The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-11-25
RUNAWAY BOYS
 FOLLOWING HORSES
OF MOTHERS GRlEv- ING FOR YOUNGSTERS IN CALI. FORNlA FASCINATED BY BANG TAILS-SoME INSTANCES.
BY j. S. A. MACDONALD.

San Francisco, November 24.-(Hearst News Service SpeciaL)-You've heard of the steamer "stowaway." but 1t ism often you hear of the "racetraclI runa1 way" On any racetrack, particularly where winter racing Is in order, at Oakland, Cal, and New Orleans. La scores of little boys, and some pretty mature youth, too, are hidden up from their parents and relatives as if they had been lost in midocean. Many of them ran away from their homes, lured by the tales of the rollicking primrose life of the racetrack circuit. In some in. stances they change their names td avoid being caught and returned to thei homes, or, again, the lapse of time brings about a frogetfulness of the fireside and friends the runaway" has deserted for . chance to follow the bangtails. At any rate. there are many hundreds of missing boys from eastern homes who are hero today working as stable hands, embryo jockeys and betting ring employees. Truly the turf has it's tragedies and romancesI and who can gainsay these ''racetracl runaways' contribute not a little to them You hear of the grim ruin Of some bis plunger, but the little soldiers eS fortune among the stable boys and the pr ring attaches are seldom the goss-of the public. In the olden days the proHIr capel for the adventurous youth was a wild dash from parental bonds by way of a six months cruise halfway around the world However. nowadays an abandonment of the home fireside and loving friends for q 1ifa m fba oatp Il, fla rt 4r;x
 James Grant, a big ready-witted Irishl man, is the superintendent of the Oakland course for the New California Jockey club. Going into his office underneath the big grandstand the other day he said to me, pointing to a huge pile of let ters and telegrams on his table "To answer all of 'em I'd have to have the services of the Pinkertons, for ev- cry letter there means a request frou some mother or father for knowledge of the whereabouts of a son or other relative supposed to be around our race track here. Some of the letters from the mothers are heart-rending. Of course we couldn't find half the youngsters wanted. Of the 200o boys quartered around through the stables. many of them ard "racetrack runaways' and they are hid ing away under assumed names. Lighs
 
 mana. Through the summer the eastern trainers take them on as fast as theY apply for work, and when winter ar1 rives a gap of BOO miles lies between them and their mothers Once the little fellows get into the racehorse life they hate to go back to school or the humi drum of home existence. I often think that if these 'runaways' but knew tlld anguish of their parents they'd give ur the horses and go back-or at least write home occasionally"
 So well understood it the ''racetracf runaway among the racing officials. that the New California Jackey club employs al rigid system of scrunity of all engage1 ments of help made by the Oakland train CTS and owners. However. there are scores and scores of "racetrack runaways" in California; this winter. Nothing will ever quite stop the evil. and so long as rac ing lasts the little 15 and 16-year-olcl boys who scamp away from home to tn race track with the idea of becoming great jockies some day will always con Il tribute big chapter in the rough world romances of the paddock and the quar ter stretch