The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-09-11
TAKING OFF WEIGHT.
How the Jockeys are Compelled to
Reduce Themselves.
Biakelv Hall IN Frank LesIie's.

hsoucs themselves.
BlalelV Han IN Frank Leslie's
Little Bergen does not have much trouble
in reducing his weight, as he has seldom
been above 112 pounds He runs all the
way down to 100 pounds. and he easily re-
duces himself four or five pounds, as the
occasion warrants. by going into the hot
room or the bath, curling up in the corner,
and simply lying there while the perspira-
ton rolls off him. Once in while he I'M
curls himself, goes to the plunge and rubs
his head with ice water, then returns to his
former position, and stays there pluckily
until he is down to his proper weight.
Tarral is another easy reducer. He usually
takes the hot room for two hours, then
SWINE around in the plunge for a long while,
and returns for another hour in the Intense
heat If this Is not enough be puts on a
sweater at the track and DlodS around in the
dust hour after hour, until he is fit TO ride
at the weight set out for him on the card.
Jockeys like Tarral, Bergen, and say Grace,
whose weight is about ITO pounds, are not
as much worried by the phantom of disaster
known as too much weight as the broad
shouldered and big-boned boys. Many
jockeys of thu latter build are sure. steady,
clear-headed boys, with plenty Of pluck aud
strength. and the other qualifications that
go to make up a successful Jockey; but they
have to undergo such extraordinary fortunes
TO keep down a weight which will not place
crack horse at disadvantage in race,
that they get nervous, irritable and lose
their skill. The difference between a per-
fectly healthy and robust man and a man
who mas reduced himself by an internal and
external means until hs is 50 nervous and
weak that he cannot hold himself upright,
IS a wide one. A strong dose of brandy
before the race begins may pull together
few Of the failing energies. but il does not
give the rider the cool Judgment and
thorough balance which comes of perfect
health. That is one reason why some of the
boys who are naturally small and thin have
big advantage on the seasons mounts
over much more clever jockeys who are
handicapped by big frames or a disposition
to grow stout. There seems to be a great
difference, too, in the abilities which Jockey
show toward reducing themselves. Au
hour in steam heat with one man will take
off pound while it will not reduce the
weight Of another threaS ounces. They tell
me that Spellnan was one OF the readiest
reducers that ever went into bath. He
was known on one occasion TO take off seven
pounds Ia four hours. His weight ia sum
mer was usually 100 pounds. while he
usually rode at Ill pounds. II Is said that
Spellman on one occasion, having to ride at
| light weight at short notice, reduced bis
| weight il one night from If pounds to 1o4
was always the source of more or less alarm
to the attendants of the baths, for they
| could never tell exactly how he was getting
| on. He would walk into the hottest corner
of the steam room, wrap wet towel
| around his head, curl up on a chair with his
head resting on his folded aims and his legs
crossed, aud sit ike a SPHINX for hours
Once in a while one of the attendants who
knew him we'll would go and speak to him,
but the boy would not answer a word or
| raise his head. They were always afraid
| that he had tainted from exhaustion or had
| saccumbed TO "a accelerated action of the
heart, but they were afraid to disturb him.
After sitting two or three hours in this
| position, he would uncurl himself, drift to
| the outer roo n and drink bottle of ice
| cold beer. Then he would resume his former
| position and remain there, with the Their
mometer at 100 or 40 degrees of heat, and
| the perspiratioI dripping off of him stead
lily. When he finally got out Of the bath
and had been thoroughly well rubbed, he
was invariably light enough to ride Spell.
| man died about two years ago on Sixth
| avenue. 1t was at first thought that ne
had been robbed and murdered, but the
| coroner decided that he had fallen and hit
his head against one of the pillars of the
| elevated railroad, causing concussson of the
| brain, which resulted in his death