Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-01-01
HE WON INA CANTER,
"LucKY" BALDWIN MADE. HIS Jockey
RIDE SQUARE.

The Horseman Used an Argument
That Made the Crooked Riders
Teeth Chatter While He Got Ont
All the Speed In the Animal.
In the lobby of a hotel the other
evening number Of men were discuss
ing sports and sporting men when the
subject of nerve and grit came up. One
of the party, well known Californian.
who knew Lucky" Baldwin in the old
days, said:
Baldwin was about the hardest man
to be chiseled out Of anything he set
his heart on getting that l ever met up
with. A whole lot Of people tried to
put it on him in business and other sort
of deals, but none of these ever sue
ceeded in catching Lucky Baldwin
sufficiently asleep to make their plans
stick.
"Horsemen still talk about funny
game in which Baldwin figured on one
of the Chicago race tracks a number OF
wears ago. Baldwin had brought his
magnificent string of thoroughbreds to
Chicago to make an effort to annex the
swell stakes that were then on tap on
the tracks in the windy town, and he
got them home first or Ia the money In
many of the biggest events. Wen, he
had one of his finest horses entered In
a valuable long distance event, and
Baldwin was particularly anxious to
win this race, not so much for the
purse end of it as for the glory of cap
turing the stake. His horse just about
figured to win, too, and Baldwin in
tended to go down the line on the AMI
mails chances, not only at the track,
but at all Of the big poolrooms In the
country. He stood to clean up consid,
erably more than 100000 on the horse
IL the brute got under the wire first
Baldwin's regular stable jockey was
taken sick on the morning OF the race
and the old man had to hustle around
for another boy to ride his horse in the
big event. From another borseman ne
bought for big round sum the release
of high grade rider, who was t. nave
taken the mount on thoroughbred
that didn't figure to get near the money
in the stake race. Baldwin gave the
Jockey his instructions as to the way
he wanted the horse ridden, and then
when the betting opened, his commits
sioners dumped Baldwin's money into
the ring in such large quantities thai
the horse became an overwhelming ia
vorite.
"a quarter of an hour before thu
horses were due to 60 to the post
we'll known bookmaker, to whom Bald
win had often exhibited kindness IL
less prosperous days, ran to where TIT
old man was standing, chewing
straw, In his barn.
Baldwin, said the bookie to thu
old man, there's a job to beat you, ant
you're going to get beat They wanted
me to go in with 'em, but you've al
ways been OH the level with me, and
wouldn't stand for it. The ring ha
bought up your jock, and your hors
is going to be snatched.'
"Much obliged for telling me that
replied the old man. I'll just make
stab to see that the boy doesn't do an.
snatching, though
Baldwin borrowed another gul
from one of his stable hands dn thos
days he always carried one of his owl
about as long as your ARM, and wit
his artillery he strolled over the infiel
and took up his stand by the fenc
at the turn into the stretch. He hadn'
| mentioned to anybody what he was &C
ing to do, and the folks who saw tn
old man making for. the stretch tur
simply thought that Baldwin wante
| to watch the race from that point o
view. He did, for that matter, but n
happened to have another end in view
"Well, the horses got away from tn
post in an even bunch, and then Bald
| wins horse went out to make the run
ming. The Jockeys idea was to rae
the horses head off and then pull hiI
in the stretch, making It appear as
the animal had tired. Baldwin ha
instructed the jock to play a waitin
game and make his Lid toward the fin
ish. The horse simply outclassed hi
company, however, and he didn't shoN
any indications Of leg WEAKNESS what
ever as he rounded the backstretch o
the rail couple Of lengths in front O
his field. Baldwin could see however
that the crooked jock was saving tn
horses head off in his effort to TAX
him back to the ruck. When the horse
were still a hundred feet from hin
Baldwin let out yell to attract hi
| Jockeys attention, and then he flashe
his two guns in the sunlight and baw
ed at the jock:
| "Ieggo that horses head, you NOR
key devil, and go on and win or T.
shoot you so full Of holes that 20
won't hold molasses"
"The jock gave one look at those tw
guns that Baldwin was pointin
straight at him. Then he gave Bale
wins horse his head, sat down to rid
for all that was in him. and the hors
under him cantered in ten lengths t
the good on the bit. AS long as Luck!
Baldwin was on the eastern turf afte
that no jockey ever tried to yank OH
| of his horses. "-Washington Post.