Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-11
AN ALL-ROUND SPORT

II knew Caesar Young almost from the
day that he arrived in New York from Eng
land. and was on terms of quite close
friendship with the athlete-bookmaker and
his wife from the beginning Of their mar
ried life," said a very well-known New
York club man and sportsman. now at a
Washington hotel, who prefers that his
name be not disclosed in connection with
his "reminiscences Of the turfman who met
his death in the New York hanson cab
tragedy Of Saturday last.
II was a member Of the now defunct
Manhattan Athletic Club. and one Of the
committee appointed to get hold Of first
rate athletes to represent the club at the
all-around competitions. Youngs brother
was at that time the champion amateur
middle distance runner of England we
wanted him, but couldn't get him. His
business made it out Of the question for
him to take up his residence in New York
and join the Manhattan Athletic Club, SO
as to be eligible for the competitions. he
wrote us to that effect, but said in his let
ter that he had a brother. Frank (afterward
our 'Caesar), who was also a cracker1ack
runner and all-around athlete. and inqu1r-
ing If we'd like to try Frank out. We
cabled him to send Frank along. Frank
Young achieved instant popularity among
the members of the club. AT that time ne
was only about twenty-three years of age.
oughbred to the tips Of his fingers. modest
to the point of shynesS, and splendid
specimen of the midde-weight. Hghtiy-
built athlete. We had to fling the lad INTO
an all-around competition without giving
him anything like adequate time to tram,
but he acquitted himself superbly under
that handicap, carrying of majority OIL
the speed events with the most consumma.e
ease 1t was while a member of the Man.
haitian Athletic Club that Young got the
sobriquet of Caesar 1t was bestowed upon
him for two reasons. One was that ne nao
the clean, fineiy-chiseled features OK
Roman head in marble. And then he had
the habit of sweeping everything petore
him in almost everything that he tackled
but always without any gloating or BOAST
fulness. He could make all OF US at the
club look foolish at billiards. pool. fencing,
racquets, and there were rev OF the cruz
members who had any business boxing WIN
him. Even at chess he was among the TOP
notchers of the club. The nickname Mer-
curry or 'Hermes,' if we had to delve into
antiquity or mythology. might have ntteu
him better than Caesar. but caesar IL
became, and Caesar 1T remained untll his
death. 60, 80.
"Wnen the Manhattan Athletic Club went
to the wall, owing to careless management
and unheard-of extravagances, lost sign.
of Young for a number OF years. Wien
next l met him he was just at the begin
ming of his period of remarkable prosperity
on the turf. He had undergone an inter-
vening period of hardship and poor luck
by the gently reared wife whom he had
taken soon after the passing OF the Man
haitian Athletic Club. When l ran into
Young the second time he and his wire haa
a lavish suite of rooms at the Hotel Savoy
in New York and / frequently met them
there at dinners and little evening affalrs
devised for the entertainment or 1riends;
Mrs. Young was then, and still remains
last saw her in San Francisco last winter
an exceedingly lovely woman. She was
convent-reared. of naturally brilliant
mind and splendidly educated She was
a pianist of most exceptional and even re-
markable ability, and possessed contraito
voice of wonderful range and sweetness
Young sang well himself, and their duets
were a treat that 1 well remember.
even in those early years of his turf
to his wife's acumen and intuition. When
he became interested in the running horses
she became interested in the sport with
him. although she never became, In the
slightest sense, what is known horsey
woman. Her conversation was absolutely
free from even a suggestion or the patter
of the turf which some women pick up even
after few visits at the race track. ana
she was the last woman whom anybody
would have picked as having an almost
phenomenal insight into the racing game
coupled with remarkable knowledge ana
understanding of the capabilities of race
horses When her husband became inter-
ested in racing she took to the study OF
racing with the same concentration and
enthusiasm tndL SHE ulSpldy GU DIS q
girl in the study of music and in so far as
the inside science of racing may be mas
tered, she mastered 1t.
Her judgment Of horses never had
more splendid vindication than when she Won
the famous Burns and Waterhouse handi-
capin California with the mare Eonfc. saw
that race Young had owned Eonic for
some time. but he had the lowest possible
estimate of her as a stake animal. he
knew that she had a good turn of speed in
mud, but that did not make her stake
mare in his opinion. He was stubborn on
this point His wife valued Eonic very
much more highly But Young told her
that 1t would be simply tossing away money
to enter her for the Burns and Waterhouse
handicap, iii which the flower of California
thoroughbreds were to compete. He added
that he feared the laughter of his friends
If her entered her.
q Very WELL said his wife. Give Eonic
TO me. 1 am not afraid of laughter. I
shall enter Eonic myself, and, instead OF
laughing, they will merely attribute my
entering her to a woman's caprice
Young formally transferred Eonic to
his wife. and the transfer was duly regis
tered with the California Jockey Club.
Mrs Young registered colors of her own
designing and began the training of the
mare herself. refusing to permit her hus-
bands regular trainer to handle Eonic,
saying that she was willing to endure the
pangs of defeat should the mare be
smothered in the great race, her hus-
band so confidently predicted. Mrs. Young
was at the California track every morn
ing at o'clock for weeks, superintend-
ing the training of Eonic. Two days be-
fore the race she wired her friends in the
east to pray for rain, SO that the track
would be heavy with mud. The rain and
mud came. Eonic. opening at a much
higher figure, closed at 30 to l. From the
drop of the flag she went out and liter
ally towroped her tield-one of the great
est fields that ever raced on the Pacific
coast-and won in canter. At the very
last instant Young, impressed finally by
his wife's perfect confidence in Eonic,
went into the ring and bet enough on her
to win fortune.
"Of the weakness frailty that led to
Caesar Young's death L say nothing for
1 don't even profess to begin to under
stand it. do know that he was a gener-
ous-hearted man. Hundreds of men scat
tered all over this country whom Caesar
Young put on their feet when they were
down and out know that.
BY the way, have you ever stopped to
reflect upon what a vast amount of mis-
cry those 'Florodora' sextets have caused
since that insipid and baleful piece Of
theatrical rubbish was first put upon the
Stage?"