The Portland daily press., 1893-03-15
FLYNN. THoMrsoN. wERTs.

roar and having as It's burden those magic
words which cause the heart Of the sports
man to beat faster, They're OFF, are
usually heard by persons in linen dust
ers who periodically mop the perspira-
ton from their incarnadined and drip
ping foreheads. The beat of hoofs as the
highly bred animals rush by the grand
stand, followed by clouds of dust, is as
sociated In the average mind with UNI
brellas, an exciting finish under the bis
tering rays of the summer sun, and an
adjournment to that mysterious precinct
under the grand stand where lemonade,
ginger ale and other 'ssoft" drinks, to-
gether with some which are not SO soft, "
are dispensed at prices about twice as
large on the average as are charged else
where.
But now all that is changed. One may
60 to the races at any season Of the year
if he live either in New York or Phila-
delphia or in any Of the towns or cities
between them. Just now the race track
frequenter is whirled to the scene of his
daily pleasure in heated railroad car
riages instead Of the open affairs cour-
teously called excursion cars. The
equines in their struggles for supremacy
and purses are not followed by clouds Of
dust, but they do kick up miniature
snowstorms with their heels and not in
frequently pass the winning post with
their jockeys colors almost entirely con-
cealed by quantity Of the fluffy fall
from the skies In whose praise q mis-
guided poet once sang.
Racing in binding snowstorm cam
not be considered, even by the most en-
thusiastic sportsman, a particularly edi-
flying spectacle or an. acutely agreeable
task. for horse and rider, and yet the
thing is done. The winter tracks are
well patronized, and the owners are rap
idly adding to their already plethoric
bank accounts.
The men who have been most promi-
nently before the public throughout the
New Jersey race track discussion are
Governor Werts, Speaker Flynn Of the
assembly, who was once the starter of
the Gloucester track, and William J.
Thompson, member of the assembly,
proprietor Of the Gloucester track and
practical owner Of everything that is
valuable in that queer little town. In
fact. the title by which he is known, the
Duke Of Gloucester, seems not out of
place, for there he Is czar as autocratic
almost in his rule as the gentleman who is
now occupying the winter palace in st.
Petersburg and consuming his brain It's
sue in efforts to devise ways and means
for lodging the convincing but surrep-
titious dynamite which his friends the
anarchists seem to be so anxious to force
upon his close attention.
Thompson is unquestionably the father
of winter racing in New Jersey. Others
may have benefited by his course, but
he is the man who more than all others
in New Jersey put together is response
Die for the daily struggles between ''sell-
ing platers" and the weather on the va
rious winter tracks Of the state. What
ever may be thought of him, therefore,
his career is certainly interesting, and
incidentally, it may be mentioned, ex-
cessively unique.
The toothsome planked shad formed
the nucleus Of Thompson's fortune
Thompson was born in Ireland and came
to America when lad. He hadn't $40
to his name when he landed in Philadel-
phia. He succeeded in getting employ
ment as billiard table tender in the
Continental hotel Of that city. Thomp-
son was bright eyed, rosy checked boy,
with keen, ready wit, and he soon be-
came very popular with the freerenters
Of the billiard parlors