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VENERABLE TURFMEN BRAVED THE STORM. Made Personal Sacrifices and Risked Lives to Attend Meeting at Albany — Trainer Rogers 111. New York, February 20. — The most impressive assemblage of representative men now responsible for the welfare of the turf went to Albany yesterday to oppose by word of mouth and actual presence the atuck on the IVrey-Gray bill. To the thoughtful observer the fait that old men like J. H. Hag-gin and James H. Keene actually risked their lives by a trip of such duration ticgun anil ended in one of tin heaviest snow storms of tlie winter, made a strong impression. August Belmont. II. K. Knapp. Andrew Miller. Harry" Fayne Whitney. J. II. Alexandre. John F. Cow din. J. C. Bishop. I J. Dwyer. J. W. Green. S. S. Ilowland. II. T. Oxnard, Schuyler L. Parsons. John Sanford and many others well known as stanch defenders of the turf as now conducted were on the train, as well -as ateat twenty-live newspaper men. representing the various journals. The reception accorded Mr. Keene. when he with visible reluctance came forward from his seat and stood before the joint committees, ready to answer any question which might In- put to him, was something that only a great operatic or theatrical star would be accustomed to. His popularity, always unbounded, seemed greater than ever yesterday. He made no bones alniuf the effect on the business interests if the Agnew bill became a law. He asserted that it nieanl tin- depreciation in values of horseflesh to the extent of 0.ooo,o lo. He declared that 75O.0O0 transient visitors Went to the New York tracks in the course of a year and this meant the expenditure of 5.000.0 H . The effect of the proposed bill would mean that while a man wh.. went to the track and made a bet would | e arrested and sent to prison for a year, there was no penalty for a man who would go to a poolroom for the same purpose. This was also the point brought out by Mr. Auerbach of counsel for the Jockey Club and it made a decided impression on the committee and on the fair minded auditors, of whom there were at least a thousand present. Tin- committee seemed fair and Its chairman alumst pleaded to Mr. Belmont for some suggestion wher. by the present all -ged evils could be further minimized. At the moment Mr. Belmont had no suggestion to offer, but, after consultation with some of his associates of the Jockey Club stewards, h • informed the chairman that a s|»ecial meeting would be called by the stewards for the purpose of considering some plan which would meet with the favor of the committee. One of the best points of the hearing was made by Mr. Oxnard, who pointed out that when he was a beet sugar grower he was promised a subsidy by the United States government for fourteen years, but that aftijr two years this wns lost and he warned the agricultural societies not to rely on the promises of those who said that they would make an appropriation each year to compensate for "the loss of the five per cent, tax on racing receipts. Newspaper men of experience could see that there was a disposition en the part of some of the committer not to lie drastic in whatever law may lie passed and certain questions were asked the speakers from time to time which created a desire on the part of the questioners to bring out something in favor of existing laws. As an instance of how quickly a certain kind of divine will impugn Hie motives of one op|iosed to him. this is a fact: A clergyman excitedly exclaimed to John F. Cow-din. a prominent member of th.- National Hunt and Steeplechase Association: "Why. that man Senator Cassidy must be bribed; I know he is from tlie questions he is asking." His auditor indignantly checked the divin. . saying: "You have no right to asperse th,e character of a man simply liccause he disagrees with you. Another clergyman. Crafts, he, whose name is constantly cropping up in tin se fights against the turf, made several astounding statements as to the various states whh-h bad declared against racing by legislation, enumerating several which are in fact the home of the. thoroughbred. Crafts also said that Htnporor William of Germany, had prosecuted and sent to prison a numlier of bookmakers, but did not say that these were poolroom keepers. As a matter of fact, Germany is second only to France in the matter of encouraging racing, because it is plain to Fmperor William that that is tile suresL way to improve the general-purpose horse and, esp dally the cavalry horse. At the next meeting of the committee, set for March 4. Frank S. Black, former governor of New York, will speak for the agricultural interests on tlie racing bills. It was a shr -wtl move to secure Mr. Black, who rates as the best lawyer who ever sat in the governors chair at Albany. It is in effect pitting one governor against one who was governor. Illustrating the democratic demeanorof such men as James H. Keene and Harry Payne Whitney. I was witmss to the following scenes on this trip to Albany. The snow was ankle deep and Mr. Ke ne, umbrella hoisted, was slowly making his way ll[i the street from the depot. He was intercepted by a photographer who had traveled on the train from New York expressly to get some pictures. Mr. Keene at first did everything he could to avoid having his picture taken, but when another newspaper man interceded for tlie young photographer, saying that his livelihood depended upon his success in this and other efforts of like natuiv. Mr. Keene at once gave the young fellow all the chance Continued ou second PiUk.j VENERABLE TURFMEN BRAVED THE STORM. Continued from first page. he could and the result today Is one of the most striking pictures possible showing how much discomfort the vice-chairman of the Jockey Club had undergone in his trip to Albany. Later, in one of the parlor cars returning to New York, flashlight pictures were taken of Harry Payne Whitney, James Butler. W. A. Engeman and others and all the gentlemen named willingly did all they could to make the camera mans task an easy on.-. Mr. Whitney informed me that his trainer, John W. Rogers, is very ill from pneumonia. He is at Aiken, S. C. with the horses wintering there, and bis wife lias be-n telegraphed to come on. Each racing season Mr. Rogers is ill more or less. He is a man of high nervous tension and his responsibility is so keenly felt that it makes him ill. He has stopped the us- of tobacco and coffee, thinking both had injured his nervous system. If anything happened to Mr. Rogers, a first-class position as trainer of great horses would be open to some skillful horseman. It would be a misfortune to Mr. Whitney if anything should* happen to his trainer at the beginning of a racing season, which would be so important a one to him und;-r ordinary circumstances. The death of King Edwards Persimmon, which occurred as a sequel to the broken pelvis of two months ago. is a beavy loss to his owner. It makes his surviving brother. Florizel, all the more valuable t,o the king. Another brother. Diamond Jubilee, is in the Argentine. Mr. Whitney has a two-year-old colt by Persimmon out of Irinia i by Hanover, out of Wanda, by Mortemer, which is considered a good youngster. J. J. Burk. .
