Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-26
WEALTHY TURF MEN.
Rich Individuals Who Run Horses
for Pleasure or for Profit.
SOME VERY CELEBRATED NAMES,
And the characteristics of Their Owners
When on the Track.
A LITTLE NONSENSE NOW AND THEN
rooRRkspoNpENcr or rHr n1spArcH.i

| NEW YORK, May Z6.-"W hat q reck-
less,, rushing crowd mixes and mingles al
the race tracks these days." remarked an
old theatrical friend last night after an aft.
ernoon at the Brooklyn Jockey Club meet.
ing. He has now turned from the play
houses, which are his winter resorts fol
| pleasure, to outdoor sports for recreation.
SIT seems almost Incredible" he continued,
"that so many men and women every day
of the racing season haunt the tracks and GO
half mad over the designations that are in
separately connected with almost all kinds
of trials of sueed and endurance. There is
something il. tn e chase, the ball, the struggle
of beautiful steeds in the white heat of en-
deavor and in fact, in all phases of heroic
competition which warns the blood, fires
the veins and makes both men and women
intoxicated with the spirit and enthusiasm
of the moment.
"Men of,affairs aSwell as men of leisure
seek this kind of amusements. Women OF
education, wealth and fashion mix in the
same throng with the fashy, speedy girl OF
the period in this desire to watch men and
animals play with each other in reckless
effort and back their favorites with money.
Think Off 600 people enduring an hour and
half of travel over ferries and by rail to
witness the Brooklyn handicap. Probably
&c, 900 will go to the same trouble even in
the most discomforting hot weather to
watch the greatest horses in the world COM
pete for the suburban handicap on the 18th
of June. Not only do men and women of
wealth and leisure follow the racing meet
ings, but many staid and methodicaI men of
business own and run horses as their dist
patton"
LOVERS OF SPORT.
Sitting the other night with A. j. Cassatt,
William L. Scott and two or three other
men of like character, was surprised to
find what deep interest they took in horses
and horsemen. This led me to run over in
my mind the wealthy men of my pleasant
acquaintance who own racing stables What
for 1 do not know. As rule they cost a
great deal of money. Even when they are
moderately successful they are very expen-
sive, but when they do not win they are ex-
ceedingly extravagant luxuries.
Think of the staid old banker, Augustus
Belmont, owning a racing stable, which he
has to hire others to attend to. The pleasure
now and then of reading that one of his
horses has won race, or of occasionally GO
ing down to the track and looking his string
over with an air of pleasant assumption, is
about all he gets out'of it. Only the other
day he invited me to accompany him, and
the veteran sportsman and shrewd fnancier
took as much interest in talking about his
horses with his trainer as a young man
would in extolling the merits of his best
girl.
We took an early train for the track. He
was eager to look the animals over before
fho oain A
our arrival; we were driven to the stable as
quickly as possible, and the stern old
banker, whom people as rule never
imagine thinks of anything but financial
affairs, grew as chipper as boy among the
stable men, with whom he is favorite. He
has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars
on and about his horses, and isn't tired yet.
He takes as much interest in the sport as
ever and follows the horses with his field
glass in every dash. Singular, isn't it, that
his sons do not take much interest in what
so delights the father?
AUGUST BELMoNT's LIMP.
By the by, notice that Mr. Belmont
limps rather more than usual. This fact re-
calls to my mind striking incident in his
remarkable career. I believe it was as far
back as 1S47. He was at the theater one
night when friend of his from South Caro-
lima made some sighting remarks about a
lady of their mutual acquaintance. Mr..
Belmont resented it. The fiery South Caro-
linian slapped him in the face. Mr. Bel
mont challenged him and they fought a
duel at Bladensburg. the dark and bloody
ground of so many hostile meetings. Mr.
Belmont was wounded and 1 believe Mr..
Hayward was also. That battle with fire
arms left Mr.. Belmont with lame leg,
which does not improve with age.
George Lorillard, while living, devoted
good portion OF his vast wealth to his racing
stable, and Mrs. George Lorillard was
ambitious to continue in her own name the
stable which her husband left. She did
run some horses the same season and still
keeps few, but having married a titled
gentleman on the other side of the water,
she does little more than keep the old stock
farm in shape and retain a few of the old
favorite horses for breeding purposes as a
matter of sentiment.
Pierre Lorillard sold his stable couple
of years ago to devote himself to Tuxedo
Park, one of his pet hobbies. This is the
scheme that was to be fenced in and made
exclusive for people who had money and
were willing to pay for high toned home.
1 think the experiment has been somewhat
of a disappointment to Mr.. Lorillard, for he
is buying more horses and his colors, which
were once so familiar, will again be seen on
the turf next season, if not this year.
STRIKING EXAMPLES.
"Who will not remember the late M. H.
Sandford? He was a very wealthy man of
business, yet kept one of the most extensive
and expensive racing stables ever on the
American turf. In the racing days of ten
years ago he was one of the most conspicu-
Gus patrons o the turf in this country. He
ranked with Mr.. Belmont in all such mat.
tiers.
Governor Bowie is another striking ex-
ample of how rich and influential men fire. !
quently turn to the horses lor their pleas |
ures. While he was a railroad President |
and the Governor of Maryland he had a
racing stable that was known from one end |
him more than to sit in the Judges stand or
hold the watch over feet-footed horses. Age
has not dimmed this desire.
That strict disciplinarian and ardent busi-
ness man, Henry G. Davis, when he was a
United States Senator from West Virginia.
had a stock farm and running horses. He
was too conservative to have it handled in
his own name, so it stood with his brothers
I. B. and w. r. But the staid old Senator
used to take great interest in the stakes and
purses in which the Davis, horses were en-
tered They were rarely successful and cost
a great deal of money, but it was given up
without a murmur, while loss on any legiti-
mate transaction would be received with
seOwls of regret
Senator Hearst, of California. has large
stable which must cost him $50, 900 a wear
more than it earns He keeps it in good
style, and an expensive citizen by the name
Of Joe Clark an old sporting man. is its
The Senator does not often