River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1884-01-31
Professional .Iockeys.

From the New York Hour.
From various training stables and rae
ing establishments come complaints of
the difficulty of obtaining and keeping
good lightweight or middle weight boys
to tide. No sooner has lad acquired
the rudiments Of his art than he begins
TO swagger, becomes intimate with the
turf sharpers, and in fact uses his best
endeavors to get to the "demnition bow.
vows" with as little loss of time as pos
sible. At tue end of the racing season
George L. Lorillards trainer reengaged
Brennan, who rode very successfully
last year, and also secured Mike Dono-
hue, the brother of Billy" Much to
his surprise both lads proposed to spend
the winter in town. They were told
that, if they went to the city, they
might consider themselves discharged.
and they submitted with very poor
grace. Brennan maintained that he
wished to attend nigbt-school, but, as
Mr.. Lorillard has model school t
Westbrook, the excuse failed to hold
water.
Mr.. Cassatt, Mr.. Kittson and a few
other owners have obviated the diff
Guilty VI d RE6db cAlGlIt ny 4ulRJIb4AiE
from English racing stables. The Eng
land of the National line, which on Tues
day brought Pierre Lorillard's "Pina-
lore" "rouch-me-Not" and 'Siddar-
tha," also landed three lads who were
nn1er engagement to him. One ofthem,
McEwen, is a very promising middle
weight, and has ridden some very fair
finishes in England. 1t is only rich own
srs, however, who can go to the ex-
pense attendant upon this course.
Other owners depend upon what lads
change brings into their way. White
ads are preferred, as the negroes,
hough handy about horses, are as rule
too ignorant to learn anything but the
merest handiwork The moment a boy
learns to ride fairly well, dangers beset
him. lie is brought in contact with
sharpers and book-makers' touts. An
owners stable secrets are made use of
improperly, and races which should
be won are frequently lost
through deliberate violation of orders
now to ride. Once in the hands ''of
crooked men," boy is lost. The case
Of John Mclaughlin, the brother of the
noted Jimmy" is one in point. Two
wears ago he pulled a race for certain
people; that placed them under his co1-
troll, as they threatened to expose him
if he refused to remain under their or
ders. The system of terrorism which
they exercised over the boy was so
complete that Governor Bowie, WHO
had engaged him last spring once re-
marked that he supposed that Frank
would have pulled" every horse OF his
in races for which it might have been
favorite had he had chance.
An honorable career in the pigskiD,
however, is very repuneratiye. OF
course such earnings as Axaose of little
Martin, in England, which foot up S25,
900 for this season alone, are uncommon
but nearly all our FIRST class jockeys are
in more than comfortable circumstances.
Jimmy" Mclaughlin is worth between
$40 600 and $69, 900. and occupies a beau
tiful home in Brooklyn with his wife
and two children. BILLY" Dopohue lives
in bachelor apartments and has upward
OF SO 900 slowed away" Costello, when
a small lad, was taken out of the house
of refuge by Wynd6am Walden, who at
The time trained for George l.. Lorillard.
The boy was sent to Westbrook, where
he behaved admirably both in the
school and in the stable. With na'ur-
al aptitude for the saddle, he was soon
allowed to ride in public, and did so
well that in few years he supplanted
Hughes as chief jockey for the stable.
His father some years ago drove Third
avenue car, The old man has now
been made comfortable by Tommy"
Costello still lives at Westbrook, where,
rs he is too heavy to ride. he assists in
training. lie is worth very nearly S20,.
900. Isaac Murphy, the colored Archer,
is reputed to be the richest OF the pro-
fession, as his fortune exceeds % 1000.
He has fine farm III Kentucky. Feakes
owneda charming place on the New
Jersey coast, bat when his wife died his
home was broken up. Hughes also has
a comfortable home, an interesting fam
lily, and a snug little fortune in the bank.
Pat Meany, the famous steeplechase
rider, is one OF the richest men in Sara
toga county, and has beautiful estate
at the springs, where he spends the
winter, Barbee is in comfortable cir
eumstances. Evans was once in Well-to-
do circumstances, but some unfortunate
gpeculations cleaned him out.