The Savannah morning news., 1903-07-19
FROM BLACKING BOOTS TO
KING ON THE TURF.

A man who twenty years ago started
on a capital of one lone nickel has
just outbid three millionaires for the
privilege of owning a race horse that
he coveted. He bought the horse-a
colt by imp. Observation-Disclosures
for 200, 1872 900 nickels paid to him by
more than 100000 persons.
The man is Anthony L. Aste, King
of the Bootblacks." At Is an humble.
poorly educated Italian, backing boots
along Broadway for cents pair.
Aste. is now, at So, nearing the mil
lionaire mark. He will probably reach
it in a year or two if his wonderful
success keeps up. When Montana King
won at 100 to 1 some weeks ago Aste
is said to have cleaned up snug for
tune on the race, and while the n
penny pieces were being paid for shines
in his establishment in the city he
was betting hundreds to every race
and on his own horses at the track
Twenty years ago Aste had to scratch
around for a nickel to buy a cup of
coffee and a sandwich. His life his
tory reads like one of the old-fashioned
books in which Mark, the Match
Boy" became president Some people
believe that it is luck that has brought
him such remarkable success while
| others declare that it is the mans own
business ability and native shrewdness.
AS it is, Aste has the reputation of
being one of the first men to reahze
the future for monopolistic trusts
Starting himself with a box on his
! shoulder Aste in three years employed
/ -. l. 30 sanVa fr.NV1 a
! shoes. AS the nickels rolled Aste in
creased his business until now you can
scarcely pass through busy section
| of New York without seeing one or
"Tonys" establishments.
Aste's success on the turf commenced
eight years ago, when he paid $40 FOR
| Jack Point" the horse who afterwards
| brought him fame and fortune. Jack
| Point was the victim of a bad mix-up
on the Sheepshead Boy track, in which
| it was thought one of his legs was
| broken. His owners gave the order
! to have the horse shot, but Tony, who
was a great admirer of the horse, pur-
| suaded the men who were going 10
| take the horse off to let him have him,
Offering in return SIS, which were Gag
| erly accepted. Aste took the horse to
/ the stable and made arrangements to
| have him carried to the country, where
/ the injured leg, which he had already
J discovered was not broken, could mend.
The following season followers of the
turf We're surprised TO see the name
| of Jack Point entered in several stake
| events of the season, and there was
| much amusement when il was dis
| covered that he was owned by Tony
| Aste, the Bootback King, and was
| the same horse who had been hurt the
season before, patched up to try against
some of the best. The soundness of
Aste's judgment in this instance IS
testified to by the dozens of cracking
good races that he won with this Won
derful horse. When Jack Point was
! entered to start the bootblacSing fra
] ternity of New York was certain to
stand q tap" Aste bought other
horses with the winnings from his In
vestment in Jack Point, and to-day he
Is one of the leaders in the racing game.
| William G. Whitney, one of the deans
of the turf, is not loath to fraternize
with the bootblack king, and so much
| desired to own one of Aste's horses,
| Nasturtium, two years ago, that he
| paid $4,000 million nickels-for the
! privilege. Thus Aste made a new rec
ord for high prices, for the $4,000 for
| Nasturtium as a 2-year-old was top
| notch
During the twenty years of money
making Aste has educated himself, and
| now has the manners and courtesy Of
thorough man of the world. He is
! singularly quiet and courteous, and
| rather good looking. He says that now
| he is Just beginning life.