Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-04
JONES OF WASHINGTON.
A Piunger in Whom the West Has Taken
an Interest.


A Piunger in Whom the West Has Taken
an Interest.
From the Chicago Tribune.
The most noteworthy among the rev lights
in the crowd at the American Derby was a slim
built young man, who apparently evinced little
interest to what was going on. Occasionally
he looked at the bookmakers' boards and went
up and down the lines, placing bets on horses
he fancied.
To look at him one would think his limit
would be about Q ffty-dollsr note. but appear
ances in his case were deceitful, for the young
man is one Of the heaviest bettors in the United
States. He is washingtonian and his father
was an old-time printer, who worked at the case
on q morning paper for almost fifty years. His
name yas Jones and he had five boyss There
were Ike. Corydon, Ned and George Milton
called NIT for short, and Orlando. The four
first named grew MP to be men Of the world.
They kept club houses in Warrington, were
interested in race tracks, made books, and. in
fact. were sporting men, pure and simple.
Orlando Jones, or, as he was called, ''Lan-
der, - was the baby Of the crowd. Old man
Jones used to say that he didn't intend Or
lando to gamble at all He was his mothers
boy and his brothers sent him 10 college, where
he received the benefits Of a frst-class educa-
ton. His habits were exemplary. He never
drank and he never dissipated. His associates
were good and nobody ever saw Lander
Jones in a gambling house or pool room.
Everybody predicted a great future for him.
Some folks thought be was going TO be
lawyer; others said he would make famous
doctor or . frst-class architect Lander
Jones was highly respected and everybody said
kind things Of him. His brothers we're all
right enough in their way; their word was
good and they did not resort to shady ways to
cot G., md E
good surroundings with the promise of . pro-
fessional life before him.
When he got to be about twenty wears Of age
he made discovery that surprised him. He
found'out that the young fellows with whom
he associated were all pleasant companions and
there was OF IL. So he came to the conclusion
he would abandon all idea of q professional
life, and greatly to the surprise of every one
began writing sheet in pool room owned
by his brothers.
Folks said, isn't 1t too bad to see Lander
Jones throw himself away" but 1t never
Cured to these self-same people that they
might have made different man Of Lander
Jones II they had recognized his merits He
Was a gentleman by education and associate
But Lander" Jones developed into Che
greatest better the Washington race tracks aud
pool rooms ever knew. He was as cold a. q
cake Of Lake Geneva ice. and he calculated the
chances Of a horse race with Is much accuracy
as an astronomer foretells the transit OF Venus
Washington was too small for him and be soon
went over to New York, where he and his
brothers opened up a big pool room In the
last four or five years he has made and lost four
or five fortunes
This quiet, easy-going Orlando Jones, who
used to be around the streets of Washington,
makes all these plungers like "Pittsburg Phil
and that crowd lie quiet He won an immense
purse the other day in New York with bis horse
Charade, and he came ont here to place Mr..
Dryers money on Don Alonzo and other horses
fancied by that gentleman. Dwyer has implicit
confidence in him, and that lie the best evidence
OF Orlando Jones' shrewdness. He has ali the
daring and pluck of his brothers, with the de-
termination and will power OF the old printer.
his father, who stuck to his case and set type
until within q day or two of his death, and
with 1t all he is the easiest. most gentlemanly
young person you could meet in . days walk
He seems to keep sloof from the sporting
fraternity, only mingling with it when he is
compelled to. but he gets the money all the
same Nobody knows how much he is worth
and nobody can ever tell by the looks Of his
face whether he is q winner loser. There
hasn't been such a man rs him on the American
turf for q good many years, and it will be along
time before history repeats itself