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CAPTAIN "BILLY" WILLIAMSONS CAREER Veteran Turfman Had Witnessed Many Great Races ■ — Served with Distinction in Two Wars. SEW ORI.FANS. La., February 1.".. A group of turfmen were recently discussing the old days af racing in the Crescent City, when someone mentioned Cap!. "Billy" W. II. Williamson, who died here in 1000. "Captain Rilly." as lie was called everywhere, was one of the most widely known and must popular figures on the American turf. Old turfmen can remember I he days when he was i !.!. and willing to back his opinion on the relative merits of horses with simis that would be reckoned a lauds. .me competence for a gentleman of reasonable financial aspirations ami some can recall dark boars when he was but mcagcrly supplied Willi th. mo I common place comforts of life. No .in- can remember, however, one single Instance wi.ie he ever entered lato any shady or suspicious transactions on the turf, or anywhere ekse for that mutter, and every who knew him regarded him a- a gentleman of the strictest integrity. Captain Williams was Ihhii at Richmond. Va.. February ." . IKS, so lie was nearly eighty-four years old when he died. His father waa a prominent citizen, of Richmond and was the owner of several large plantations, among them the one upon which the battle of Malvern Hill was fought luring the civil war. In 103d Captain Williamsons father s.hl tin-so estates and removed to Sumner Count... Ah.bama. In IS43 Captain Williamson went lo Mobile and entered ti nice of a farm id- rtstton hickcs as a clerk. In Is HI he went lo California and in ls.il was made clerk of the legislature lie iniained in California until 1835, when he Joined General William Walker in his expedition against Nicaragua. I ader General Walker he had the rank •f major and figured conspicuously in the movements of the famous filibuster. In he civil war Captain Williamson fought with tic confederates. He was one 1f the aides-de-camp of General Jonas M . Withers. After the war Captain Williamson vini into the wholesale and retail cigar business al Mobile and New Orleans. I.mii before the war Captain Williamson was an enthusiastic turfman. As early as when he wni I.-ing in California in the fifties he owned and laced a filly in that-State. While ill Mobile before the war he owned General Tivi".:.. John Macdonald. Flla Moon and Neil Robinson. Alter the war. in I artnci snip with the then famous trainer, Tom Patterson, he owned Hnrrj of the West, by Lexington Laura, bj Leviathan. He was successful with lie-... a he won ha ndsoin.lv will, them at Metairie. ii:iiin- at two-mile heats ami three-mile beats during one winter meeting at thai once famous ..id track iii New Orleans. Another horse of no small note that was owned I I bv Captain Williams, n and Patterson was Grapevine, renamed by Captain Williamson after a personal friend Lewis F. . Smith. lie brought Ibis lens,. to New Orleans and won a stake worth 00. Alter I I ■ i race he matched I. .wis I-;, ssajih against IT.- fain. ms mare Maiihn. by Lexington"*!!,.- dam of l.,Iolcl. li-M-. Moore 0 Coffee betting fCl.000 tO 03.000. Tin- race, which was at mile heats, was run over the Louisiana course now in ase, and 1 wis i: . Smiih wi.ii in straight beats. This borae was also will engaged at Saratoga and lie was - hi thither by his owner in charge of lalterson. .bin he contracted lung fever cm his way from Ken I tuck] to n,w York and became a persistent and confirmed roarer. Lewis i;. Smith was hj Revenue, sire of Planet, dam of sea Breeae, by Albion. In Moore A i elf.-, offered a]iiaii Willi am 5,000 J.,! Lewis |;. Smith Jasl after he had beaten Maiden in Lie match race, bal the offer was promptly h- dined. Tin judge* in that famous race were Dun .hi F Ki liner ami Colonel Ring, man of New oilcans. Captain Williamson saw some of the moai notable r .is at three end t. ur mile heats ever run in ibis • inlM II. s.,w Charmer and Revenue run a mile heal race ill Mobile. Chat me; .von the race in iwo straight heats. Revenue breaking down in the -...ml hint. That, of course, was the las; rai . run by the famous son of Trustee. That was bj 1S4S. and ten yeara later, at Cetaaabna, Ga., in- witnessed the famous race at fuur-nule heats between Charles- I 1.11. by Giencoe; Frankfort and Sue Washington. I; took Jnst sixteen miles of racing to dcide this notable evi ill. In the first heal Charleston was first and Frankfort second. Frankfort wen the see-ond heat, wilh I herbs- .,, lecond, and then Sue Washington, who had run third in the first and second heats, came on and took the race by winning the third and fourth heats. In the spring of 1800. at Metairie. he saw the great race at four-mile heats between Lightning by Lexington, Panic by Giencoe. ami Planet by Beve-iiue. The track was deep in mil. I and Lightning won in two itraight heat-. Attributing the defeat ci his borae to the heavy going. Colonel Thomas DosweU, the owner of Planet, offered to match that horse against Lightning for 025.000 a aide, Bam weights and distance, with the specification "good day and good track." The niateh.nev er cam. off, however. In 1050, at Metairie. Captain WUllamson wit ti.sseii 11,,. dash race in which Captain William Cot trills Daniel Boone, a brother to Kentucky and clro; 1 h Lexington Magnolia, bj Giencoe and Colonel I to* wells Planet. Daniel li one won the race In 0:00%, which was the fast ■s| two miles that had v be 11 run over Metairie. On: of this match grew the famous sweepstakes between Planet, Danld Boone and Colonel Themis Puryears Congarcc. Thai race was at four mil. la ta, eadi owner putting up 05.000. while the management of Fashion course. Long Island, added 05,000, making 111 all 030,000 for the winner. l uiel Room- broke down in his final trial just before the race, having only two starters, ami Planet distanced Congaree m the first heat.
