The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-02-24
PLEA FOR JOCKEYS.
Tod Sloan Tells How the Bows Are
MiStrea1ed

Tod Sloan Tells How the Boys Are
Mistreated.
Tod Sloan, the premier Jockey of
America, takes a firm stand against
the way owners treat boys who are
serving their apprenticeship with va
rious stables. Sloan, among other
things. says:
Regarding apprenticed boys, let me
say that not one in 100 is taught any
practical knowledge about riding by
their employers or SO-called managers
II would like to hear Garrison's and
McLaughlins stories of how much
Father Bill DAILY taught them and
ed from him. The best these riders
ever got from him was rap on the
side Of the head or kick from his
wooden leg. Daily is credited with
bringing more jockeys to the front
than any other man. Why? Because
he has had 100 lads apprenticed to him
in his time; they were cheap help
around the stable, and naturally a few
out of this great number would de-
velop into something.
Did any one ever hear of Bill DAILY
paying salary for a rider? Did he
ever sell one of his boys who had
saved little money supposed trot-
ter for $500 or $500, which was worth
$500 at the outside? Did Bill DAILY
ever collect his riders earnings for
outside mounts and keep them? Let
some one come forward who wants to
argue any of these points. They won't
have to look beyond me for answers.
Look at the fuss Atkins & Latt-
ridge are making about Dick Clawson.
now that he has chance to get on
with such men as William c. Whitney
Sidney q
the wilds Of the West and say, What
are We to get for making the boy what
he is?' They don't say anything about
what ClaWson has done for them Who
ever heard of Atkins & Lattridge, or
Who ever would have heard of them,
but for Dick Clawson? Did they ever
pay him any Of the salary he was
earnings for stable expenses? Did they
ever give him back any Of this money
they spent? Do they owe him any
thing now? There comes time when
the rider sees chance to better him.
self, and the contract employers say:
We will see. We will place the mat
ter before the Jockey club, and, if that
organization doesn't force the boy to
come back to us, we will carry the
case to the courts The cry with the
apprentice-contract employer is:
What chance has the poor owner?'
When he gets a good boy some one
tries to get him away IS
What chance has the boy?
"A boy can come to stable looking
for employment; the trainer or man in
charge Will say: All right, start in
now and go to work The lad stays
around, leading horses to cool them
out after their work, doing all kinds
OF work around the stable, which is
Tar from being play. He may work for
civ +t,r-
chance to gallop a horse, and then
1T will only be because some other boy
Is SICK or has run away. After time
the employer observes that the boy has
some ability in the way of handling
horses, or some one on the outside NAV
say that he is likely to make a good
boy. linen the employer sends for the
trainer and the two discuss the boys
merits and dement's, with the result
that the horseman looks up the boys
parents ana from them secures a five
years contract on the principle that it
doesn't cost anything and if he does
turn out rider it will be a good thing.
There are very few people who
know what these contracts mean. The
parents of the boy are told fairy tales
about what will be done for him and
how much trouble it will be to make
rider OF him, but regardless of this
and because the employer likes the bow
he VIII take him for five years. the
first three for nothing and the next
Two years he will pay the boy S. for
losing mounts and SIS for winning ones
II at the end Of the five years the lad
mas been saving, he may have $27 com
ing to him, but it hardly ever reaches
that amount
IF he is a fair horseman and some
one is willing to hire him I'D comes
the owner with proposition to sell
him as chattel. Ed (SnappeD Garrf-
son, Johnnie Lamley, Dick Clawson
frank Cody, Sheedy and a number of
other jockeys could relate some inter
est1ng experiences in this line if thew
would
Il am one of the few riders who have
not had to put up with these things.
simply because I never allowed MYSELF
TO get tangled up with the class of
people who are looking for five-year
contracts. 1 had one once with John-
ME Campbell, but after serving the
first three months L tore it up and
threw it on the ground in his pres
ence at Washington park in 1890. But
L am not CHASING Campbell with the
people 1 have mentioned, and I would
probably have been just as well off
II L had served my time with him. for
ne IS one of the few horsemen who
nave taken an interest in the welfare
or the lads about his stable, giving them
little protection. The older men can
take care Of themselves
Let the stewards of the jockey club
make thorough investigation of the
cases that come before them. and in
fairness give the boys a hearing"