The Savannah morning news., 1904-08-14


sr that "he has five millions of his
on,n and he is French enough to keep
nicttre gallery and English enough
n keep a racing stable" 1t might
o1so have been said with equal truth
that the founder of the family was a
man of diversified interests; yet, TAX
,ng everything into account, he was
nv no means so many sided as his son,
the August Belmont of to-day, who
has GAINED national political promi-
rance bv reason of his participation in
The movement that made Judge Alton
r Parker the Democratic presidential
candidate.
Mr. Belmont is one of the handful of
sons of wealthy men who have not
neen content merely to follow in the
foosteps of their fathers and bury the
talents given them by thir progeni-
TORS. His career, which really began
with his fathers death, has been stead
iv marked, both as regards business
and pleasure by a policy of expansion,
so that now the name of Belmont is
Intimately associated the country over
with finance, banking, railroads, NUM-
cipal rapid transit, horse racing, yacht
ing. both of the local and the inter-
national sort, hunt and kennel clubs,
society. such rich mems sports as
polo. coaching and automobiling, and,
Within the last six months, with poll
tics. in which the father was a nation
al figure for over twenty years.
Young in Politics.
Except in politics, in which he is
still young, whenever the son has fol-
lowed along the lines pursued by his
father he has generally, in the Ian
guage of the street. gone the latter
one better, a fact which undoubtedly
accounts for the great increase of the
Belmont millions in late years. This
circumstance cannot be better illus
trated than by comparing the two
men on their racing side.
The founder of the family in Amer
lea. as soon as he was in a financial
position to do so, began establishing
racing stable. This was in 1866,
when he was elected president of the
newly formed American Jockey Club,
and his imported filly, Maid of
Honor. ran second at Morris Park,
New York, thereby filing the old gen.
tlemans heart with bliss over so good
d beginning. From then on until his
death in 1890, barring a year or two
of retirement. the Belmont colors
were Stcil CONTINUOUSLY Oh the luTl,
La Tosca $4,000; Potomac, $40, 1000,
and Raceland, $4,000, frequently
carrying them to victory. The stable
was easily one of the leaders in Amer
lea. and when it was dissolved follow
ing the owners death, it was valued
at 100000, the famous sta st.
Blaise representing one-fouN' the
sum.
The Belmont Racing Menr
To-day the Belmont racing ..lge
Is the leading one in the country. In
one year, 1895, $107, 800 was spent for
racers alone. That sum, frequently
doubled, has been spent for racers ev-
cry year since then, a lot of the money
gong for racers that beat his, so that
MT. Belmont is to-day. as he was in
1873. when at one meeting three of his
horses won $4,000, the ruler of the
american turf His nursery stud is also
the most famous in the country, and,
While the father held one or two posi-
IONS OF trust in relation to racing
around New York, the son is chairman
Oh the Jockey Club, president of the
state Racing Commission, manager of
the Belmont syndicate controlling all
Nhe big race tracks around the me-
uopohs and the moving spirit behind
me Belmont race track, which is to be
me nnest of its kind in the world.
IL 1t had not been for Mr.. Belmont
II IS scarcely to be denied that horse
racing as far as New York is concern
ed, would have been outlawed wears
ago as it has been in the neighboring
states Of New Jersey and Pennsylva-
MIA
morse racing in the Empire State is
CONDUCTED under what is known as the
Hray bill, passed by the Assembly
wVhen Levi P. Morton was Governor.
ar Morton, it was known, was averse
10 signing the bill, fearing that it would
rdu 10 betting scandals that would
sneu TO heaven. When things were
HU}okng particularly dark for racing,
sl,. belInont made a trip to Albany,
oousht an interview with the Governor
ana assured the latter that, If the bill
meIe signed, he would give his personal
Tord OF honor that there would be no
lung scandals. On the strength of
.ils assurance the bill was signed, and
usere mas practically been no scandal
~ ne nature feared in recent years on
we New York race tracks.
escued Rapid Transit in New
York.
o., ms was in 1895; five years later Mr.
t,siIilont came to the rescue of rapid
,dilSit IN New York. and by backina
81, 9nIl -. Macdonald, the contractor
55fa a. bidding, made possible the
bg ssilg OF the system of subways that
ep a5 hept the city torn up for four years
i I',a mat has cost fifty millions of dol.
~ 80 -, since then the elevated railroads
po,- 1idnnattan have come under Mr.,
t er1s.oan 4, control and the Belmont in.
Widening. '' arc 'oiis'@ii''S
Wv. nigh financial authority of New
, tIlk, explaining why Mr.. Belmont ha,
w. 70 rapid transit so hard the last
ago: ''is' sdlu ABOUT veal
sor1a saw an opportunity to regair
tabi,. - me prestige which was inevi.
han, injured when John w. Gates
tb e e a breach into the lines OF