The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-08-10

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I forth a good story, because
- Of all the turf classics it has
perhaps furnished fame and fortune to
more poor men more than any other.
In the West especially, nearly all turf
happenings are marked in the minds Of
racing men by certain Derbys. In Ken
lucky. for instance, by the year in which
Proctor Knott was beaten; in Montana
by Spokane's win, and so on; but to Cali
fornia. which state. by the way, fur
nished more winners than any other, be-
longs the honor of producing the most
spectacular owner that ever helped to
make it's history.
1t was about 1876 that San Francisco
woke up to the fact that there was an
addition to it's already cosmopolitan pop
ulation in the shape of a happy-go-lucky
sawed-off little Irishman named Daniel
J. Mccarthy. With him, where education
had been neglected, nature stepped IN
with a wonderful supply of natural tai
emf. He was keen as a scimitar, crafty
as a pet fox, foolish, irresponsible, lucky,
reckless, happy under any and all condl-
TONS an admirable judge Of human ma
ture and blessed with the best line Of
conversation ever heard in city OF pro-
life tongues. He was, besides, born
trader He would swap anything, from a
collar button to a coffin. He traded in
mining claims, dogs, broken-doWn trot-
tiers, scrap iron, real estate and anything
else on which any value, no matter now
remote. could be placed. He could take
some old, broken-down cripple and patch
him up in such a manner as to deceive
the best Judges. Horsemen wondered and
questioned, but Mccarthy just laughed
pleasantly and told them it was all luck.
"a man that's dead sure he isn't lucky
he would say.
No man had a better right to rely on
luck than this same Mccarthy, and he
believed in it with the implicit and I'M
wavering faith that other men have in
first mortgages and government bonds.
When ]. B. Ha@gin launched out as
the owner of a big stable of thorough
breds Mccarthy babe good-by to the trot-
ters The old game lacked interest for
aim because it was too slow He saw
how quickly a fortune could be won, or,
for that matter, lost, on the running turf,
and as he said himself he "sat into the
big game"
His introduction to the turf was not
with any great eclat. His stable was a
small one, comprising a few Indifferent
performers, but among the lot was
bald-faced. long-legged two-year-old
called c. H. Todd and on this colts sue
cess were placed the hopes of the Nc
Carthy family.
Todd won a few races In his two-year-
cid form, but one day he finished behind
the leaders at Sacramento, and for once
the proverbial McCarty luck was retired
from public contemplation and criticism.
With his famous white hat on the back
Of his head and an extra fine supply of
conversation on tap Mccarthy sauntered
down Market-st. in San Francisco a few
days later. and sought an audience with
J. B. .Haggin. The California multi-mil-
nonaire is not the most susceptible man
IN the world. McCarty knew that but
all he wanted was q hearing and he
got 1t.
"Misther Haggin,'' said he. conf1den-
tally as he drew his chair close to the
negnates desk, 81 just stepped in to
tell you that I'm goin' to win the next
f4rlerican Derby with c. H. Todd"
The famous lawyer and mining man
smiled doubtfully.
las sure as you ere settin' there. Mis-
tner IMggin," continued white Hat"
End then he turned loose his batteries
% oratory and for half an hour drew a
word picture SO full Of native wit. ca
.elery, good horse sense end abiding faith
IN the merits Of his cause that the silent