The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-06-30

is probably the best lightweight Jockey on
the American turf. Certainly he is the
best jockey. light or heavy. in st. Louis.
although the present is his first season OF
riding as a regular Jockey. Without doubt
young O'Neill is the most promising boy
of his years and weight in America. He
possesses the characteristics which go TO
make a frst-class rider. With the good
fortune which he deserves he should be a
great Jockey by the Worlds Fair year.
Little O'Neiu has been riding at the Fair
Grounds since May L. when he made his
debut on Tom Hayes's 2-year-old colt Kaflr
and ran a rafting second. though the horse
was 10 TO l in the betting. His ride here
Caught my eye as daring. dashing and well
managed. I had never heard OF the boy or
the horse before.
Subsequent rides Of young O'Neill con-
Grmed the first impression. He began mod
estfy enough. 1t took him some time to
secure recognition. He had his young fail
ings. and these were noticed with greater
frequency than his merits. But as the Fair
Grounds meeting wore on he impressed
himself upon observers as being a high
class young rider. He is now admittedly the
best boy at the track. though 1t Is his first
season. and although he weighs but eighty
one pounds in his knickerbockers.
Young O'Neilrs Employer.
The boy is under contract To Tom Hayes.
the weil-known owner OF Lady Stra.hmo-e,
cdnS farel H. monte tlmyar. Royal VIC
Tor and other good horses which have run
AT the Fair Grounds all season. He recently
signed a contract to ride for Mr.. Hayes for
1902 at a salary very much less than he
: could have secured elsewhere. He went with
Mr.. Hayes because he liked him and be-
cause his father. knowing he was IN good
hands. wanted him to remain with the man
who gave him mis- first chanc, to ride good
horses.
The coming Sloan-no. not Sloan. he
will be more OF a man and less of a snob
than the famous Tod-was born In Newton.
kas-. in 1856. He comes of good stock His
mother was Miss Oviatt of Atchison. Kas.
Her father has been Postmaster of that
city for twenty wears. His father, John
ONeill. has been a horseman all his life.
His aunt was Jennie WELL Potter. the ia
nous el0cutionist. well known all over the
world, who died last year. The boy was
her favorite relative.
In 1ss2 Mr.. O'Nefl brought his family to
St. Louie. He came here with q nice stable.
In which was the fast and famous Splinter.
Merge. q pretty brown mare well known ut
all the st. Louis tracks. Little Frank was
then 6 years old. Since that time he has
been a resident Of b. Louis. For many
seasons he sold papers about Kossuth and
Grand avenues.
He is well known and much beloved by
residents of that locality who knew him
in those days. They bet on his mounts
now with unfailing regularity. and they
are well ahead Of tho game.
Tn boy was always about his fathers
stable whether that gentleman was training
his own or other peoples horses. Hence, the
boy was born on horseback. SO 20 speak.
He began to ride when 3 years old, walk
ting the docile horses Of his fathers string
and frequently doing like service for other
horsemen for pure love Of II. What with
riding horses and selling papers he managed
to go to school regularly and Is quite .
well-educafed boy for his years. His edu-
cation is fully up to the standard Of the
hest boys OF his age. He possesses . fine |
boyish voice and can play the plano like .
young Paderewski.
Fighting . bad Actor Int0 Subnission |
The boy was L years old when he had his
frSt real mount. His father then owned /
the bad actor. Belle Of the West. a crazy
nliy which the strongest boys at the track /
feared to ride. Mr.. O'Neill then had e.
lott. a good big boy. under contract. Ell
liott was a high liver and not very at
tentive to his duties. One day he did not
show up to work the horses. Mr.. NELL had
ious to have her worked out for 1t. Hours
passed. but Elliott did not show up. His
employer fumed and fretted.
Papa" said the youngstcr. who is now
a jockey, Il don't think Elliott IL coming to-
day. I guess I had better work Lady out
for you"
She'll kill you.'' said the father.
That's the worst she can do" said the
boy. 'and that is not much. Put me on
her"
times did she throw him hard. After the
fourth time his father said:
We'll, young 'un. / guess you have had
enough to hold you for awhile. You had
letter 20 home and have your mother wash
the blood on you"
Put me on again. cried the lad with
IRE in his eye" She threw me four times,
but I think ! am next to her curves now.
She can't throw me any more. Put me up
again. pap"
to catch him as he came down. But the
marc was subdued. She walked quietly up
the track. and he worked her out so well
that she won her race next day.
Half the horsemen at the Fair Grounds
saw the fight between the boy and the mare
and the other half heard about 1t. So he
was in demand AS an exercise boy from
that time forth. He worked in that ca
pacity for three years, selling papers, going
to school and learned to play the piano
0'Neill's First Mount In q Race.
In 1889 little ONeill had his first mount in
q race. He rode the mare Aunt Jane In
m Owners Handicap at the Fair Grounds.
He weighed but forty-two pounds At the
time. He wal in with . good lot. and his
mount was not well thought Of. He was
not given whip or spurs and was simply
told to sit still and hold the mares head
up. At that he finished q close up fourth.
The mare had only a leather bit on and she
ran away two miles with the lad before
she was caught by his father. His first
word was: Papa. II you had given me =
whip ] would have won sure"
In the spring of 1900 the boy went to
work for MIR. Givens. who trains a big
string at the Fair Grounds. He had a quar-.
rel with another lad Of his age and fought
It out. After it was over he told Mr.. Givens
that he must either discharge the other
boy or discharge him.. Mr.. Owens laughed
at the kid. but he made good. He quit
when he found the other boy was not dis
charged.
Then he went with Dick Stickney. who
was training part Of George Benefits
string. Stckney took the boy to Chicago,
using him to work horses. Soon Stickney
was relieved Of his horses by Bennett, who
gave them to Henry McDaniels to train.
Stickney thought a lot Of young O'Neill,
and instead Of turning lin over to Nc
Daniels as part Of the string, he turned
him over to Tom Hayes. with q strong rec
ommendation. Mr.. Hayes liked the boy 90
well that he took him down to his Ken Z
lucky farm during the winter.
Won First Race In Great Style.
This spring he put the boy up on the 1
good mare Ethel Wheat At Louisville in a
lightweight race. with Senator Beveridge,
Isobel and Wild Pirate. After q desperate