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CELEBRATED ENGLISH BOOKMAKER DIES. Early this meats • of Englands old-time "leviathan" bookmakers, one of tbe men who took, won and lost almost Incredible ln-i- in the plunging days of the English turf, passed away. »i hla career London Sporting Life of August .; Raid: "Bests has delated, at the ripe age of 83, Mr. Henry Steel, for manv yean a well-known membei of the turf world. His career was a remarkable one. affording an in-tame, anaong many, ol natural shrew.im-s industry asd perseverance, enabling this north-countryman, who began life under no bright prospects, to attain high prosperity, in some respects Mr. Steel resembled the hue Mr. r. Swiu •loll. Each probably, thanks to natural gifts, would have bees sneceBaral in callings ether than those which they adopted. Mr. Steel was bora at Sheffield on September ! . 1831. He was apprenticed to a Ira of cabinet makers la that town and showed ap-titode for learning the trade. The best of hi- inclination, however, was in another direction. Sheffield was in those days marked by the love of many of its iiiliahitaiits for all round apart, and young Steel managed to got his apprenticeship articles surrendered, mixed with the local sporting men and quickly held a prominent place among them. He also started business in a modest way and for several reexs worked wccesafnlly, afterwards transferring It to lii — brother. No long time elapsed before ids spec-nlatl a on pedestrian handicaps, matches on the cinder path, and pigeon shooting, was abandoned in. luri wagering, his experience thereof beginning at Doncaster. He qnickrj attained a prominent position amoag the leading professionals and his ac quaintanre with Joss Jsekai a, Jock of Oras, brought him In contact with Thomas Itawson, who then occupied the training stables al Tupgill, Mid-dlieaui. The high-lying moor there araa then at the zenith of its reputation. Thomas Dawson, one of the celebrated brothers— Mat. Joseph and Joss being the other — was one of tbe ablest men in hla calling, and especially skilful in preparing horses for long distance handicaps, bringing oil big hits in .such ra.e- for certain of his employers ana occasionally on his own account, other highly successful Mlddlebani trainers al that period were Pobert and Joha Osborne, the elder. Jackt-on, it may be men-lioned rode well to h anda, and once figured in the saddle at Newmarket, riding his own horse, N p tonus, against George Fordham an Levity in a ive linudred |iounds match, run at catch weights, ore* the Rowley Mile. Pordhams moost, it can be added, woa easily, .lacks*. n was an enthusiastic supporter ol the colors of Lord Glasgow when the horses lieioiiging to that nolileman were under the charg* of Thomas Haw- n. IMw of tbeni was General PeeL winner of the Two Tbottsasd Gnlaeaa in 1864. The horse was much fancied for the Derby, in which he encountered Blair Athoi, Bsotber of Jocka favor ite-. and be excited much ;,niii-cinent by his delighted rear of Here ill i. cue. Theyll be Brat ami second and 1 win thousands on each. By Jackson, steel was luought into connection with Tsoaaas Dawaoa and in came the recognised com-nii — iomr of the stable. Among the great hits it achieved was the victory of Ellington, tbe property .if Admiral Harcosrt, in the Derby I 1856, another triumph beisg thai gained by Pretender in the cm reap uding race ..; 1860. Pretender also won the Two Thousand Guineas, as did BothweU, the - le-toriea of the-- horses being doubtless a Boorce ol Considerable profit to the subject of this a toe ;md to hi- life-long partner, w. Peech, xvho died in Jaly, ltOt, at the age of so. They probably had .-, i time. in, when Tarn oShaater carried ofl the Chester Cup, ami Hilarious won the Cesarewitcb lor the establishment over which Prod Bates pne aided. Horses trained by tbe la-t named were often soon to great advantage, notably at Ascot. The hits made in tin- Cesarewiteh by Hartingl n and Boae-bery and the Cambridgeshire victory of the i;;-i named would also benefit the partners, other good winners with which they were associated may be mentioned in Controversy ami Toocnet. gainers ol the Lincolnshire Handicap !■ r Lord Bosebery. Bel .1 lie w.i- made above to Mr. Steels connection in early dav- with pedestrlanism. He secured Thomas Hosspool of Nottingham, who proved the champion mile runner, and in Harry Beids latest matches was bis chief backer. Mr. Steel died :it hi-; residence, Taptou Court, Sbeffleld, yesterday morn jii_ He had been in failing health tor some time, chii ilv ew lag t" in-- grest age. Mr Steel manv v -ars ago purchased the Uesse-iner stc.l ik-. mar SlietheW. and carried on the Ims nc— as the lh.H-nix st«-«d Works, in iiartnersuip with ir. Toaer. The basineaa i- ■ ase of the ,,,;,„ i|,., I ,.i those in Sheffield. Iwing carried on by tin- -mis of Messrs. steel. Peech and Toaer."
