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JOCKEY RED FERN. Like a leaf from a fairy tale roads tho story of Redforn, the jockoy. No Schwab or Carnegie or Gates has had tho meteoric career of this lad of sixteen or seventeen summors, fpr at a time of life whon their dreams of wealth and power were all before them ho finds himself in a position to earn the salary of 0,000, which tho people of the United States pay to their president. William C. Whitney has paid 0,000 for Col. James E. Peppers interest in his contract with Redfern, and next season tho boy will be the head jockey in the Whitney racing establishment. Just twelve months ago Redfern came to Now York from tho Canadian circuit with a reputation which was more than sustained by his work in the saddle, and instantly he was besieged by offers. The most flattering promised at that time was a salary of ,000 a year for two years, made by Colonel Popper, and the boy through his father accepted it. If Redfern were free to make a contract today he could command a salary of 5,000 to 0,000 a year, and be free to take mounts on the outside. Lyne. who is not nearly so valuable an acquisition to a stable, because he is not so skillful as Redfern, and cannot ride at such light weight, is in receipt of a retaining fee of 0,000 from James R. Keene. Therefore, it is within tho bounds of conservatism to say that Redfern should command a salary greater by ,000 or 0,000. The 0,C03 which Mr. Whitney has paid for Colonel Peppers interest in tho contract with , the. boy; and the salary .of. ,000 which that contract calls for, does not 6y any means represent the sum which Mr. Whitney will pay to jockey Redfern next year. It has been said, and not denied, that if Mr. Whitney could secure Redferns services he would pay to him a salary greater by ,000 than over was paid to a jockey in this country. As Lyne is to receive 0,000, that would make Redferns retainer 5,000 at the least, and this, with the 0,000 which the contract cost, will make Redfern stand him 5,COO for the year. With his salary of 5,C00 the boy should earn not less than 0,000 in 1903. Beginning with the day when Colonel Pepper announced Lis retirement from active racing, during the latter part of the fall meeting at Morris Park, he has had a number of offers from the owners of big stables who were anxious to secure Redferns services. A Russian nobleman, now in this country, thought he would like to have tho boy and offered 40,000 rubles for Colonel Peppers interest in the contract, was flabbergasted when told that it would take 200,000 rubles or about 0,000 to buy that in. terest. One day last week W. P. Burch, who trains Frank R. Hitchcocks horses and who makes all outside engagements for the jockeys attached to the Whitney stable, entered into negotiations with Colonel Pepper and with Redferns father, who, it is understood, insisted that he should be consulted in any transfer that might be made. Tho deal was closed at the Aqueduct race track on Saturday by Sydney Paget, acting for Mr. Whitney, and Colonel Pepper, and Mr. Redfern, representing the boy. Turner, tho former head jockey in tho Whitney stable, goes to France to ride for W. K. Vanderbilt next season, and Burns, who did most of the riding for the stable, is under tho ban because of bad behavior at tho post. It is confidently anticipated, however, that Burns will be restored to good standing, and with him and Redforn riding, tho interests of the light blue and brown will be well cared for. New York Evening Sun.
