The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-11-12
SLY FATHER BILL DAILY.
sToRTEs ABoUT THE UELL-KNoWy
R4CING MIN FROM HARTFORD.


How One or Harry IIiir- Wrestler. Came
10 Grief at brighton Beach-Biil'- Game
Leg. nnd the Part IL Played In tho Con-
tc.t-Ose of tho Tiucs the Laugh wn.
on Your Uncle NNiIinm-A Born Horse
MAN WHO has Made n Fortune on the Turr.
There,is no more familiar nGure about any
OF tho great race trncas Ia tho Vicinity OF New
York than W. G.. botter known as Father
Bill" DAILY OF Hartford DAILY is ono OF those
unique characters that have n place on tho
turf and Oil it Twenty years ago no was in
comparatively poor circumstances. but by
shrewd speculutions In thorough reds and
trotters he has Garnerod n fortune OF more
than quarter Of million dclars, has an OK
tensive string OF raco horses. owns two o. the
best hotels In Hartford. and nm extensive
breeding farm on the outskirts OF that city,
Crippled by q railroad accident which carried
away n leg and II few fingers OF ono hand. DAILY
10 as spry as most mon who have the full use
OF their limbs A wrestler who was doing n
turn at Harry Hills In tho old days can vouch
for this fact. This young man anne to Brighton
Beach. and while in the paddock chatting
with DAILY and a number OF others the talk
turned TO wrestling. Daily listened to tho
boastings of Hiil's star for while and then
offered to bet $40 that tho professional could
not put him on his bacl; in the sand The
yrest err was ignorant OF tho fact that DAILY had
game" log. and. preparing himself for the
contest. asked:
What hold shall we take" -.
Tho best ye kin. sonny" was Bilrs reply as
he got ready for business. The wrestler made
q dive. seized Father Bill by tho collar and ell
bow. and 1t seemed Ms though victory would
be his IN n moment when. Rip! Bill slashed
his artificial leg across the wrestlers shins,
and the athlete tumbled in q heap. shouting
that his legs were broken.
My ten." was Dnly's sole remark as he
pocketed the money.
The wrestler wasn't satisfied. however. and.
after a few moments rest. wanted another
trial for like amount. DAILY said In talking
about 1t afterward: :. =.
"Iknew when Ihnd good thing. and gave
him the leg the second time for fair. and 1t
was fifteen minutes before he could walk. /
scooped in the twenty"
Before Bill got rich 1t was said that he made
his own legs. and some of the race track
jokers are authority for the statement that
each OF the home-m limbs had recep-
tacle for an oil can. and that when the joints
creaked DAILY would proceed with all gravity
to oil UP. replacing the can and closing the
door OF the compartment it occupied.
Days leg has played a prominent Part in
many OF the stories told about him. but tho
following is perhaps the best: An agent OF
the Society for the Prevention OF Cruelty to
Animals was informed that the horseman was
ill-treating colt at his train ing quarters on
the CoHey Island boulevard opposite the
Gravesend race track. The horse had II weak
In boiling hot water when the Official arrived
upon the scene. lie was bent upon arrestng
sure that water amt hot: could put my
foot in 1t for five minutes
The agent tired it with his hand, and. uron
hnI - IL nigh
lon that he couldn't do any such thing. That
there was sporting blood IL his veins was
shown by the promptitude with which he ac-
The money, was staked. and into the tub
i IN eISuds but Bill smiled ermy as he noteG
the flight of time, by his gold chronometer.
and winked at the agent as he retortcd:
There. told you it WASH hot"
Eirs mutated hngers hnTe played no snail
there, were COMMENTATORS and deals in selling
races especially before the Board Of Control
lee:slated against the evil, is well known by
when Dial horses ran second toa good racer.
he found a means of informing the owner OF
at auction. one finger meant 500, two fingers
beat Bill at his own game, 1t was one day
at brighten Beach that Da; I ra9 , second and
harpened that the index finger Of his right
hand is intact, but only half Of the secoud
% nod "sis ac@
horse had been bought in by the owner DAILY
was ready {or settlement. He kicked Justify
ing up the fingers once more. There. you
and half-Sl50," Bill saw, theipont: and has
frequently told the yarn with Il chuckle
DAILY loves good trotter. and has owned
many that could beat 2:3O. The chestnut
gelding Farmer Boy was very speedy horse
and no died on tho track in New England be-
merit. Driven by DAILY. Farmer Boy, turned
the parkvil ia Farm track in PA. pulling the
high wheel sulky. the bicycle rig being then
unknown. One morning Bill. was sending
Farmer Boy along mt u 2:l2 clip when the
gelding stepped in one Of his quarter boots
sulky like rocket soaring skyward and land
ing in an UNCONSCIOUS condition thirty feet
away. breaking collar bone. The shock tore
his wastcoat open and his wallet flew out. A
bystander. in speaking about it, said:
"Thousnnd- dollar bills and hundreds lit
gathering IN the money, others were helping
to carry hi away. Turning lie saw us with the
money and shouted. Hold on: want them"
The methods employed by DAILY. who is re-
mNrkably successful with crippled thorough.
breds. are ,slngularly effective. A natural
vast degree OF skill. He cnn extract II moIar
with the ease Of Bishop, and in short. knows
til" game OF horse from Alto IL. He has brought
Ont the greatest riders OF the day. Mclaughlin
ana Garrison be- ng graduates from his school.
He is, u great ,admirer OF tho ''g9od.by" style
front the m unent the flag drops, his jockeys
being instructed to . git To- tho wire iust.
takin the shortest way home Days horses
are always out to win. ant anybody who fol-
lows the green above the rod through Il season
will land many long shots