Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-09-01
winning the Race with un Inferior
Horse.
From lhe San Francisco Chronicle. ]

lfTOHl llt Sah fTanclsco otHTOhlclt.I
The writer met the jockey of Ruther-
ford while dining at the Winter Palace in
st. Petersburg n short time after that
huge sporting wrangle, and, in the course
Of n conversation on turf matters, the
astute prodder of horsehesh said, with Il
childlike and ingenious smile
"Would you like to know the dead in
side facts as to how that race was won ?"
"Why you rode the best horse, didn' t
you ?" we asked.
"Not bit of it," replied the Jockey
with grin "The fact was that Ruth
erford was only about the fourth choice,
and was not rated at more than eighth or
ninth in the pools. True Blue, Katy
Pease and Thad Stevens all had the call
over Ruthy. But it happened that my
horse was 'bolter,' and to steady him
and prevent his flying the track put
binders and goggles on him. You noticed
them suppose ?"
"There were too horses rugged that
way Ireplied.
Exactly Stevens was nervous crit
ter also, and as soon as his trainer saw
how the goggles steadied my horse he
put them on Thad too The day before
the race big idea occurred to me. got
Il couple of pairs Of magnifying lenses
and quietly put 'em in place of the plain
glasses in the goggles of both horses.
Catch on to the idea -
"Well, partly"
"The only difference was that in Stev-
ems brides fastened the glasses with
the bulge inside, SO MS to make them di-
minishing glasses, don't you see ?"
Like looking through the wrong end
OF an opera glass, ell ?"
Exactly. The result was that, while
Rutherford was encouraged all the way
by the course seeming only couple OF
hundred yards long, the quarter flags APP
peared ten miles apart to Stevens. You
see, horse can be discouraged as well us
man..
"Great scheme, that"
"Well, | should smile. Ruthy thought
he was in fora little quarter race, and it
kept up his heart, 80 that when he had
nearly done the last mile and swung into
the homestretch and called on him to
let out his last link, he thought the
judges stand was right under his nose,
so he came home like M express train Oh
n down grade ; but Stevens, who thought
he had about fifteen miles further to go,
went all to pieces, MS you remember, and
almost lay down on the track, he was 30
mentally caved in, us it were"
The Prince ana the Bathing-Man.
| There was II time when the local man
ncrs Mt Brighton had rough pleasant.
ness about them, corresponding with the
primitive simplicity of the place, When
Miles Cor Smoaker, as the Prince OF
Wales, and therefore everybody, called
HIM was chief bathing man, he once saw
his Royal Highness swimming too far as
Miles thought, out at sea. Miles hailed
"Mr. Prince" to come back. The Prince
struck further out Thereupon Smoakei
dashed in after him, and brought his
Highness back by the ear, exclaiming nj
he thus towed the princely freight ~
aren't a-goen to let the King hang me foi
letten the Prince of Wales drown hisself
not |, to please nobbudy, can tell e."
The Prince forgave the act in consider
alton of its motive. In remembrance o
it he founded the Smoker Stakes ant
when they We're first run for in 1909, tn,
Prince of course won the race with hi
own horse Albion.