The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-02-21

who once piloted the hlue-blooded thor
oughbredS belonging TO General Andrew
jackson. is living ia retirement here. and
Is preparing TO celebrate his one hundred
anu Sixteenth birthday.
10 this end heneSoIen Mt citizens OF Catera
have volunteered to assist the aged jockey
by sending circular letters TO racing as
socfatiCnS and tUrfinen in general III an
effort 10 make the birthday Il fere day.
II Aston Gibson lives 10 see the next
Fourth Of July he wiu have seen the ma
TONS birthday celebrated one hundred and
sixteen times. for il WAS on July 4. T.oS.
that he first saw III light OF day at a
little village in the Fairfield district Of
South Carolina. There seems little doubt
OF the truth Of this statement, which is
s~cbstantiated by documentary evidence in
his possession and by traditional records
accepted at his South Carolina home.
where other members Of the Gibson family
still i've and prosper
Did Hickory" as Gibson l. known by
many OF the older generation of turf fol
lowers takes great pride In his age. and
never wearies of relating racing reminis-
cences OF his early life. But his voice is
cracked and his eyes:sht Il almost gone.
Gibson had retired from the turf Ut the
time that BILLY" lakeland was making
his debut or a thoroughbred. and was old
enough to be the grandfather of children
before tie renowned Snapper Garrison
ever achieved ntcrnationai fame in the
was riding. Gibson was serving as q soil
cler en- the Western frontier against In
dit ms.
Il always loved the horse" says the old
gentleman. speaking OF his early connec-
tons with the turf. and on one occasion 1
received a good whipping for staying away
from home all day to see a match race OF
threa mile heats. best three in five, de-
cided near our plantation in South Caro-
lima. But that only whetted by appetite
for the life Of a jockey. and l soon left
where they raced in those days. They had
been racing at Charlestcn a hundred years
before I arrived there. but / had my first
mount there and won II.
From there / moved TO Tennessee. /
was always 9 great admirer of Genera!
Andrew Jackson. and one day. when the
General had Il horse in a four-Tiie heat
race. l begged for a chance 70 ride and
pleaded with the General myself. l never
knew until a long time after that General
Jackson gave me the chance because he
him. but from that time on 1 was in his
employ and Tough with him in most of
the battles that followed after he was
forced to quit racing"
There are records stored away in many
turf closets hat will show tine part Glib
son took in the meetings at the fsapides
course in Alexandria. La; Glasgow course
in Kentucky, Newmarket course in Peters
lung. Va; fruonomnis course in NaIcnl-
toctrs, La; Laattai.uocnce course in CO.
iumGus. Ga: Nashville course IN Nash
vii.e; Washington course IN charleston,
tOnsa-ee course IN Columbia, 3. T.: her
iIrS course III DaiIiinuEe, anu MlnJ more
tracks.
Inc most noted race that Gibson ever
participated in Is possibly the memorable
i;iatc.l race between General Andrew
Jackson'S TruXon and lrvins'S PIoweoy.
Every section OF the South was on hand.
anu IeeiIrg ran high. I'm contest was
Tor $o.Uv d sue. twV-mile heats. and CID |
SON finished Iirst with Truxon, but the
claim OF Ioui, which was not allowed, is
saiu to ave caused the auel thai followed
between jackson ana General dickinson. |
Alter his retirement from Inc turf Glib l
son followed General JACKSON IN war and
WAS in the battle of sew orleans. ta |
Daniel Eoone, Davy Crockett and |
associated. |
wan u.oson Is his wife. whom he mar
RED IN Loss. Mrs. Unison was bern in lal6-