The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-12-18
Hell A MODEL LITTLE FELLOW.

associate Judge at the Bay District track,
arrived at the Palace Sunday. With him
is Henry Griffin, the greatest lightweight
Jockey in America.
Griffin is a mere boy, II years of age, yet
II Is said that his prospective earnings for
the coming season will be greater than the
salaries OF half of President Cleveland's
Cabinet He is pleasant, Smooth-faced,
wel-behaved little fellow, whose total
height is only feet inches, OF which
feet and p ineh are legs. His arms are
. feet inches long. while his weight is
only SO pounds. 1t is this liberal length of
legs and arms, With the accompanying ID
sence of flesh, which enables the boy 10
make more money than all these political
gentlemen.
Next season Griffin will pilo! the horses
in Gideon & Days stables, and for his
services he will receive SIC, 500 from that
firm. In addition to his salary he will get
from the firm SIS for every winning mount
and SO Tor every losing one. 1t is prob
able that he Will be psid from $4,000 to
$4,000 by some one Of the big owners for
second call on his services, and in addi-
ton can ride for any outsider when his
employers have nothing in the race. As
and as he receives handsome presents
from men who back their horses, it wi II
readily be seen that his income next season
will be more than $4,000. This will be
the largest salary ever made by jockey
in this country. far surprising the earn
ings of Mclaughlin and Snapper Garrison
when they wers in their prime.
Physically, aside from MS legs and arms,
Griffin is a handsome boy. with a long,
pale. delicate face and dark Irish blue eyes,
shaded by long laShes. He is pleasant and
respectful in his manner, has soft voice,
and does not swear or drink or talk race
track slang. He has breadth between the
eyes where phrenologists says judgment of
space is located. and lis head is unusually
large for SO small a frame. His feet are
long and slender, while his hands, from
much riding, have become broad and hard.
Grifin'S advent on the race course is said
TO have been brought about in the folio W
ing manner: In 1891, James Shields. an
Eastern HORSEPOWER, wanted some stable
boys and thought he could get them at
Catholic institution in Westchester County,
\. Y. He visited the place and asked the
boys if any of them cared to become
Jockeys. Four boys accepted his invita-
ton, and one o.. them was Henry Griffin.
He had his first mount in the following
August at Gloucester. but ii was not until
Decem Der that he won a race on John
Hickey at Guttenburg.
For two years Griffin, then a slight
S0-pound boy, rode IN sleet and ice in Gut
ienburg and Gloucester during the winter,
with an occasional visit to the big tracks
in the summer. 1t was hard life, and it
is remarkable that the boy came out of 1t
cleaT-minded aud with no bad habits. He
was well treated by Shields. who sent him
TO the winter school at the Guttenburg
race track.
Griffin had several narrow escapes in
those days. Once he was riding bad old
horse named Jim NoTvelie, a vicious,
depraved old Guttenburg rufian. Either
by accident or design old linn fell o Ih e
ice during the race and half dozen horses
fell over him. When they picked little
Henry up there was a big cash in his head
and be was unconscious. The doctors
worked with him Tor twelve hours before
be regained his senses, but he was riding
again in a few days. He fell a dozen
times in three years, breaking his collar
bone once and one of his valuable long
legs at another time.
Griffn's fame as close rider at Gutten-
burg spread to the New York tracks and
there was much curiosity among the pro-
fessionals to see him. His first notable
mount was in the Futurity of two years
ago, when he rode Galilee and was only
beaten by Taral on Domino by a few
Inches, while Dobbins was third, short
head behind Galtlee. 1t was beautiful
finish and Griffin thought be had won. He
Is said to have been queer-lookiDg little
fellow then. with pale grish face and
big eyes. When he saw Domino's numbe r
go up he was broken-hear,ed. Some one
asked him as he was trolting off to the
stable with his saddle under his arm how
he happened to lose. 81 don't know"
sobbed the little fellow, unless it's be-
cause / am so little and the horse is so
big.''
Last year Gideon & Daily engaged Grit
fin at salary of $4,000. During the sum-
mer Pierre Lorllard offered him $4,000
for the next year, but Gideon s. Daily
secured him finally for S16,5O0.
Grifln's work in the racing seas on is n o
easy task. he gets I'D at $3.50 Am. and ex-
ercises horses until about O'Clock. Then
he gets his breakfast, and at o'clock he
rides what is called the second set of
horses until about o'clock. He remains
about the stable until noon, when be goes
10 the track. During the afternoon he
frequently rides in every race, and be is
usually kept busy until the races are over.
He eats his supper at and goes to bed at
o'clock.
Griffin saws he is fond of riding. ssThe
sensation is pleasant one," said he yes-
terdsy. 'as when thoroughbred is going
at full speed there is no perceptible mo-
ton. You sit with your knees pressed
against the horse. leaning forward to
throw the weight on the animals shoul-
ders, and there is no more jarring than if
you were sitting in chair"
The little fellow says that hs has not vet
made up his mind what he will do with
his money. He says that he has two sis
teIs to support who are younger than him.
self and who are attending boarding-schooI
in Connecticut town. They are study.
ing French and algebra, he says, and can
play the piano. and when they have got
through with their studies they may get a
nIaea enmawhera nd lice tnpathnr