Grand Rapids morning telegram., 1885-08-05
ISAAC MURPHY.
What = Successful Horse Jockey
Earuz
rhs Fort ans that A0sits ths Laeky sta-
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soaet a4blss ~ tAs J0sksys-Fs2
Tnousaad = 1e4F.


Is4 AA~r trCu e-la-ro--4 a 10y
SAID fhs Tribaas maa- Hos long ago
did yoa begin. aEd ~h4E DO y0u earn
every Year,
1T as about zen years go that ] rrst
began q have anything % ds With race
horses" replied Murphy. and al that
time I was working Zoe giAs |" ~ ANS, tie
man ~ho owns joe Co<oa, the winner u
the ksntaekY Derby D~is year he bad
t~0 other jockeys al the time, and ~as
forever getting promises u a nlCaat. but
s0meh0~ or ether there ~as always
Z fficulty about IL, aud for long time
vas unable 70 show what I could DO as a
Jockey. OF course 1 bad ridden the horses
Ia the exercise, bat never race. The
first mount l did gee sas winning one,
however. aud from that time on had
pretty muea al could do"
you ride for yourself don't you-that
L. "a are not bound 70 any one man;'
Yes, l am my own master SO lar as
that IS concerned, except that Mr.. Corri-
gan has tho hrst call on nay services That
means that whenever he has horse in .
race am obliged TO ride that animal II he
wants mo 70, and it Is only when he has
nOthing starting that / could ride that II
u yossibls for me e. accept mounts from
ofher people. OF course one stable can
furnish starters for bat small minority
OF the races run ali over the country, and
50 I get all the outside riding | want 10
do"
what does Corrisan pay you for the
first call on your services?"
..He gives mo -, 30 a year simply as 8
retainer, as thar amount has nothing TO
do with what am paid for riding the
races. You know the racing rules pro-
vide that jockeys shall receive SO for
every losing race they ride and So for
every winning one so | eau earn a good
deal from Mr.. Corrigan besides he 81 90
which be pays for the first call on my
services. and then l get the regular rates
from other owners Of race horses for
whom ride"
Don't you receive presents sometim es
from men with whose horses you have
been successful"
20, yes. rode Mr.. Baldwin's Volante
in the Derby here the other day. and
vas told before / got on the horse that in
case WOO Mr.. Baldwin would give me
500. and Plungsr Walton. who had back
ed Vo ante heavily in the books aud pools,
said be would give me like amount |
won the race and got the m oney."
The newspaper man gazed admiringly
on the trinity built little negro who could
speak so complacensly about earning a
thousand dollars in one afternoon, and
proceeded 30 ask him some more ques-
tiOns- In reply 70 one OF them Murphy
said that there was no way Of telling how
horses should be ridden. JOckeyship was
In his opinion, "A knack; aud in this con-
nection 10 may be said that Budd DOble,
who is probably the best driver OF trottera
In America. holds exactly the same opin-
lon with regard to driving. He says that
no amount Of education in the sulky can
make a good driver out of a man who has
no genius for il 10 begin with
As TO his persona habits, Murphy said
that ne smoked once in while, but never
| drank liquor in the racing season. During
the winter months be stays at his home.
whicl Is ia Lexington KY, doing no work
OF any description He said that he found
| the rest OF several months absolutely nee
essary in order 20 enable him TO store awaN
s'rength for the coming racing season
Among American jockeys Murphy is looked
up 20 as being without question at the head
| OF his profession, and yet, with all
\ the nattery 20 which he has been sub
| cted ne retains the modest, gentlemanly
demeanOr that character zed him a decade
/ ago, when ne first began making publ Il
APP earances IN the saddle. Among tbs
co.ored Jockeys with whom he associates
! AZ every meeting be Is revered "a well a:
| respected. and his opini as 20 the mer-
| is or demerits Il any animal 3 accepted
as final and conclusive BY the circle o
| bix-eyed dus<y admirers who al ways sur
| round him when he is at the track. Mur
pay has all the good qualities Of a sue
cessful jockey without any Of the numer
Gus faults W ich usually appertain to tha
ndiv.duaL tie : a good Judge Of pace, il
patien, and gentle with horses, and n,
matter how large the <e for which be Il
| riding may be or how close the finish q
The wire he never for an instant loses hi
head. and it Is this quality Of being able t.
| az still on horse while the other jokeyi
are racing their mounts 10 deatl
that has enabled him TO win dozens o
races in which the animal hs bestrOde wa
thought % have no chance. To So
l Murphy IL a hard finish on a horse tha
i alraedv tired j. worth long journey
aud ,hs .ltle % The Demon" which hi
admirers long ago applied 70 Fred Archer
the great English jockey, would it Mur
uhy Just as we'll for be can rouse and keel
together a tired horse better than an
other rider in America
After a finish IF this kind the perspira
/ tim pours cut Il his black skin ike wate
/ when be comes back 90 the weigh
sand. the tremendous exsrtioa Csusiu
| him 20 tremhls like a ieaf. and when on
"a him after such race he does no
wonder thar Murphv's opin-ou Of the ma
Who framed the American racing rule
which obi r. him 70 ride a. ITO pounds
not in al respects complimentary
a DAYS racing wears me out com
pletelv." he sad, ssni every night I a.
e. hsi bv nine O'Clock. frequently goin
sleap B. fore e a lark sm tired u
weak and half * after riiin< three q
four horses % an afternoon. AMI my oni
ambition than a 60 get to bed as soon a
possible and STAY there until morning.
what a vcu earn a YEAR,"
Z II 4.,.,f- awarefr~ kaarr - raz tha rarsfv