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r i a , , , J j I J i 1 : 1 , VARYING FORTUNE OF GREEN B. MORRIS. J Veteran in Reminiscent Mood Tells of His Experiences and Horses. "Never look a gift horse in the month." some -sage fellow said many years ago. But that was not in the twentieth century. And it does not apply to , tmtm hor.-cs. Old Green B. Morris, eighty two. probably the oldest trainer of thoroughbreds on the American turf, one who has made important turf history, has "gift horse." and he is constantly looking her over and not infrequently in the mouth. But it is not :o determine the fillys age, for the young racer is only two, writes Harry N. Price in the Wa-.iingtoit Post. It is an interesting, human story of how Green B. i Morris came by Rose Juliette, a real "gift horse" — a story that breathes of geuerous human impulses, I of the goodness that lies in men. of gratitude un- ! spoken but deep. Nowhere else ill the world is humanity better exemplified than on the turf. If a horseman is in trouble: is sick: a jockey injured: or humanity in any of its phases call — the man of the turf is the first to respond, and right generous is liis contribution. It was more than a half century ago that Green Morris started to train horses, but it was along in the early eighties that hs colors, "purple, white cap." liecaine lamous. In the succeeding twenty-live years the horses owned by Morris won perhaps a half million dollars in stakes and purses. Many a rich classic of tlie American turf went the way of Morris. He won races that millionaires would have given almost anything they possessed to win, and lie won them witli horses in most instances that he developed. It was never given to Green Morris to win the Suburban or the Futurity, but most of the other big races were captured ot one time or another by horses he owned and trained. He tcok the Kentucky Derby with Apollo, which came up from New Orleans in 1SS2. and beat the Dwyer Brothers Runnymede. He won the Brooklyn Handicap with Judge Morrow, son of Vagabond and Moonlight, and he went out to Chicago and came back with the rich American Derby purse, which his gallant Streathmeath. by Strathmore — Flower of Meath. won in a field of great three-year-olds. That was in IM. Fortune was good to Green Morris for many years. The money rolled in on him. and he enjoyed it. But all the time he knew a good horse and loved one. Luck does not always abide witli one. however, and it doesnt seem to favor the old. It departed from tlie Morris household, and for the last few years the old man has had somewhat of a struggle "to keep going. Now, in the sunset of his life, he has little more than a memory of the glories that the "purple, white cap" brought to him. but the spirit is strong within him, and he retains the isipularity of his successful days. The horsemen like Green Morris, and just to show their regard tliev gave him a surprise a short time ago at Laurel Park. Green had been without a horse for several months. He hadnt owned one since he let Kiva go. That was a year ago. maybe. Without a horse to fool his time away old Green was lost. He wasnt cheerful, he wasnt happy and the horsemen saw it. So they got together — several of them — and started a subscription. They raised ,500 or thereabouts, and with it they ttoiight a two-year-old filly. Her name is Rose Juliette, and she is by Cunard — Miss Jordan. The last time she started at Laurel Park she won ■■ a field of all ages, and she won right handsomely, too. The horsemen paid ,200 for the filly, and one dav they presented her to Green Morris. They gave him the rest of the fund, and now Morris has a horse to train. Uvi isnt in any hurry about starting his filly. He likes to look her over every day: to build castles and to think of the days that have gone, and to speculate, perhaps, on what Rose Juliette may do. for. mind you. Rose Juliette is a shifty kind of a racer. Green has determined that he is not going to start his horse until he gets settled for the winter, and it is likely that will not be until he goes to New Orleans. But what matters it V He lias her and she Is his joy. One dav recently Green Morris. "Bill" Oliver and "Incle Jimmy" Gray got together and ran over the past. They recalled the days when the American turf was in its prime: they witnessed over again in their fancy the victories that each had won: they liad once again the thrills that come to the winners. Old Green, who is the senior, told with great delight of how Strathmeat.i had gone out from New York and takes into camp the greatest of the western three-year-olds in the American Derby, and "Billy" Oliver came back with the tale of how he almost won the same stake with Warrenton. Oliver was telling the truth, for Warrenton was beaten bv Sidney Lucas by only a "whisker." Tlie story of how Oliver bought Warrenton for a song is worth the telling, but it hasnt place here. "Im older than you boys." said Green Morris to "Billy" and Circle Jimmy." Tlie two latter were flattered, for "Billy" admits to 00, and "Incle Jimmy" goes beyond that. "Net year Ill !«■ S2. and I started racing horses before you were born." continued Green. "When I was a kid down in southwest Missouri — I lived in Taney County — I used to ride races against the Indians." There werent nothin but Indians down in that country then, and we used to grind our corn by rubbing rocks together. I remember the first biscuit I ever see. It sure was a curiosity. Father brought it home in a saddlebag one for each of us kids. He was a fanner, you know. By the way. I haven I seen a relative in fifty years. "After I had grown up a bit I owned a few-quarter horses and rode em too. Many a brush with a redskin Ive w.in. "We didnt have any race tracks in them days and there werent no big purses hung up. After a while I sort a got tired of that country, and I went out to •Californy." where I worked in a gold mine. Then I drifted to Idaho and worked in a in!iie there. It was long about 1S0O. I think, that I went down to Tennessee, and when the war was over I went back into the horse business. I owned a lot of good ones in those days, but it was not until tlie latter seventies. I think, that I got hold of my first •cup horse. That was Long Taw. by Longfellow. He was a good one. t.K. He won many a stake for me. The best horse I ever owned. I think, was Sir Dixon. 1 bought hiui at a yearling sale in Kentucky, from Barnes and Pepper for ,500, and after winning a numlier of races with him I sold him t the Dwyer Brothers f r 0.#io. Jimmy McLaughlin here" — pointing to a stoule little man weighing 200 pounds — "mod to ride him. Jinmiy was just about the best rider in the world in those days, but you wouldnt think it now. "Judge Morrow was a sweet horse. He came to me as a two-year-old and I won the Brooklyn Handicap with Mas, and a lot of other good races. I tried to win the Suburban with Favor, but Favor was looking the other way when old Caldwell gave them the flag. Favor was a mighty good horse. Strrthnieatli I b night as a yearling — in fact. I made most of the gcod horses I raced — and he not only won the Junior Champion as a two -year-old. but he won a lot of other good races. You know, of course, lie teak the American Derbv. When Strath-mcatli got old I gave him to Milt Young, and in 1K9S Milt told me he let an army officer have the horse. Straimeath went through the Cuban campaign, and Im old that wiienevcr there was a charge Stratmeath was off in front. Thats tlie way be used to riii his races. "AiKilloV Yes. Apollo was a good one. Jimmy here thoi ght he was going to win the Derby in Louisville wi.b t » Dwyer Brothers Runnymede. They had winterteil there that year and were all primed for the race, but I fooled em with Apollo. He beat Runnymede all right. Lisimony was a good hut St. I bought him as a two-year-old and won live straight. Then when he became three I won three more in a row. He was favorite for the Realization in MM. but he picked up a nail and got lockjaw. He died and I never did know how good he was. "Oh. ves. I owned another good h rse." and just the trace of a tear came to tlie eyes of the veteran traner. "His name wa? Cunard. I got him out west, and" — the old mans voice trembled — "by the wav. lies the daddy of that little tillv there. Cunard was a great longdistance horse. The last time I ran biiu was out nt Oakland in a three-; mile race. He fell down almost, that is. he broke down and went fa his kness. but he struggled on and finished second. Then Caesar Young came out and offered me ,000 and I s dil him. Cunard went down to the McGrathiuna Stud in Kentucky and — ye-, among other good ones, he got that little Ally in there."
