The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1903-10-02
W
SMUGGLER AND
y THE MAID -
Observation-Disclosures
oaooosooooota3oosooeosS
BY TOM j. NICHOLL.

THE following story which will re-
call memories of the historic
contest which took place at Cleveland,
O., in 1876 between Goldsmith Maid
and Smuggler is now for the first time
put in print.
AS will be remembered by those ia
miliar with racing history, the battle
between the horses named, and 9TH
erS, was an event which stirred sport
ing circles and followers of the turf
from Maine to California. 1t was in
deed battle royal and was to decide
the supremacy between the Maid and
other aspirants. For weeks before
the event everybody was talking
horse, and the knowing ones who had
money to bet were giving big odds
that the Maid would be victorious.
However, there was one foxy indi-
vfdual who didn't see it in that light
after seeing Smuggler warm up. This
mans name was Maurice Fitzgerald.
According to his own statement, he
was true descendant of the Ger
aldine family" one of the ancient kings
of Ireland.
Maurice was witty and well-known
character about town, ever ready with
an answer. He was an iron-worker
by occupation, peanut vender by
profession and an all-round sport by
birth. At the first sign of cold weather
he would retire to his winter resi-
dence, as he called it, the county
poorhouse, staying there until 1.-THE
roses bloomed again."
The following story was told by
himself on the day after the event.
Meeting him on the street, | said:
Good morning, Maurice, were you at
the racer"
"Good mornin, Tomus, you can bet
your luvly loife | was there, an l
haven't got throo wonderin' how it all
happened. Shure it sames just loike a
dhrame if it wasn't f'r this roll iv col
latheral l have in me pantaloon pock-
cts; but even now l have to pinch me-
self to see if I'm awake, an I'm all
day tryin' to foind out what's tn mat
ter wild me.
"You know last fall whin I shook
tn dust off me colossus an whit
over to me winter residence at Can
field. l had just thirteen dollars and
fifty cints in collateral, an as soon
as l sthruck tn house 1 handed it
over to tn superintindint an tould
him to put it in tn safety vault until
L ar - 1loa4 H.
whin tn sun shone on both sides iv
tn ditch an whin l could kick me
dinner OFF an apple tree.
Well, Tomus, put in tn long win
ter months niver missin' a meal or
payin a clint, an at the same tonne
keepin' in touch wild tn shports by
perusin' tn Newspapers, an win 1
read about tn match between tn
Smuggler an tn Maid l fully deter
mined to see that race or die in tn
attemp.
$50 tn day before tn race I axed
tn head guy FIR to hand over me col
latheral, as was about to emigrate
to tn city. He axed me why 1 was
goin' to lave. l tould him / had bust
ness iv Importance to transac' an
must go. So hoofed it over tn noine
moiles, an tn first place struck was
Lug Moor's. where they were sellin'
pools on tn race; an pom me wuurd,
Tomus, if there was one shport in tn
house there was thousand.
'sBut it didn't take me very long to
cast me optics on tn dead game lads.
There was Bill Tod, George Tod, Bill
Hitchcock, Lug Moor, Gale Wick an
tn rest iv tn shports all buyin' pools
on their favorite, tn Maid.
Good eyenin' to We, shports, SEE
I. You all seem to be enjoyin' your
selyes-well, that's roight-have a
good tonne while you live, FIR you'll
be a long tonne dead
ovid that George Tod came up to
me an said:
Are you going to the race, Maui
rice?'
81 would loike to- SEE !.