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AN OLD TIMER IN SIGHT. New Orleans, La., November 30. Sam Ecker, years ago one of the most prominent racing men of the western turf, is a visitor here. Mr. Ecker j owned and built the old Cote Brilliante race track in St. Louis, in its time one of the best-equipped race tracks in the country. He also owned one of the leading hotels in St. Louis. He owned Harry OFallon, and that horses son. Terra Cotta, was one of our greatest racers. Mr. Ecker owned and raced many other good race horses. He retired from the sport four or five years ago and opened the Great Lands Hotel in San Francisco. He was one of the sufferers from the earthquake, losing both his hotel and all his personal effects. He is awaiting the adjustment of insurance claims, and in the meanwhile is looking about here for a site for a hotel and cafe. When the City Park race track first opened W. II. Fizer, who for the last two years has been one of the most successful horsemen in the west, was down and out and was compelled to borrow money to ship here. Since then Fizer has met with phenomenal success. He has always had a few good horses, has kept them in prime condition, and has had the knack of placing them where they could win. Fizer bets little himself, but he has a few clients in different sections who play his horses heavily whenever he gives them the word to do so. John J. Ryan, who speculates in about as large amounts as any other player here, chiefly follows Fizers information on the latters own horses. An old-time weather prophet predicts a rainy winter for New Orleans, which means that the mud horses will have the call. He bases his prediction on the fact that the rainy season has set in early, as formerly, when rain fell almost daily from the middle of November to the first of January. The last three or four years things switched about and the rainfall was very light until along in January and February.
