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GATHERING OF FR0MINENT TURFMEN. Attend Annual Dinner in Honor of Phillip J. Dwyer — Pictures of Great Horses Shown. New York. March 20. — No more notable gathering of horsemen was witnessed than that at the Wal-cott Hotel, on Saturday evening, the occasion being the annual dinner promoted by the hosts of friend* of Phillip J. Dwyer. the oldest president of any of the local racing associations and one of the oldest owners of borses in this country. It wis the animal winter affair at which every horseman of prominence attends by invitation. Saturday nights event was it pit tare from a sportsmans petal of view. Everyone of any prominence from the thoroughbred xvorld had a napkin stretched across his knee and many xvore a button-aire of real shamrock in honor of the day as well .is i tribute to Mr. Dwyer, whose antecedents came from the land where the jaunting cars and shil-lelahs play prominent parts in the days doings. One did not have to be an Irishman to enter into the spirit of the affair for it was :i crowd linked together in that head of good fellowship that exists in the horsemens xvorld. Many whose horse had beaten his neighbors, when thousands and sometimes hundreds of thousands had depended upon the result were there. Little things like those did not make a distinction either around the table or on the day of the occurrence to those who were paying tribute to the proud promoter of racing in this neighborhood. Old scenes were revived when pictures of some of the greatest horses ever raced in this country were thrown on a screen and much aataaateat was afforded when the diners tried to name theaa as they were exhibited. Many were shown that the younger generation had never seen in the flesh, such as Khadanianthus. the first horse that ever carried the silks of the Dwyer brothers. Phil and Mike, the latter in his earlier years Ining one of the heaviest bettors on the American turf and who died having little left if the immense fortune he acquired in stakes and promotion of racing in the space of about twenty-five years. Golden Days of Turf Recalled. To numerate those present, one only has to look over the list of prominent horsemen printed in the blue book of the turf. Millionaires laughed at the jokes of their more unfortunate neighliors. In such cases it was wits amusing money. Horse stories were told that possibly would never have vibrated the atmosphere, had they not have been drawn from the wooil as it were after many years of bondage. The days of old Monmouth lark. Jerome Park. Elizabeth. Linden, iutt-iiberg and iloucestor again lived though thee a institutions have been dead to the racing world for almost a quarter of a century. Everyone practically had to make a short speech or say something on subjects on which he was most termed. It was anything but a serious party, consequently humor was injected either by the speaker or by neighborly comment when the occasion offered. Never was there a picture of a horse shown to lie named but someone suggested it to be Roamer. No matter if it were a grey. Lew Kosoufield lariated it must be Hoainor. Bvea the great big Sysonby was suggested to be Roamer. until it became the custom for everyone to shout "Boauier" as each individual horse was flashed on the screen. It was one of the most popular functions ever held in this city by horsemen, one that will be repeated every year as long as Mr. Dwyer lives and afterwards. It was one of those occasions where pleasantries were exchanged, jocularity runs rampant and good humor flows as a deluge. Tom Welch, the popular trainer, expressed the feeling of the gathering as he toasted the host and all his friends: "Ill go a long way to do anybody a good turn. but when it conies to a horse race Im going to beat you if I can and Im going to heat tH out of you. too. and I want all of you to do the same to inc. Thats what makes horse racing the king of sports. Defeats must be accepted with as good grace as victories."
