Morning journal and courier., 1889-02-06
JACK sPLAn,s STORY.
How Reddy Mekelvey Lost the First Money 1n a County Fair Trot.

How Reddy MeKelvey Lost the First
 Money 1n a County Fair Trot.
 From the Chicago News.l
 "You never knew Rsddy McKelvsyl You dida Well, well wasn't he a good one1' Thus spake the celebrated trainer and driver, Jack Splan, who has been visiting Chicago for the last few weeks busily engaged in the preparation for his forthcoming book, styled by him, "Twenty-ive Years on the Turf and Few Nights Out With the Boys"
 "Great times those, weren't they, when Reddy was on earth and used to drive Belle Brasfeld and other horses just to cut a swell Gture in his velvet coat and lavender pants You know he used to pay entrance money for some animal he fancied had a chance to win, just to get the opportunity to drive g race. Indeed the horse might have had g chance to win with any other reinsmsn ur behind, but Reddy was entirely too much on the grand stand finish style to ever land the money. But as he made lots of money out of his wagon-making business down in Pittsburg he could stand it, and who could find any fault?
 sWell, one day came in from the far west, and, on my way to New York, thought I'd just stop over in small town in Penn- sylvania and get enough money to buy feed for my trotters at a country fair, where, in the 2:30 class, I thought the entries showed 8 pretty soft spot for an old sore-toed geldinq had been using as buggy horse. So had my car side tracked and had old Jim walked out to the track an hour or so before the race, and, being busy around the horses, didn't get out myself only just in time tc hear the judges bell ring; jumped into the sulky and came down for the word, when To I md habOlAi fnrOipo fha fallOU Ehn had the pole, who should see but MeKelvey be- hind cracking good-looker of @ big sorrel mare.
 ''The Mayor of the town, fire marshal president of the track and starting judge said Go the first time and away we went. Reddy and outfooted the others, and going around the first turn I says to him: Hello there, old man, not the same togs you used to drive Belle Brasfield in, are theyp "sYou bet yer life,' he answered, land jest cum down here to win the first money and also 8 special prize for the best-dressed driver to boot. No use, Jack, old boy. pvt got the action whipsawed, for I can bea your old cripple more'n forty rods every heat, and what chance have yeu got in that soilsd and ragged duster 'gainst my velvet coatr
 "Surely I could sec the force of his re. marks, but anybody that knows me knows that I die game, and says I: Probably you re right, Reddy, but I'll still play the short end, and Pll bet you the second money against the first money that I win the spec ial prize
 ''Good nuf, he giggled, I go you.' ''Well, he won three straight heats al right, and was 'way behind; but, passing the judges stand, reefed and fshed old Jin like good one, and the people in the stand just yelled and cheered, for it was one O those races where the first place is walk over, and the second place mighty tight fit "When we logged back to the stand wa guying Reddy with: Well, guess you vii both bets, but really don't care. You al l ways were good fellow, and I don't nin' stalking you to the small mess of pumpkin ! anyhow when the aforesaid official, stoppin us, said: MT. Splan, we award you tn 1 special prize, simply because you have givel ! us the finest exhibition of horsemanshi | ever seen in the county
 "Oh my, you'd ought to have seen Reddy ! So crestfallen was he when he got off tn sulky that his six-year-old boy sought | ! console him with: Say. pa, you got tn first money anyhow, and I'm going to get m
 new pony, ain't IF
 William Arthur sternly answered tn ! parent, mot even a rabbit will you get, for
 lost the money betting that would get tn special And at the boys reply have bee | laughing ever since. It was: Say, pa, we can't win that kind of money we'd bette go back to Pittsburg.'"