The morning times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1897, 1896-08-02

| consists flrSt OF the trainer, second the
premier Jockey, thirdly OF the sta BILE boys,
| and fourthly or the apprentices; these
| last form the last rung of the ladder that
| leads 10 turf, fame, anu fortune. These
| apprentice boys form about one-half Of
the stables help; to u string oil twenty
horses there are usually ten men and ten
| boys, and nearly all the latter belong
| to the apprentice class. The reason for
| king advantage or the apprentice law.
| is that il the green boy turns out well, no
INSCRIPTIONS competing trainer can lure
| the boy away from his original employer.
| And again il places the boy under legal
control, SO that his parents KNOW exactly MS
| and their rights.
The ina lurity Of the boys are secured
| at the express wish OF their parents, who
| know that the boy appreDtoed to the
| bic OF Mr.. August Belmont, tie MessrS.
keene. Morris, Beard, Dwyer, Hobart,
or even to the smaller stables, will be wei
fed, clothed, and looked after generally.
1t is not alone humanity that prompts this
good and even liberal treatment, but
self interest as well, because If mai
treated or poorly fed, the boy willrun away.
Some OF these boys are secured from
various reformatory institutes and homes.
Harry Grffen, the premier jockey, for
Mr. August Belmont, who Won this years
Suburban with Henry OF Navarro, is u boy
out OF the Catholic Protectofy in West
chester county, and is an exceptionally
well hammered and well behaved young man
anu one of the best jockeys this country
ever produced. He WAS apprenticed to
James Shields and learned most OF what
he knows at Gutenberg of malodorous
fame; but it did not spoil Griffen, Who
now earns salary OF 81 5 900 a year, be-
sides the usual fees OF $1,000 for losing
and $1,000 for winning mounts. Generally
speaking however, owners and trainers
fightsh Of these institution boys as they
are apt To be such tough citizens, as not
to be amenable to the strict rules laid
down in Il well organized racing stable.
II you want cOlored boys, all that is
necessary is to walk through the streets
of any Southern town where niggers are
as plentifu! as flies with us, and pick
likely boy off the street, find out where
his NANNY lives and secure her con-
sent-the daddy Doesn't count In this in
stance-too many mo account niggahs'
down there-and the little imp OF dark
ness is yours. When the negro is a good
horseman he is superlative- Isaac
Murphy; but usually little success turns
their heads and makes them useless for
all practical purposes. Some trainers Ike
McCafferty use no apprentice boys, pre-
ferring to pay Il little more and secure ex-
perienced exercise lads the latter are
very scarce, because as soon as they com
mence to grow, they get too heavy; a boy
that weighs over ITO pounds has not
much chance as an exercise lad in !;
racing stable.
These boys are apprenticed for three
years under the State law from fourteen
years up TO about nineteen; it depends
entirely upon the boys wei ght-if he weighs
seventy-five pounds at fourteen. ne is not
likely to gain too much weight before
reaching manhood. For the first year they
receive 81 a month pocket money; the
second and third years $40 and Sl5
month respectively, and. of course, are
fed and clothed for the full term of their
apprenticeship; and as l have full reason
to know, well fed and well CT othed. During
a recent visit to the Sheepshead Bay race
track, l saw two little chans-brOthers-
who had been sent down from Rochester
TO join Mr.. Belmont's stable; they were
putting on their new outfit of underwear,
shoes, stockings. shirts, neckties, clothing.
hats, overcoats, surrounded by an admir-
ing crowd OF stable men, vigorously
"guying and hazing'' them as at any
other institution of learning. Compared
with the clothes they had just shed"
they looked like little princes; before they
were allowed 10 put on their new clothes
they had their hair cut and were washed
down vigorously under the stable pump.
During the apprenticeship the money they
earn in extra fees is either held n trust for
the DO or handed over to his parents, as the
latter may direct. II the boy should run
away-which sometimes lappens-he is ad-
vertised for, and all trainers are warned
neither to harbor nor employ him.
Work commences each day in the racing
season at half past three in the morning:
the string OF twenty horses is divided
into two sets of ten each; the first set is
exercised and then breakfast for all hands
at 6 O'Clock; after this the second set is
exercised; this is finished about 8 O'Clock.
Then everything is cleaned up about the
stable, racing gear. stable yard and sheds;
after the work is over play for the rest OF
the day. At 8 O'Clock il the evening
everybody goes to bed. To experience Just
how well they fare I'm one of these great
racing establishments, / was invited re-
Gently by the trainer CT a stable belonging
to one of the most disting uished men ON the
turf in this country, to dine with him, in
formally Of course. The menu consisted
of potato soup with rice, deliciously sea-
soned. roast mutton. boiled potatoes, green
peas, fried bananas. cabinet pudding cream
sauce and tea Now, do you know many
who dine so much better than this?
The boys get the same. They are great OIL
hot biscuits and pie and without both no
racing stable can ever have any luck. It
isconsidereda hoOdo O TO run a sta BILE without
these condiments, particularly pie. OF
COURSE IEeTe is Il COOK dUtdCTeO TO edcn
stable who markets for the entire estab-
lishment when he is good steward; il
not, the foreman or sometimes one Of the
men.
The strictest discipline is maintained.
If a boy comes late to meal he is shut
out of the dining room and goes hungry
until the next meal. Fights. bad language
and general cussedness, when displayed
are punished by fines, extra work and in
cease of the smaller boy, IN extreme cases.
he learns to know the taste of strap.
While the stable is in winter quarters,
the teacher from the nearest school vii
lage comes every night to the farm to
teach, attendance being obligatory on the
boys. Three prizes are distributed every
week among the best scholars. Attendance
at church on Sundays is also obligatory
The stable buildings are two in number,
opposite each other on either side Of
quadrangle, which forms the stable yard
Around all runs a covered walk, called
the ''shed," where the String is walked
in bad weather. Attached to each stable is
house. containing the dinin g rooms, kitch-
ems, and upstairs some sleeping room
There are no stairways; everything goes
up and down. stable fashion, by ladder
The boys sleep upstairs on either end of
the stables This is not a good ARRANGE
ment, but is the fault of-the jockey clubs
In not providing better accommodations Ia
winter quarters the boys fare better as to
sleeping berths.
At first the boys get pretty tired of get
ting up at ..cock crow and then in the
dim morning light sitting astride of some
high-strung thoroughbred, which he has
to exercise, and which cavorts about from
one side of the track to the other but IL
he is fond of the brute creation he will