The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-18

ners. Trainer Davis numbered among
his intimate friends Tom and Charlie
Van S~tuddiford. sons of a w~ell-known
| st. Louis physician. The old doctor
was quite wealthy and being indulgent
to his boys they had full swing 20 do
pretty much rs they pleased with the
| liberal allowance he made them.
| Eventually they fell up against the
horse game and became plungers. Their
intimacy with Trainer Davis caused the
latter to promise them. when he left
the ST. outs tracks for Washington
park. Chicago. that he would let them
know by wire when his horse, John
Davis. was ut" and ready to u for
his life.
A week after leaving st. Louis the
trainer wired Tom and Charlie that he
horse John Davis would start i'm n race
the following day and he would let
them know whether to bet or not an
hour before the race.
Now IL so happened that the old doc
tor. the father of Tom and Charlie. had
for one of his most distinguished pa
TENTS the st. Louis millionaire dry
goods merchant. John Davis. on the
day that the two Van Studdiford boys
expected a telegram from the traine
announcing the certain success of the
horse John Davis. both were seated
with the old gentleman at a midday
luncheon I'm the family home. The boys
were somewhat nervous expecting ev-
cry homer to receive a telegram TO get
down their money on John Davis. the
horse. Several times they
the door bell, to the surprise of the old
man. who thought II strange that his
boys usurped the position of the butler.
The conversation Jagged somewhat
toward the close of the repast. and the
old doctor. leaning bac In his chair,
seemed not a little worried about some
thing.
"I can't understand" said he. the
meaning Of a dispatch received n while
ago"
''what was It. father" asked both
boys in n breath.
why, it said. Nall the coffin on
John Davis"
With a whoop both h Van stud
| dlford boys bounded from their seats at
the table. kicked over the chairs and
ran like whiteheads for the nearest
pool room. They got there before the
race was of and won $1,000. the horse
being quoted at 30 to !. The old man
had received the telegram they had i'm
patiently waited for. and knowing that
his patient, the millionaire dry goods
man. was sound and healthy, he was
puzzled about mailing the coffin on
John Davis"
But the boys understood.
A certain detective. employed then
and now at headquarters In the city
hall. was assigned to duty AZ WASH
ington park race course some eight
years ago. His mission, as well as
that of his partner. was to look after
plckpockets n disorderly characters.
In the course of the day the detective
becoming infected with the betting
fever. wagered several small bets
cleaned up about $50. His good for
tune quickened his spirits and he WIS.,
tied the wet goods department under
the grand stand oftener than was con-
ducive to the keeping of "a clear and
level head. When the entries OF the
fourth race were posted the exuberant
detective noticed the name OF a horse
called John l.. Sullivan. The detective
was a warm admirer Of the big one
and. coupling the name of the horse
with the great prize fighter, concluded
that II was a lasting disgrace to ofter
such odds as 1925 to 81 against him
Pushing his way to the nearest book
maker he showed his hand into his
pocket and. pulling out a handful OF
silver. said:
Bet that on John l.. Sullivan. II the
horse Is as good as the man was there's
no possible chance for me to lose
The bookie counted o u $40 I'm silver
and showing back the 40 cents laid
81. 900 against the s. remaining. To
the surprise of every bookmaker in the
ring. and ever the owner of the horse,
John l.. Sullivan won the race
and the by-this-time-sobered detective
oashed his ticket and made a bee line
for the central station. The money he
won was afterward invested by his
uncle, a captain of police, In a south
side lot, which to-day Is worth Sl2, 300. y
This same horse. John L. Sullivan, in
the same race. which resulted so for
tunately for the detective. brought in
a nice little nest egg To Big George"
a colored porter on Adams street.
Wen I woke up dat mawnin' on de
day wen John l.. win l didn' know
muffin bout no boss called John l..
Sullivan. but my wife she say, 50 she
do: 'Gawge. l dreamed dat John l..
Sullivan win
WHO John l.. nght?' l says, think
in bout de prize fighter. John l..
don't fight nobody l says. His day
past sometime ago. Corbett's de man.
But my wife simply say, John l.. sui
livan win So | jes' Ian and den | pick
up de mawnin' paper and read dat a
horse call John l.. Sullivan is entered
in de days race. OATS u fur me.
/ goes down fas' ez | kin to gamblers
alley in Ole Bill Riley's pool room en-
PUNK down a dollar on John l.. Ole
Bill say: 'Gawge. go back an steal "A
nudder dollar an bet me moh.' l bet
mob an won $3.50"