The herald., 1895-09-15

| or more OF the good fathers had sounded
| him as to his incllnations and adaptable
| ity for the future. Young GriifiI wa:
willing to listen to advice and willing te
take it. but beyond cherished am bitior
| to support his orphaned sisters he seemed
TO have no particular trend of thought.
| lt.was at this time of his life that the
| great change took place. One day there
came into the playground with Father
| Leaton "a big, red-faced man who wore
| checked clothes and pink shirt and who
| talked hoarsely and expectorated scatter
| lngly like street sprinkler. The boys
eyed him askance and kept on playing.
The red-faoed man watched them sharply
and talked in low tones to the priest.
Finally the latter called young Griffin.
Come here, Henry" said he, 81 want
you to talk to Mr.. Shields. He is look
ing for a boy to work in his stable
Would you like the position?"
The boy hung back bashfully. II don t
know said he.
DO you know ANYTHING about horses
asked the red faced man.
No, sir was the reply.
do you think you could learn to ride. "
u don't know. SIR
would you like to learn
Eyes, sir"
Then it was settled that Henry Griffin
and his brother were to go into the rae
ing stable of James Shields at a salary per
month far less than that which the jockey
now earns in one days riding. He,
with his brother and the red faced man,
took his departure from the Protectory
the next day. 1t was not until evening
that they arrived at the Stable Griffin
was awed with his surroundings. Two
or three little negro stable boys eyed the
slim white-facen lad contemp mptuously;
others became friendly and proffered
advice. Griffin was given a horse to feed
a nd fnr a Il J., ,lt. aS
he does everything. Then he was put
up on one of the gentlest horses for an
exercise canter around the track. He
was decidedly awkward. His time was
pretty well occupied with maintaining his
equilibrium. One day the red-faoed man
came down to the stables ana announc-
ed his intention OF breaking several
yearlings. Griffin was selected to do the
work. He went about 1T without any ex.
hibition of fear or nervousness. He was
lifted into the saddle, only to be pitched
out again like a quoit Time after time,
without word lie came back again, cool
and collected, and each time he did bet
fed-faced man made up his mind that the
boy would in time make a great Jockey.
By this time the new stable BOY had be-
come used to the uproar and nervous
delrium of the race tracks. Even at this
time he had apparently made up his
of the Jockeys then riding and he was
inwardiy longing for the opportunity.
Much of the little money he was earning
was sent to his sisters, and when he saw
boys no older than himself with rolls of
bills amounting to hundreds OF dollars
his am bition suddenly shaped itself into
a resolution to follow his opportunity
and become jockey. Both he and his
brother had been apprenticed to James
Shields until they should be 81 years of
age. 1t was in the hands OF Shields to
make or mar their future.
In 1890 the Shields stable opened its
fall and winter campaign at the famous
Guttenburg track, and here Grif fin had
his first mount. He rode well, but did
not win.' Nevertheless his work was so
promising that he soon became the regu-
lar stable JOCKEY. Purse after purse rolled
into the Golfers of his employer. The
jockey was sought for by other stables.
A good portion of the money thus earned
went to Shields but Griffin was glad of
it. To Shields he owed everything.
Since those days thu history of Griffin
has been familiar to evey frequenter of
the lace track and the pool room. Keep
to yourself and don't talk stable secrets
to any ybody." This was the first in unc-
tion of the red.faced man, and it has
been followed to the letter. Times have
changed greatly since Grifin's debut at
Gutter burg. Luck has gone hard with
the red-faced man, anu he does not own
a stable now. Griffin gets salary of
$l7. 500 from David Gideon, and Shield )
gets part of it, as the jockey is still an
apprentice. Grifin's brother is also a
careful, conscientious Jockey, but some
time ago had the misfortune To break his
leg, since which time he has been laid
up. Griffin's latest notable achievement
was the winning of the Futurity on Re-
qultal. Last year he won the same race
for Mr.. Gideon with The Butterflies. -
New York Herald