composing the King's bodyguard stood out picturesquely. , In the great general crowd were all sorts and conditions of people : people who went to the races simply tcf see tbsm — and of this class there are v more every year, and who at an eairly hour take their place at the rails of the course, and stand there all day. apparently oblivious of all the omer interests of the course and their own personal need of food. These thousands never leave their vantage-ground, while behind a crowd 10 or 12 d&ep line either side of the great course. Back of that the downspread far — a vast picnic ground, where my Jord entertains on his coach and the beggar feasts by charity. The caravan of the gipsy is turned into a waiting Toom. for those who cannot participate in the shelter of the stands. No one who can should miss seeing a Derby. It represents all classes of society taking holiday together. Usually the various classes are divided by the impassable barriers of social distinctions. ~ At Epsom and all along its road the aristocrat and the nobody, the artist and the vulgarian, the princess and 'Arriet are within seeing, if not touching, distance of each other. The real and the shoddy are clcse enough for comparison — elegance and inelegance contrasted. The tall, slender forms of fine ladies, who owe to artists in clothes and culture so much of th^ir grace, are in rivalry in the public eye with the gipsy's rude health and beauty. Yet the duchess and the peasant girl, kings, rulers, princesses and ambassadors, the country yokel, the betting man, the bookmaker and the reformer, the anaemic, narrow-shoul-dered, flat-chested city clerk, the down-at-heel gentleman and the ne'er-do-weel, the pompous magnate and the ticket-of-leave man, the scarlet woman and the puritan are all caught up and carried along in one great common wave of tragic emotion as the fleet-footed horses, shoulder to shoulder, strain to the winning-post of the, Derby, and in that roar from a hundred thousand typical throats, whose voice of life has 10,000 .different truths to tell, one great mingled voice of enthusiasm is hare: abave ar.d below the tra-g&ly. of a losk>g favourite- is the acclafm of common humanity for 6trife and victory. . i Afterward, when the great contest is over, the clowns and merry-jo-rounds, the people who lunch magnificently, and those who drink beer instead of champagne sort themselves out again and enjoy their varied and distinct idea of amusement. Released from the spell of the contest the individual is himself again, to face loss- or gain individually. This year the Derby -was won by an American, Mr Richard Croker, whose winner, Orby,. was refused the Newmarket training ground, and whom, its owner took to Ire-land for braining, so that England has had very little to do with this year's Derby. There was, naturally, great rejoicing among the, Americans, not only those at Epsom, but among all in London, and. at the big hotels and restaurants, that night were dinners 'and suppers of congratulation. Cornflowers and cornflower blue, Mr Croker's colours, were the favourite colours with the ladies, and the flowers themselves were at a premium. Telegrams from New York poured into London, but in London the Derby was .not a popular win. The man of the day is described thus : Except for a buttonhole of blue cornflowers — his racing colours — and a certain levity in gloves Mr Richard Croker in the unsaddling enclosure o-fter the Derby,

Ireoeiiing congratulations on a memorable victory, rather suggested a square peg of t parochial sobriety in a round hole of public I rejoicing. J An elderly man of medium, height, impassive of feature, with close-cropped grey beard, black clothes, and large black tie, he by no means realised the popular conception of an owner of a Derby winner. Anywhere else the ex-Tammany ohaeftain might easily have been mistaken for a Primitive Methodist deacon getting an insight into racing life— except for those gloves. These rather weakened the illusion, and when, after endleas handshaking, He lit a cigar with the nonchalance of an old hand the illusion vanished completely. - It was a. picturesque) and dramatic Derby. Its picturesqueness was all on the surface for everybody to see, but the dramatic aspect of it was recognised only by racing men. ■ What gave it this character wasv the action of the Jockey Club stewards in refusing a few years ago to allow Mr Croker's horses • to" be , trained at Newmarket. He bought three expensive yearlings, giving nearly £10,000 for them. At the time his horses I were trained at his place in Berkshire, but r for Borne reason he sent these three costly I youngsters to Newmarket, and almost imme- [ -diately the Jockey Club , stewards ordered i them to be removed out of the sacred pre- ' cincts of the heath. [ Mr Croker naturally wanted to know the reason for this action, and applied to the stewards for an explanation. This, when it came, proved to be no explanation, only a reminder that the training grounds of Newmarket were the private property of the club, and that no one was allowed to use them without first rceiving permission. " I am directed by the stewards (continued the epistle) to inform you that they do not wish you to have your horses trained at Newmarket." There the matter ended. Mr Croker removed himself and his horses to Ireland, vowing he would never again run anything in England, and a considerable time elapsed ere he broke through his resolution. Curiously en.ough, one of the stewards in that year was Colonel E. W. Baird, the owner, of Woodwinder, who finished second to Mr Croker's horse yesterday, and was thought by many people unfortunate not to beat him. The Jockey Club stewards are the stewards at Epsom, and many other members of the club witnessed the triumph of Orby. Mr Croker's emotions would have been worth listening to, but he said nothing on the point. He took his success as calmly as though winning Derbys were a habit with him. " I expected to win, I have won, and I am delighted," sums up his remarks. Somebody during the handshaking said he would soon want a new arm. "Ah," he re- ; plied, " I got used to that sort of thing years ago." It was the twelfth Earl of Derby, when a young man, who founded the now historic race, in 1780, called after himself. I cull some interesting notes from the Daily Mail : The guaranteed value of the Derby is £6500. Since 1901 the race has been won five times by American jockeys — only once by an English jockey. The time record was created by Spearmint in 2min 36 2-ssec, an average speed of 17 yards per second. The slowest race was in 1856 — time, 3min 4sec. The record price for a Derby winner was made by Flying Fox— bought by M. Blanc at auction from the late Duke of Westminster's stud for £39,375. The outsider at long prices has often won the Derby. Hermit, in 1867, won at 66 and Jeddah at 100 to 1. Nine horses have won at 20 to 1. The most remarkable bet on record was made in Blink Bonny's Derby, when Black Tommy came in a very close second. A bookmaker laid £20,000 to -the owner's coat, waistcoat, and hat, and nearly lost it. Gambling on the Derby id, by comparison, almost extinct. In 1867 Mr Chaplin was reported to have won olose on £140,000 with Hermit, while the Marquis of Hastings paid out £103,000. Hermit was bought by Mr Chaplin for 1000 guineas, an investment that was reckoned to have brought him in something like £200.000. There have been two deadlieats in the Derby. In 1884 the owners of St. Gatien and Harvester divided the honour and the stakes. Curiously enough, one of these horses was afterwards so d for £14,000, and the other for 830 gum-eas. In 1839 the Derby was run in a snowstorm, and the 1904 race is known as the " thunderstorm " Derby. . So that in the matter of weather the • Derby of 1907 is not the worst on record, j for the afternoon turned out beautifully i fina and sunny, and all aJong the road home Londonwards the occupants of motor car, carriage, cart, etc., could enjoy without dust the fragrant evening air-. In the going out one observer noted in, five minutes, at Kennington Gate, the traffic • that -passed was 40 char-a-bancs, 30 wag- , gonettes, two coaches, four omnibuses, eight motor care, three taximos, and 12 cylists. Multiply this by several hours, and some idea, will be gained of the traffic jbj road ! By rail, before noon, front Victoria to Ep6om alone £5000 had been taken :in fares for 12,000 passengers. At London I Bridge £7651 was taken, while in the specials 50,000 people travelled. That does i not include the big contingent that go j down the day Before with carts and vans ! mor the hundreds who tramp during the I night ; nor, again, dc>es this include the j hundreds who live close by or have taken j houses near for the Epsom season. Some thousands of Americans made the journey down to Epsom. This men, alI most without exception, wore slouch felt ' hats and lounge suits, while the women had on motor cape and mackintoshes ; and, with the exception of those who lived at Epsom or stayed there entertaining or entertained, all the vast multitude poured back into town in the evening. "Back from the Derby" might surely make a : realistic subject for a great artist. In the morning all go out smilingly and hopeful, and, according to class, more or less trim and smart. The return journey reveals many a pale and haggard face, and among the lower orders tawdry finery dishevelled, faces brutal and repellant, and among the pandemoniums of noise, the hoot of the motor and grind of wheel, the loud song

and shrill laughter of the drunken. Yet, withal, many an one is gay '* with innocent merriment" and the halt along the road is for dance on the village square, the holiday-makers reluctant to speed their sight again of " the lights o' London," whioh shine upon their tragedies as bravely borne as- the abandon and thriftless extravagance with which they take the pleasures they are loifch to curtail, although knowing, full well that there is labour and perhaps deprivation awaiting' in payment, and a multitude of grey days, an escape from which the city toiler knows means salvation, if not of his soul, of sanity and courage. } But m society too, as in suburbia and slumland^ they are "making a night of it." ' Champagne and the nectar of culture take ! the place of porter and the shandy-gaff (how do you spell it?) — of a little substance of -pleasure and the effervesce of make-believe. Or perhaps the cham- . pagne ' and refinement are about equal in "body" with the porter and spring onions end cheese a&d the dance upon the pavement! The law of compensation is not stinted. Anyhow, while tftpy feasted and danced in the great houses, * they ate and danced in humbler places too. ' / It is the custom of the King to dijie on ' Derby night with the- Jockey Qui> r \and for the Duchess of Devonshire to entertain her Majesty to dinner at Devon»hir.e. House, the King joining the distinguished party afterwards, and the great, ,social event of this Derby night was. the royal dinner and dance. Devonshire House is at all times magnificent, and on this occasion it was exceptionally so. ' The Queen, Princess Victoria, and the Princess of Wales dined with the Duchess of Devonshire, and the King And the Prince of Wales and the members of the Jockey Cub came on from Buckingham Palace at half-past 11 far the dance, at which other royal {guests were the Duke and Duchess of Connaught and Prince Arthur and Princess Patricia, of Connaught. Lord Charles Montagu and Lord Gosford received the Queen at the outer entrance and conducted her Majesty to the staircase, where the Duchess of Devonshire awaited her royal guests. The Duke of Devonshire arrived from the dinner at Buckingham Palace in time to receive the King and the Prince of Wales. His Majesty and all the men were wearing the becoming frock Ir-esa and knee breeches, and ribbons and jewelled orders were general. Dinner was served in the beautiful red damask room opening off the ballroom upstairs, and the air was fragrant with the scent of the masses of zed and pink roses that, with the magnificent gold and' silver plate, formed the decoration of the table. The flowers throughout the house were exquisite, and mosses of blooms in the great alabaster vase at the foot of the spiral staircase gave a charming effect. The gardens were illuminated, and there was a special supper tent, draped in tihe Cavendish colours. All the tables were charmingly arranged with roses, and hanging electric lights sparkled among the feathery foliage of the bamboos brought up specially from Chatsworth. The royal table was especially beautiful. The royal procession to supper wa3 formed at about midnight, by which time nearly all' the dance guests had arrived. Mr Alfred de 'Rothschild' & band played during dinner and Jot the dance, at whioh pretty girls and young married women abounded. The dinner guests were Conauelo Duchess of Manchester, the Russian Ambassador and Countess Benokendorff, M. de Soveral, Count Albert Mensdorff, the Duke and Duchess of Sutherland, Lord a»d Lady Gosfoard, Lord and Lady Salisbury, Sir Edgar and Lady Helen Vincent, Lady Alice Stanley, Lord and Lady Mar and Kellie. Lady de Grey, Lady Wolverton. Lord and Lady Hen-bert, Sir Charles and Lady Hardinge, Lord JShaffcesbury,^Lord Dalmeny, Lord Duncannon, Lord Lovat, and one or two others. The Queen, who sat between Lord Charles Montagu and M. de Sovera.l at dinner, wore a delicate a>ll-round diamond crown with a white dress embroidered in silver and mother-of-pearl, 7and lovely (pearls and diamonds about her throat and on the corsage. Tlhe Princess of Wales was wearing a low diamond tiara and niany fine diamonds with a peachcolour dress embroidered in silver.

Frincess Victoria, trhxr waa in the brightest of spirits, wore palest b.ue ; Lady - Alice Stanley, who was in waiting on the Queen, was wearing white satin and diamonds; her sister, Lady_ Gosfoid, . iad her massive diamond tiara, with a Bine and silver dress; ConEiielo Duchess of Manchester wore her outspreading diamond leaf- tiara with a white drep.; 'and Lady Hetbett was in white gauze. Coimttess BehckendoifFs oyster satin was delioMely embipidexed^rand she had an allr«un3r\diamoad: crown"; Lady nelen Vincent-,, had. 'a diamond bandeau in her hair, and many diamonds, with^a^ale blue satin dress; LadgvMar and Eellie; wore white ,satin and diamonds; and the Duchess of Devonshire wore many magnifipent diamonds and pearls witff.^an Empire gown. " The Duchess of .Sutherland was wearing her row of huge pearls, and diamonds falling j over the 'front of -an gown sewn with \ silver .wed mothef-oT-|feaTl, and on " her hair an^ftll-Tound cHknioiid- crown; Lady Salisbury wo» diamonds -with a pale yellow satin dress; Lady Wolverton, with c white lace dress, wore her diamond-pointed crown ; Lady de Grey , had splendid diamonds with a black dress; and. Lady Hardinge waa wearing white veiled in black-sprigged net. The Duchess of Leeds brought hex daughter, the Dnchess of Rutland* waa there with Lady Letty Manners, and the Duke and Duchess of Westminster came together. There was a grefct gathering of the diplomatic corps, and ev£gy person of distinction in town was present*''-"- • -'V " Last night, June -5, » Royal Court was hew, an account of'which- 1 append: — "Tjie Court held 'by the King and Queen at Buckingham. Palace last night was • one of »the 'most brttlrant ■ that have taken place this year, and nearly all the royalties now in -London yFeKv, present. -at -it. The* royar processioii "entered 'She I'hrone Room shortly after 10 o'clock, the strains of the National Anthem, announcing its arrival. The Queen wore a mauve gown embroidered with gold-Hn India ; corsage and -train to correspond; tiara of diamonds. Ornaments: Rubies, diamonds, end emeralds. Orders: The Garter, Victoria and Albert, Crown of India, and the Danish Family Order. The King, who was, of course, in Field Marshal's, uniform, wore thei Ribbon and Order of the Garter, as did the Prince of ' Wales, the Duke of Connaught, and Prince Aithur of Connaught. The Princess of Wales, the Duchess of Connaus'ht, and other members of the Roy&l Family then groiuped themselves behind the King and Queen, and all the officers of. state, in full dress, were in attendance. The Duchess of Buccleuch stood near the Queen, and Lady Alice Stanley, Miss Violet Vivian, and Miss Lascelles were also in attendance. Lord Al thorp announced the names of those '■ passing the presence, and the most magnifi- j cent toilettes were to be seen. It was quite a night of pretty debutantes, among whom may be mentioned Lady Helen Grosvenor, who was presented by her ! mother, Katherine Duchess of Westminster, i the latter dressed in black, with a lovely j diamond tiara, and • necklace of pearls. '

Then -there -was I>ady Cynthia Needhaza presented by her mother, Lady Kilmorey. wh« wore a wonderful Paris .gown, with a tiar* in the form of a waving ribbon in diamonds. Miss Drexel, as was anticipated, was one oi > the sensational debutantes of [he evening, | and looked perfectly lovely, her mother, MrS ' Anthony Drexel, blazing with jewels, pre- ; senting her. Miss Mil.icent Grosvenor, « daughier of Lord Henry and the late Lady HtSu^ Grosvenor, was also presented by Katherine Duchess of Westminster. "Lady Airlie, one of" the Princess of Wales's , ladies-in-waiting, made a striking figure in. 'a most elahorate with her beautiful white hair crowned with diamonds, and she presented her married daughter, Lady Kitty ViEcent.- Another very pretty debutante waa Priacess Irene Duleep Singh, tto half-sister of Prince Victor Duleep Singh, and she was presented by Princess Victor Duleep Singh, whose jewels were magnificent. Miss Marjorie Lawson, the daughter of Colonel and' Mrs William Lawson. waa another debutante of the evening, and Lady Manners presented her twin daughters, Miss Betty and Miss Angela Manners Lady Dalrymple, who looked extremely ! well in a light satin gown, with a.beautiful 1 train, presented her sister-in-law, Lady Marjorie Dalrymple, who was dressed all "in soft white with a long tulle train. Miss Astell • was presented by Lady J>& L'Lisle and Dueley, and Mrs Houldsworth. who not long ago married Major Houldsworth. of the 7th j Hussars, presented her daughter, Misa , Asaheton Smith. Baroness de Meyer looked | very handsome in a gown of white satiir-with i diamond embroideries across the front of the corsage, with a chou and long ends of black tulle. Her black velvet train was lined with coral-coloured satin, and her nearls and . diamonds were much noted. Lady Mary ' Ward, presented on her marriage, wore a gown of silver tissue veiled in whitd pailletted chiffon and « beautiful white train. ! Perhaps the most beautiful woman at last night's Court was Lady Beatrice PoleCarew, who, is generally considered one of the most perfect types living of English j beauty. Her gown was immensely admired. j and so was her Goodyear bouquet of Enj chanfcress carnations, these flowers being of a most beautiful blush pink. Lady Johnstone. the wife of Sir Alan John stone, a tall handsome woman, was greatly admired in a white brocaded gown with a beautifnl train. " . ,' «' At the oondusion of the-presentations fiia company adjourned to supper, the royalties sitting at one table and the general company i at buffets, where the display of gold plata and flowers was magnificent. ' The King's Band, conducted by Sir Walter Parratt. Master of the Music, was in attendance.

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