Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1893-03-23


The murmur gradually rising. into
roar and having as its 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
ISOLATED 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 soft" 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
go to the races at any season OF the year
IL 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
euuines in their struggles for supremacy
and purses are not followed by clouds Of
dust, but they do kick up miniature
mowstorlns 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 a mis-
guided poet once sang.
Racing in binding snowstorm can
not be considered, even by the most en-
thusiastic sportsman, 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 il a car as autocratlC
almost in his rule as the gentleman who Il
now occupying the winter palace in st
Petersburg and consuming his brain It's
sue in efforts to devise ways and mean
for lodging the convincing but surrep
titious dynamite which his friends tn
anarchists seem to be so anxious to forc'
upon his close attention.
Thompson is unquestionably the fathe
of winter racing in New Jersey. Other
may have benefited by his course, bu
he is the man who more than all other
in New Jersey put together is response
BILE 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, an
incidentally, it may be mentioned. e1
eessively unique.
The toothsome planked shad forme
the nucleus of Thompson's fortune
Thompson was born in Ireland and cam
to America when a lad. He hadn't 81
to his name when he landed in Philade
phia. He succeeded in getting employ
ment as billiard table tender in tn
Continental hotel of that city. Thoml
son was bright eyed, rosy checked boz
with keen, ready wit, and he soon b.
came very popular with the frequentel
of the billiard parlors.