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SOMETHING OF AN INDIAN JOCKEY A picturesque character on the turf today Is Sam Johnson better known as Chief Johnson the In ¬ dian jockey who Is without doubt the oldest race rider whose name still appears daily ou the jockey board Born in Wagoner 1 T 12 years ago the Chief has been riding races for 20 years His first winning mount was on a quarter horse called White Stockings at Bonham Texas and his first winning mount on a big track was on Leachman at New Orleans twentythree years ago The Chief comes by his Indian blood from his mother who was a fullblooded Cherokee CherokeeJohnson Johnson has ridden for many prominent owners in ¬ cluding J W Fuller S J Charles E Fitzgerald Thompson Bos William Red Walker and W T Anderson When asked how many different tracks lie had ridden over during the twentysix years Johnson replied that he couldnt count them themTo To the Chief lielongs the distinction of winning a race over the jumps and on the flat in one day It happened at Kinloch Park St Louis he winning on Compass and repeating on Itacatiara both horses being owned by lied Walker WalkerMany Many humorous stories are told in connection with Johnsons long career in the saddle one of them be ¬ ing when he won on Deponent at the Fair Grounds In St Louis iKating The Caxton Frankie O Neill who was the leading jockey around there at that time was on The Caxton and Dick Vestal who had Deponent had backed him down from a high prico Midway of the stretch with Iwth horses running nose and nose Johnson joshed ONeill about Ining a rider and after tho latter replied that lie had no whip the Chief immediately threw his own whip over in the center field and said Lets go see Judge Murphy Deponent won by a scant nose and Dick Vestal swears to this day he would have trounced Johnson had he lost the race racelie lie rode a horse at Denver about four years ago called Ilendcrman and insists to this day the horse was a ringer localise lie says the man didnt even come back for the purse but went out the back gate with his horse and all the money in town townHe He is still able to do 100 pounds and has been riding frequently ou western tracks of late One ot his oldtime rivals is Johnny Singletou whom he would rather beat than any other rider When he beat Singleton a nose in a driving finish recently tha riders in the jockeys room held a mock war dance in honor of the occasion
