Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-02-19
JARVIS SELLS EXTRA TABLE WINE.
RISE OF TWO CHARLES
Ross of the Stage and Curtis of the
Senate Were Jackeys
Together.

And now Kansas has made Charlie q
United States senator Well, well, we'll ="
Charles ]. Ross, sketch writer and CO.
median, dropped the newspaper he had
been reading in his dressing room in a
Kansas City theater Silently, carefully
he combed his hair-hair that is almost
white-then put on a light summer suit
and straw hat and moved in front of a
mirror. The reflection was that Of "a gay
old man. his part in the play. He ap-
peared to be in a reverie as he stood for a
moment before the mirror
Curtis, you mean?" queried his visitor
you know him?"
Know him?' replied Ross, smiling
why, years ago that little black haired
Indian boy and rode the ponies together
at the tracks in Kansas and Missouri
Yes, we were fellow Jockeys
Then Ross sat down. leaned far back
in his chair, and told about IT,
Lets see. 1t must have been in 1874
yes that's right, for I'm IS years old
that l escaped from that institution in
Chicago and came to Kansas City Never
mind about the instituton-just a place
where boys are taught manners and how
to walk in the straight and narrow path
Il got to Kansas City somehow and
started to work. I 'blacked shoes, sold
papers-anything to make a little money
Then l got a job of candy butcher on
the plug that ran from here to Topeka
one day after / had been on the run
several weeks l left the train at Topeka
and went to a county fair there. l missed
the plug on the return trip and didn't
have nerve enough to ask for my Job
again. So l went back to the fair grounds
and hung around the stables where the
racing horses were kept. That's where
met Charlie Curtis Senator Curtis,
suppose 1 should call him now.
Charlie was about my age-16 years He
was a jockey. I only weighed about los
and Charlie got me a job of riding the
last few days of the fair. In the winter
went to work in a little frame hotel
In North Topeka-a bell hop I don't
remember positively. but I think Charlie
Curtis worked there with me part of the
time Anyway, he and l went out the next
summer with string or racers owned by
Newton Douglas of Topeka We made all
the county fairs In eastern Kansas and
western Missouri, including Kansas City.
We Travelled in wagons
MY last ride Tor a long time was in
Cameron Junction, Mo. l rode a horse
that no other jockey would ride and
| afterward I didn't blame them. That fool
horse took me through a picket fence
then turned around and kicked me while
lay on the ground. I didn't get over
that accident in a hurry
THAT was the beginning of my ac-
quaintance with Charlie Curtis-the little
black-haired fellow-and he was a rather
good jockey, too. Oh, yes; I've seen him
many times since. l visited him often in
Washington when he was congressman 3"
Ross paused moment. Then, And now
he's a United States senator"
Ross is a Canadian. A few years after
the accident in Cameron Junction, Mo.
he began racing again. This time he rode
in the fixed races OF P. T. Barnum's circus.
Then he became assistant trainer, conf
| dental secretary and track representa- tive
Of George Lorillard, the famous turfrnan.
While in the employ Of Lorillard he in
troduced the messenger system, allowing
women to place bets.
Il could always dance and sing" said
Ross. That's how l happened TO light
on the stage. ] went to New York after
/ leaving the ponies and l had no trouble
/ getting job I'm a vaudeville show -
! Kansas CITY Tines