view raw text
TURF FOLLOWERS GOOD BUSINESS MEN. Instances of Those Thriving in Other Walks of Life Who Graduated from the Tracks. New York. February .",. Iioeause of the assertions made by the enemies ,,f the turf thai ils pursuit unfits young men for more serious business affairs, the writer is desirous of *etting forth some particulars of a I least two young men who have overcome difficulties incurred in following racing. Cliic:igo"s turf devotees will no doubt easily recall the year that Clarence H. Maekays lleno was defeated in the American Derby at Washington Park. That was in DHV2, the race having been won by John .. Drakes Wyeth. with I.ucien Appleby second and Aladdin third. The track was. of course, very heavy. Not one of these three horses ever after displayed tirst-elass form. The eastern contingent returned to New York witli drooping feathers. In addition to Heno. these other eastern colts were lieaten: Hermis. Pentecost and Arsenal. The mile and a half was run in ttdtf, which aaafce for itself, when it is recalled ■ that on this same course Hoodrich ran a mile and I i half iu 2:.. J. the present American record. Mr. Mackay had high hopes of winning the Derby that .ear with Heno. He took Mrs. Mackay. Mrs. Butler Duncan. Craig Wadsworth and Fred Gebhard with him to Chicago in a special ear. Heno had been at Chicago for several days, but the going was Ba heavy that the work which Henos trainer. "Charley Hill, considered necessary, had dulled his vigor, and some keen horse . wafhers. notably "Mike" Danaher. advised their friends not to bet on Heno. This caused his price . to go back iu the betting. Tiie race showed that Daaahar*a judgment was right, for Heno was unplaced. The official report * ays that Hermis pulled | up lame, which is incorrect. His jockey. McCue. refused to make any use of the colt. Arsenal, which had won the Metropolitan Handicap that year, and Pentecost, which should have won the • Suburban a week hclore. which went to Gold Heels lioth ran badly in the going, which they were wholly unaccustomed to. I poll their return to New York. "G.." who had I been Mr. Mackays betting commissioner, and had [ lost .0 0 on Heno. which he hud backed to win i :$.",o.mo In the ante-post licifiug. felt very sore. However, on the day of the return of the dejected I eastern parties, Mr. Maekays mare. Kamara. was i engaged in tin Sijeepshead Kay Handicap, at a mile, was at M to 1 in some of the betting, and had [ Kcdfcrn up. "C." endeavored to get Mr. Mackay to bet on Kamara. but he would not. saying the • mare had deceived him too often. "She runs her lust race today unless she show s lietter form than i of late. said Mr. Mackay. -G." argued the • fact that Kamara had doue little work iu ten i days would help to freshen her up. His argument convinced Jesse l.ewlsohn. and he took 0 to 1 third, to win | S,dM. "G." himself bet ,000 oo her third, and when she won he got a good part of the ■ money lie did not get when Heno lost the American i Derby. Here is •i.s" own story of what he did with i Continued ou sixth page. I TURF FOLLOWERS GOOD BUSINESS MEN. I Continued from first page. some of his winnings: "1 knew a young follow who lan a gcutlemans furnishing goods store and was agent for a laundry." said G.. "and he was always after me to buy an interest in so £ix d business. When I returned to town that night 1 sent him a telegram that all the money he wanted was await ing liim in the liank. Next day we bought out a laundry iu Forty-second Street. When we bought it the business amounted to 00 a Week. Now it runs to ,500 a week aud there is twenty per cent, profit in it. I am an advocate for freedom of action and advocate betting on races, though 1 need never bet another dollar myself." About eighteen years ago there was a well known selling plater called Pilot on the turf. His owner was a dealer in butter, eggs, cheese, etc. He had two sons. 1k Ui of whom had inherited eciually strong desires to bet on races as possessed the father. In course of time the father died. The lioys had g- t down to their last dollar. Vowing never to wager again on a race, they began to retrieve their lost business. Humbly enough they were forced to begin. They would buy cheeses iu mould and would sell at retail to owners of saloons. Slowly, but surely tbey began to regain their business. Now I hey do 00,000 business a year and earn 5,000 annually. They have a first-class place of business down iu the produce region of New York and are happy. They can beat the races now that it is not vitally necessary and won .10o when G Between won 11m- Suburban in 1!K7. They won the same amount on Cohort last spring and declare that they know the way to l eat the races, if iliey desire to do so. But they will stick to their regular business aud will only occasionally go to the races. Another J —lb. once a clerk for Prank Kckert. the bookmaker, is and has been for a year a galea man for William U. Reynolds, in his Long Reach real estate. Another, a clerk for a bookmaker. I saw in a glove s,in. yesterday. Fred Qcbbaunl, once very prominent on the tiuf. is in business for himself as agent for one of the greatest wine beaajoa in the world. Arthur Kealherstone. who won the Metropolitan and Brook ly n Handicaps and the Annual Champion, is al-o again in business. And I have no doubt that where I personally know a dozen, there are hundreds earniug a good living away from the turf. .1. .1. Burke.
