The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-11-26
ItOLLERING" THE WINNER IN.
1t WAS Worked Long Before the
Tinne of Kris kringlc.


The recent antics of the crowd at New
port, which gathered along the stretch and
whooped and yelled to scare Kris Kringle
out OF the sulks, and succeeded in doing
so and making him win, reminded an ola
trainer at Washington oil similar Incl
dent, which he thus related to New YORK
sun man.
i've seen the holler in gang work
ed often at both the legitimate and the
outlaw tracks. and Tor big money. One OF
the biggest hog saughterngs that was
ever made at the game was when an lro-
qulos nag, 6-year- old gelding named
McKeever. turned a rank outsider trick
ut Alexander Island in 1895. The boys that
knew what was going to happen that
time surely did buy it by the basketfui
for a long time afterward. McKeever
was worth about 81 in his latter career,
and not a whole lot more at any stage
OF the game, according TO my way OF sizing
EN-. AS a and year old he couldn't
even make the doped outlaws think they
We're in race. but his people kept him
plugging away on the chance that some
day or other he might pick up some OF
the spirit OF his sire. the royal lroquios,
and pay for his oats and rubbing, anyhow,
When he was brought to Alexander Island
in the spring OF 30 and tried out it was
seen that he was just the same old truck
mule. One morning. after he'd been beat
en- a number OF times by several Phila-
delphia blocks, when at 100 TO L or so in
the books. his owner had him out for
bit of canter around the ring with
1i0-pound stable boy on him. A lot of
stable boys and railbirds were scattered
all around the itfeld. assembled in groups
at intervals OF 100 feet or so, chewing
grass and watching the horses at their
morning work This old McKeever
starts around the course as If he's doing
81 wal I'M he bpv civ
the goad and the bat. but it's no go. Nc
KeeveT sticks to his caterpillar gait, and
his owner leans against the rail with
watch in his mitt and mumbles unholy
things about the skate. There's a laugh
among the stable boys and the railbirds
as McKeever goes gallumping around.
Then Il stable lad that's got bit of In
dian in him leans over the rail just as
McKeever's coming down, and let's out
whoop that can be heard across the
Potomac.
McKeever gives a jump, and away he
goes like the wind. 1t looks so funny to
the railbirds along the line that they all
take up the yelp, and McKeeyer jumps
out faster at every shout. Fle gets TO 60
ing like a real, sure enough race horse by
the time he has made the circuit once.
aud he keeps right on. The owner gets
next to il that it's the shouting that's
keeping the old plug on the go. and he
waves HIS dIlllo anu IdnsSS lHS WIN "'SNH
for the boys to keep it up. Mckeever does
six furlongs in i:14 with the assistance
of the hollering and the owner takes him
off the track gives him look over and
some extra attention. and smiles 10 himself.
Then he pushes McKeev.r into six
and half furong race on the following
day. He stations about twenty or twenty
five railblrds. all OF EN- stable boys OUT
OF Job. In the intield. and hands them out
their yelling instructions. Mckeever Is
up against one Of the best fields of sprint
ors mt the track and he goes TO the post at
so to / and sticks at that. Hisowner puts
large number of his pals next TO what's
going 10 happen, and not a man OF them
plays the good thing at the track. They
have their coin telegraphed in bundles TO
the pool rooms all over the country. Me-
Keever gets out in front, and he hasn't
made more than dozen jumps before one
OF the kids inside the rail throws whoop
that makes the people in the grandstand
put their hands to their ears. Mckeeyer
gives "A swerve and side step, and away
he goes like the Empire State express,
hundred feet further, when he's FOUR
lengths in the lead, and the others, includ-
ing the even money shot, nowhere, couple
more railbirds shoot out another double
jointed veil. and Mofoeror tu.ups cut
again like an ice yacht. he gets the holier
at every 100 feet OF his journey, the rail-
birds not taking any chanches on his stop
ping, although after the first furlong he
Ia six lengths TO the good and the result
Is that McKeeyer simply buck-jumps heap, I
The old time pool room people VIII tell
YOU vet how they had to turn the box |
good many OF EN-, the day that Mekeever I
WAS hollered home at old Alexander is
land"