The Washington times., 1894-04-02
CURRENT SPORTING NOTES
Some Rumors About Prospective Race
Meetings in Virginia.
AS TO BENNING'S AND IVY CITY
Billy Joyce Tells Hard Story on Tommy
Dowd's Experience at Hot springs-Mana-
ger schmslz Has Many would-be Advisers,
but Doesn't Need Their Assistance.

Inere Is naturally mucn btereot poihS
manifested in the local racing outlook, and
all sorts OF rumors are in circulation respect
ing the same. The announcement in sun
days Times Of the proposed new track was
in the nature of revelation to many Of the
sports who had been kept in ignorance of the
deal. Ned Jones, who is one of the inter-
ested parties. made no secret OF the project,
and claims racing will be inaugurated at
Jackson City inside Of sixty days. As this
place is more accessible than either Of the
District tracks, the chances are that 1t Will
prove quite drawing card provided the proper
kind of sport is furnished. Then great at
traction to many will be the continuous rae
ing which is TO be carried on, and in addi-
ton opportunities will be provided for bet
ting on foreign meetings.
This scheme may interfere seriously with
the Hill track at st. Asaph's, where extensive
improvements are under way, and rumor has
it New York parties are considering joining
forces with Hill and running Summer meet
ing. 1t may be that the Jackson City track
will prove the favorite with the public be-
cause of its being easier of access, but even
this advantage will not cut any material hg-
ure unless the sport is all right.
1t would seem that the Governor OF Vir-
gina has not improved the situation over
the river by his activity in shutting down the
pool rooms at jackson City. As a matter OF
fact. the men behind both the st. Asaph and
Jackson City tracks are the same who for
merly operated the pool rooms. As conse-
quence of the new Virginia law there will be
more racing and betting in that state than
ever before.
There will undoubtedly be a clashing Of in
terests between Benning's and Ivy City if the
race-track bill now in the Senate becomes a
law. AS the Benning's people are apparently
determined to run independent of Ivy City,
the issue may be accepted by the latter, and
there would be lively times If both meetings
are run at the same time. II is reported that
when the bill was amended so as to include
Ivy City the understanding was the Washing
ton Jockey Club would have the choice OF
dates. If such is the case, it would appear as
If the Ivy City people had made a bad bar
gain. as they would have to race in opposi-
to Brooklyn. 1t is hardly likely, however,
that such an agreement was made. as the bill
in its original form would hardly have be-
come a law. as it was class legislation of the
most pronounced type.
Billy Joyce tells the following story on
Tommy Dowd, who will be remembered as a
former great favorite i'll Washington. The
scene is laid AZ Hot Springs, and Joyce
yields up as follows:
"Tommy went to see an Uncle Toms Cabin
company one night at the Hot Springs opera
house. The Eva of the company was brunette,
and every time she had line about heaven and
the angels she did an upshot with her far away
optics, casting them III the direction of the SOL
diers bath-house upon the reservation. When
she cried her eyes fell southerly toward Tom
Radcliffes rum shop opposite the Arlington
hotel Tommy was seated in the first row of the
parquette, and became so interested i'll Eva that
they actually split up tho troubles between
them, Tommy doing most OF the crying. i intro
duced him TO the manager of the show. Tommy
stammered and looked foolish when asked him
if he wanted to meet the young lady who played
Eva We fixed it up to meet him in the parlor
of the Pullman hotel the following evening
Tom was there on ltime in e fancy vest and
silly grin.
"a .heayy-weight smoke, about the tint Of
Peter jackson, and big enough TO put on the
gloves with Peter, shot from the sofa and got a
half nelson on Tommy. Then the gang walked
in. The manager, fat fellow named Clark,
begged Tommy's pardon He thought it was
Topsy and not Eva.that Tommy wanted 10 meet
He made a mistake; really he did The ropsy
was chambermaid in the hotol and played her
part tor 70 cents. IL cost Tommy so that night
to square himself
There have been q number of communion
tions received from baseball enthusiasts con-
tanning all manner of suggestion as to the
composition OF the ball team, and if a COM
posite picture was made of this volunteer ad-
vice it would include about every man under
contract and would be sufficient TO turn
Gus Schmelz's whiskers frosty tint. The
genial Gus has his hands full just now, and
does not need any outside advice in the mat
ter OF picking team. He realizes his task is
a difficult one, and feels the responsibility.
The outcome of his Judgment will be awaited
with interest, and if he is able to pick out
winning team from the collection OF veterans
and youngsters at his disposal he will achieve
a glorious success.
AS a result of experiments made by Pref.
C. T. Hodge. of CLARK University, Worcester.
Mass, to ascertain how carrier pigeons find
their way home. the discovery is made that
the pigeons are guided by sight alone. This
dissipates the popular notion of direction
sense or blind instinct. The professor finds
that no carrier pigeon can find his way over
strange country, that he is likely to get lost
il log, and that until he learns from expert
ence he is often fooled by colors or objects
which appear to be familiar
Fred Marble, clerk TO several Congressman,
was a classmate of big Heffelfnger, the giant
Yale football player, at the Minneapolis High
school, and they were chums, the boys dub
bing them the .'lion and the lamb Marble
is small and Heffelfnger is big, but they al
ways played doubles in tennis and the big 'un
had habit of catching the little fellow by
the coat collar and holding him up for the
benefit of the other boys. Ever since Hefre-
fingers advent in Varsity athletics young
Marble has been IN interested and enthusias-