The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1905-02-16

PHIL WAS CLOSE FIsTEn
The death Of aPiJtahurs Phil. the
rsee track rluHEar "a feW days FlBee
has been the all.ablufbIns talk IN
sporting yirgleH al over the cuun=
try when be made uu hla mind "a
become a sport hc told his mother
of his intentions and that he WAS
going o. Chicago Go make hla start
Al thia was against the Wishes
OF hIa mother. who. though "a loyal
admlrer ot her nftgociuua offspring.
did not think IL viao for him 10
Eiye up a steady fio-u=week job fuf
the uncertainty 90 the rars track.
Smith had not been I'm Chicago SIX
months before he sent home 10 his
mother $4,000. which WAS property
invested THIS $4,000 was 20 be- his
mothers stake Do WAS designed hH
her pluuE.ns son O. ease her
through her declining years TWAS
the FIRST $4,000 be had earned over
and above What DO conceived 20 be-
fair working capital
Three years back smith was able
Co do better by bis mother De in
creased her stake Co 500 600 and
bought Tor her a house which cuat
$4,000 This house he furnished
properly. and be set aside sufficient
money o. make iia permanent main
teuauec possible
II was in Chicago that Smith got
his sohriquet az "piusbufg Phil
The name Smith ls popular ia the
Windy City a. elsewhere. and Ia
distinguish the Smitha who patron
Tied the poulruuma from each other
the poolroom pruprietara gave them
NAMES which indicated the original
habitat Thus George + Smith be
came "Pittshufg Smith Such he
remained Tor a year or more Then
he became srlttaburg Pathway.
no one seemed TO De able 70 tell.
lie did not object % the name until
be became wealthy Then for some
unknown reaauu no asked his
I friends % call him SMITH
smith was anecvBsful beyond his
dreams az Chicago. lie watched the
/ races closely and ba.ng a keen judge
Of form he bet intelliEeutiY. ny and
I b. be decided that Chicago was tod
small for his genius and ho mi
grated East
The plunEeF always considered
7 that be had made bat one false start
I In llfe-whcn he started out aa a
I brakeman. lie lasted a little less
than two days In hts capacity al
brakeman. leaving via the fence und
I never Euiug back for his money.
I When rather young be was EN-
{ played in PittaburE and put to WORK
I Ira the railroad yards On tho see
oud day he Numbered aud turned the
[ wrong switch for n car. and on see
Ing il bump into another and shat.
tered PHI hunted up the oonductoy
and told him he guessed that would
be all the raIlruadinE be needed. Hs
f. left the yards by the shortest route
II I had not piled up those carr
that day { might have been a freight
conductor nov and the haakmakerz
would have a bot more money. suia
/. Phil un his last visit 10 pittshufT
as be passed the place where he had
misplaced the switch.
kAANtAA tAAa HAAAF VI tue NuftAa
said one OF Phils intimHtes. "Noi
that he was distinctly unsociabie
bat that he made few friends aus
had few vices lie would take q
drink now aud then. but apariuKiy
he never went into gambling
house. and he really cared for moth.
Ing but horses You could sit dowr
with him By the hour and he woult
talk horse. but outside - this h
had little interest Ia the ordinary
matters that catch the eye OF tins
ordinary sporting man"
II phi was never the bluff. debonail
fellow about the race track the auc
esaaful plunEHr f. supposed % be
lie was never free and open handst
and was never distinguished To-
generosity. He sometimes ErudE
inEly paid men what be engaged q
pay them. but be distributed NJ
larKesse. His money vent int
real estate and into bonds that pal
big interest. Wall street had no at
fractions for Smith and the Wal
street operators got little Of hi
money.