The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-01-05
CHARITY AND THE TURF

Large Amounts Turned Over for
worthy OBJECTS By wealthy Win
ners
(From London Tit Bits.)
Many are the munifoent gifts which
owners Of rsoshorssA after winning .
notable svsns to which 10 attached q large
pu rse, have givea to various charities.
But probably the greatest gift Of this
nature 10 that Of $50. 600. which the Duke
Of Westminstsr recently presented 10 the
Royal Alexandria Hospital. st Rhy,
being the sum won BY his COLT Blyins
Fox In the Kolipss Stakes. This n By no
means the FIRST gift on the part Of this
noble sportsman Of similar nature.
This writer believes that one year the
Duke of Portland devoted all his win
nings on the turf 70 charitable purposes.
1t was the year In which he was married.
and II was a charming and generous
thought on the part Of his beautiful
Duchess which led his Grace 10 do this
Tho Duke Of Devonshire 10 another gen.
srous donor of this kind, aud on more
than one occasion, when . favorite horse
of his won classic event he has not
hssitated to forward the stakes to some
church fund, hospital or an orphan
homo.
There 10 one particular orphanags In
this country which has benefited By many
Thousands Of pounds sent By his Grace Of
Devonshire az the result Of his winnings
on the turf, and one cannot think Of any
more graceful act on the part Of wealthy
men than 90 dsvoting their winnings
when indulsing in the sport Of kings.
The lats harry Saville was fortunate
enough to win the first Grand Prix de
Paris with The Ranger. and seeing that
an English horse had won on the first
oocaslon that this All-important French
race was contested for, he not only gave
Q munificant donation toward building
the English church at Ohantiily, but
devoted the remainder Of his winnings
70 the poSr Of Paris. His example has
not psen lost sight Of. and every Eng
lishman who has been fortunate enough
10 win the Grand Prix dc Paris has
money with q view TO sllsviating the
wants Of the sick and poor. Baron de
RothschiId gave away the whole Of the
stakes when Ls Roi Spleil won last year.
One OF tho mcst liberal Of donors was
the late Baron de Hirsoh: it Is . matter
OF history that he gave all the winnings
returned by La Fleche to eharita BILE pur.
poses, but IL In not generally known that
he had quite = number OF pensioners to
whom he >allowed the names not only OF
Englishmen, but Austrians and French
men as well. This fund was kept up BY
la AAA wi1tV
tion Of his winnings. and IL ran into
| several thousand pounds year.
| Another Instance Of this was provided BY
the late Mr.. Barnaso. A story IL told on
good authority OF . man In the city, in q
fairly good way Of business who found
times gone by had small transactions
with Mr.. BarnAto. and had known Bar
nAto when he was poor and struggling
man, and had ON one occasion sasisted
him. Whom Mr.. BArnato was applied 70
for assistance he turned TO shs applicant
pay the money inf" "Three days" WA
the reply. "Well," said Mr.. bas nato.
quietly, Hf my horss. wins tomorrow you
shall have the money"
| As q matter Of fact. Rarnato thorough
ly made up his mind that, whether the
quired assistance. BArnato backed the
horse to win exactly the amount required
by his old friend, Tho horse won, and
not only did Mr.. BarnAto give toe win
nings, but he presented the friend IN
trouble with the stakes as we'll. This II
only one of the many instances. In which
Mr. Barnato 80 acted. 1t was favorite
hobby OF his, when one OF his horses won.
to forward the stalks 20 some jewish char
ity In which he was par tioularly interest
cd. Another kind hearted owner Of race
horses 10 MIRA Langtry, and the writer
has 10 on the best authority that, al
though the gifts to various charities are
sent anonymously, they are really from
the Jersey Lily" herself, and, In many
cases, have been the result OF races In
which ner horses have proved viotorious.
While referring to wealthy and artsto'
cratic owners OF rscehorses, IL 10 only
just to say word regarding tue book
mnkers. Several of the lsading book
makers are exceedingly liberal In their
eifts to hospitals and other Institutions.
Some years ego tie little girl Of now
wealthy and prominent bcokmaksr wal
seriously III. The bookis was then In q
very sman way Of business, and his little
one was taken to . hospital. She Icy
there for six weeks and eventually
through the kind attention Of the nurses
ana doctors, recovered.
strange to say, during that six weeks
the bookmaksf's business prospeted.
Whom his little sne was restored to him
be made . promise that he would send q
percentage Of the money he won-that
u, of course, IL he should win-svsry year
as donation to the hospital which hal
rendered suoh good aid to his litsle girl.
/ At the end Of the ufst year his donation
was Gloss upon ei00. Years have passed
by. The man Is still living. He ID one Of
the wealthiest book makers In the country
and today that hospital resolves yearly
donation Running into many hundreds oil
Eounda