The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-11-04
SOME TALES OF THE TURF.
TINE OLD-TIME Tyre or RACING
MlN mas DISAPPE1RED.
strict BIscipIinarinns OF the McDauiel
school Have Passed Awny-The Tern-
psr OF The Thoroughbred

Jockey Club a few evenings ago in Delmonico's
cafe. ~ mean men OF the stamp of Col, Me.
Daniel, who were peculiar to their ownd day
His was n character which would play n promi-
nent part in history or fiction where racing is
concerned.
with never n thought of the morrow, he was
content to let the day bring forth what II would.
No man in his employ dared to question the
why OF wherefore Of his commands, and he was
feared and loved by all. All knew that disobe-
dience invariably meant punishment, and In this
respect Col. Mcdaniel had the ingenuity Of n
fend. Harry Bassett. the best race horse that
the old turfman owned, was q vicious brute that
hated the sight of a colored man, and would
both bite and kick whenever the opportunity
offered itself. The favorite mode of Furnishing
any of his colored men was to place
them astride the bar of the box stall
In which the savage horse was housed.
Another negro, with q revolver or shot
gun In hand, would stand guard and keep the
terrified culprlt in his place on his uneasy perch.
Bassett would snort and display his rage In
various ways before making n dash at the arm
or leg Of the luckless boy astride the bar. Beat
ing the horse over the head will. his hands or
kicking him with the feet sometimes kept him
at bay, but anybody ever having FIVE or ten min
utes Of the exercise of keeping such an ugly
brute as Bassett at a safe distance did not
banker for another session with the famous de-
scendant OF Lexington and Canary Bird.
Jimmy Rowe. now the starter for the Jockey
Club, began his turf career with Mcdaniel, and
while Mcdaniel idolized the little virsinian,
he was quite as strict with him as with any OF
the other members of his staff. Rowe used to
ride Bassett in all his races, and then, as now,
was fond Of a joke and fun. Whenever Nc
Daniel went away from homo he always left
strict injunctions with his head man to re-
-. ~
- 40 hir, rnor his r.,rrr Sono,,mo. ali
ooss W nun up'" "s iot'' ~,
then their punishment would rival some
NJ tho ,ortures NJ tho dark aoea favorite
plan was to place the aulprits in a circle. The
Colonel with his stout walking stick would sit in
face him. After those who could afford the
luxury OF shoes and stockings had removed the
covering oi'he'r Ieet =, man "Ouu n"so
the rounds rapping each boy sharply on the
- .-s,ts,a d, ~ ,ino 90
there Is anything more EXQUISITE IN the rne Oh
vinced that there isn't.
~ ma.so. .no,h.. ,,,,r, = sa orcs 7,
II remember ahother thing no uiu once IL
was a year he wintered in the vicinity OF Eliza
beth. y. ]. He had been away South for a month.
and coming home unexpectedly found all of his
help disorganized and n long report OF the
wickedness of nine.tenths of his employees
-
awaiting him. The night was bitterly cold but
he marched the wronsdoers out in a line to the
hiRh sa'e me- iu my e'hoio '"iu.
out any jackets the boys were compelled to
mount the barrier, and then placing an armed
$50 a aon,,na, h. ratu-r.5 IN tho
negro as sen.ihri ne re''rnou ~
house. trimmed his lamp afresh, placed
IL Mt his window where he could see all
,h., nroyo, on5 nr.,.ndod On ho reading tho
that proven ahu pretenuea y oc reau.hE IL
newspaper that he held in his hands. but all the
while he was chuckling TO himself. The young
s.ar. shivorod 4, ,ho co,d iii, air and would
STEERS shi'ereu IN the coiu hisht AIR anu "oupo
have much rather have taken a good toe-crack-
inc and have IL over md done with.
x.-- II
A 1a'orite FORM OF amusement win the boys
in McDaniel's stable was to crack corn cobs.
There was ALWAYS n champion corn cob that could
-. -. - -,
oreak any Oh the others' the game peihs pIayeu
by cracking them across each other. Rivalry
AZ hioh Mt one Tina that all NJ
-
corn was removed from every con
while the old man was absent, aud when he
home he was In n towering rage. Calling
-" It
everY 10Y IN line, ne mad them Toll up their