The Savannah morning news., 1901-01-21
THE RACE THAT WASN'T RUN.
the story of Splendid Private
Rncetrnck the Colonel Had No
Reason for Not Establishing.


the race, playing the ponies" he called
It. No race meeting was considered a
success without him. He was known and
liked by all the officials and habitues of
all the leading race courses in the United
states. He could give you the history
or every owner. trainer and jockey on the
turf and he could recite the pedigree aud
the past performances of every horse be-
fore the public.
The Colonel was a true Southerner,
courtly and commanding in appearance.
he was something of a braggart. but he
always managed to make good" when
called" in the breezy language of his
native state, and was ever a stanch friend
and a bitter enemy
Ore day the Colonel announced his in
tention of renouncing the turf. His friends
were dumbfouMled, and a few went so
far as 10 express fears for his reason.
But the Colonel merely looked wise aud
said not a word, as was his wont when
he was expecting to make coup. At any
rate, lie was no longer seen at any of
the tracks, and the wise ones asserted
that he had retired to his blue grass
farm 10 retrieve his somewhat shattered
fortunes. Six months later a friend ie-
ceived a letter from Col, T, asking
him down to look over his youngsters
and incidentally to sample some Of the
product of his cream toddy'' COW. His
friend jumped at the opportunity, and, to
the evident delight of the Colonel, was
soon comfortably settled in the old colo
NAL mansion. In a letter, telling OF the
trip, this friend said:
Il was shown to my room by the colo
nels man, Sam. a typical befo' -de-war
niger. He was fully aware of the dignity
of his position, and his bow when he
opened the door was an almost perfect
imitation of the colonels. l descended TO
the library and found the colonel iounging
in a big arm chair before the fire, sup
ping one of those delicious cream toddies.
It was just twilight, and there was no
other light in the room save that made
by the blazing and cracking logs in the
huge old-fashioned fireplace. l finished
my toddy and leaned back in my chair,
putting on one of the coionel's Havanas
with delicious sense of well being. After
awhile the colonel squared himself in his
chair and drawled out some amusing in
cidents of his racing career We finished
several more rounds of toddies. and ! have
a hazy recollection of, Sam putting me to
bed The colonel had me up betimes in
the morning and we went at once 10 look
over the stables. He had magnificent
track, that had been laid out and graded
by experts We were sitting in the grand
stand watching the horses out for their
morning gallop. For long time the COL
onel was silent. Finally he began:
You know he said, race horses and
betting have cost me a great deal more
money than 1 can afford. Last spring [
realized that 1 would have to give it up
or else go to the poor house. So l have
hit on a scheme by which 1 can have all
the pleasure of seeing and betting on
good horse race without any pecuniary
loss. 1 have added greatly to my stable
and divided my horses into four separate
strings. Each of my sons trains one of
these strings and 1 keep a jockey and
the necessary number of exercising boys
and rubbers for each string. / have
meetings at regular intervals. There g
a starter, a judge and board of stewards
in fact, everything is conducted as at
a regular track. The commissioner who
used to place my bets for me acts as
oookmaker. At the end of each meeting
l figure up how much l am winner OF
'oser. Sometimes 1 bride one of those
'lack apes TO pull a horse, and so score
a killing on the bookmaker BY the way,
there is to be a meeting this afternoon
and you are to judge
'Well. the morning dragged heavily,
and when at last 1 found myself seated
in the judges stand 1 heaved a sigh of
relief. A negro boy blew a battered
bugle. AS the last note went ringing
across the meadows fine, sleep, we'll
groomed thoroughbreds filed gingerly on
to the track. The leader was a strapping
black colt, with obique shoulders and
'ow elastic movement as he cantered to
the post. The next horse was a beauti-
fully-built chestnut with perfect action
this side to that in vain effort to throw
his little jock over the fence. I was so
taken up with the bad actor that l did
not notice the other three as they can
tered to the post.
1.-The race was a mile and a quarter.
For the colonel always declared that he
had no use for 'splinters' Che meant
sprinters) After several false breaks the
flag fell and they were off in flash Of
rolor and a whirl of dust One horse
was left standing. AS the bunch neared
the stand on the first round / saw 1t was
my favorite, the bad acting chestnut. He
was fifteen or twenty lengths behind, ard
tossed his head angriy as he breathed
the great clouds of dust kicked up by the
living leaders. The blaok horse was sec
ond, next the rail and moving easily
At the three-quarters the fourth horse
lost a shoe and the bad actor moved up
and passed her. The mile passed, the
HACK moved up and easily took the led.
ward and began to ride with heel and
Nand. His cries of announcement could
be heard all down the stretch.
with a wonderful burst of speed the
chestnut passed the third horse. Then he
IS lapped on the second horses shoulders.
Put the boy on the black let out wrap.
The black .resp-nds and begins to draw
away from the fast-t'rirg chestnut. The
hoy on the chestnut drew his whip and
the enranged animal sprang from under
the sting of the rawhide. A cheer burst
rom the cheetrut's rubbers. He caught
the black and they were nose and nose.
Suddenly there was rumb'lrg sound
IKE distant thunder. awoke with
start to find MYSELF still In bed. Sam
was standing at the foot Of the bed with
my hot shaving water.
"'Oh! I exclaimed. that was the best
story ever snoied by a rigger.'
sam looked at me curiously. The ex-
PRECISION on his face showed plainly that
he thought was still under the influence
Of cream todd'es."