Page:The Strand Magazine (Volume 2).djvu/164

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
164
The Strand Magazine.

Humewood, who carried off the Cesarewitch, and Harvester, who ran a dead heat with St. Gatien for the Derby.


Sefton Lodge—the Duchess of Montrose's house.

"A pair of shoes lasts about three weeks on the average, sir," he said, replacing the little reminiscence of the triumph of Seabreeze. "Of course the horses don't run in ordinary shoes, such as they exercise in. Previous to running in the race, the shoes are taken off and the plates put on. This work is done by two brothers, whose special work it is to travel from one meeting to another for this particular purpose." Considering that the fee is 7s. 6d. for this, it seems to be a very profitable business. Then the blacksmith opens a door leading from the smithy into the "Bath." We had an excellent opportunity of seeing exactly what the "bath" was for; the morning was rainy, and the boys had come in soaked from exercising on the Heath.

In front of a great fire, hanging on huge clothes-horses, were the boys' garments "steaming," and the coloured horsecloths undergoing the same process of drying. "The Bath" is a decidedly useful institution in wet weather. We had looked in at the harness room—every bit and bridle is in order, and every single trapping, whether part of the trappings of The Deemster or Blavatsky is known—and were just noting a dozen jockeys in embryo struggling with pails full to the brim, when an interesting spectator, pointing to a little lad, said: "He's the second smallest in Newmarket, sir, and runs the Midget very close for quarters of inches."


Water tower and courtyard of J. Jewitt's stables.

The young gentleman referred to as "he" answered to the name of Williamson, declared his age to be fifteen, and his height to be 4ft. 4in. He was sketched whilst standing the picture of ease and comfort at the coachhouse door.

Just opposite the sign-post which directs the traveller to Fordham, Soham, and Ely, is the house of Mr. Tom Jennings, Sen., who trains exclusively for Prince Soltykoff. The house and stable are built almost entirely of red brick. The great square yard, round which run the stables, has in the very centre a curiosity in its way. It is an old railway carriage, and a peep inside will reveal the fact that it is very usefully utilised for various domestic purposes of a culinary character.

In the immediate vicinity are Mr. J. Enoch's, Mr. Percy Peck's, and Mr. Matthew Dawson's establishments.

Mr. Percy Peck's place becomes more interesting from the fact that he lives in the late Fred Archer's old home, "Falmouth House." The house itself is architecturally