The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1904-07-29

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1T has been five years since the
thing happened, and I have refrained
from saying anything about the boy,
| because l wasn't sure how he was
going to turn out, but l can show as
neat a bit of gentleman in him as one
would want to know. What! make a
jockey out of him? Well, l don't think,
not with the mind he's got Why in
the last five years I've had him at
school in Chicago; he has passed
through every grade of the public and
high schools, graduating only last week
with the highest percentage ever turned
out. That boy is going to put IN.
D." after his name if it takes my last
horse
"You must excuse this long pre-
amble old fellow; but | must admit
that l am apt to grow bit garru-
lous whenever get talking about him.
However, here's the yarn:
You remember the story 1 told you
about Mediators last race and the
stable boy Jake, don't you? Yes!
Well, it was five years ago this fall
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diator was a three-year-old, and run
ming the legs off from everything that
came up against him, regardless of
weights or any other handicap the
judges saw fit to impose, but it wasn't
the least bit of use; you could not
stop him with anything short OF a
bullet or a dose of poison, when he
T f10 rf
other horses came to the same conclu-
sion-at least two of them did, as
subsequently ascertained; but I'm get
ting ahead of my story, so We'll call it
a false start, and go back
"The next race in which Mediator
was entered promised to be most
exciting one; not because of the size
of the purse (Which was a big one),
but on account of the entry of two new
horses, Corrinthus and Invercand, OF
whom much had been heard and much
was expected.
"In view of these new entries and
the natural uncertainty as to the out
come, I was in hopes that Mediator
would be held at little longer odds
than Usual, and as had the utmost
confidence in his ability to win out,
l was prepared to make good clean
up.
"The afternoon before the race
was on the track, when it occurred
to me that I had forgotten to give
some important instructions to my
stable man, which required immedi-
ate attention, so I took out my note
book, scrubbed a few lines to him,
and then looked about for a bearer. |
noticed q ragged looking black boy
peering through the pickets of the
fence l asked him if he knew where
the Morrigan paddock was. He said
he did, and l noticed that as he did
so he raised his hand up to his brim-
less old straw hat
''Take this note up to Mike, the
stableman, then, and here! here's a
dollar for you.
81 have never been able to figure
out to this day what possessed me to
give that boy dollar, and l shall
never give away another dollar or any
amount of dollars with half the salts
faction l felt on hearing the little fell
lows profuse thanks.
"That evening took a stroll among
the downtown poolrooms to see how
things were going and incidentally to
drop into Boyd's for steak and a
chat. Well, while l was prepared to
find Mediator at somewhat longer
odds, hardly understood why the two
new horses should be hot favorites,
while my horse seemed to be considered
stake at three to one This afforded
me plenty of food for reflection; and
the subsequent scraps of conversation
which l overheard while eating my
steak, which, by the way, seemed far
below its usual standard of excellence
sent me home to restless bed.
1.-THE next morning I again visited
the poolrooms, and. by George! the
bottom seemed to have dropped plumb
out of Mediator odds. However, I'd
be hanged if I was going to crawfish
with what I considered the best end
of it all through; so 1 took $4,000
worth of him at five to one.
81 was making my way out of the
crowd when I felt something pulling
at my sleeve; I looked down, and rec
ognized Immediately the boy who had
been my messenger the day before
He was all out of breath, and his eyes
were as big as salt cellars as he hall
whispered:
"'Ah's bin lookin' fer yer all mawn-
ing, sab! Abs got suthin' mighty
'ticular ter tell yer, sah.'
We'll, what is it, 1 answered.
"He looked cautiously around and
answered in low tone: All kahn
tell yer here, sab; don't yer know
some place WHARF All kin tell yer or
de quiet, sah?'
! 81 took him around to private
room near by. wish l could tell yor
the story he told me, in the exac
darkey dialect he used with the ges.
lures and grimaces and intonation o.
voice, but I can't-no white man could
so I'll tell it briefly in my OWL
way.
ct seems that the boy was a waif
and had drifted, up to Chicago from
| Memphis, and had been hanging abou
Garfield park in the hope of getting
/ employment, living in the meanwhile