The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1908-01-24

The old jockey Is not SO very old,
but chronic rheumatism and the acct.
dent that put an end TO his racing
career make him look 1t. II Is many
a day since he sat in two.pound sad.
die and felt the mighty sinews OF a
trained thoroughbred under him, or
knew the fierce rush and strain OF a
hardfuught race
But | remember him the beau ideal
of n mcdum.wcight horscman, active
and fearless, and whenever | find my.
self in the village where he is ending
life's race stop for a chat and to
listen to his memories Of the brave
days of long ago.
The little man receives me with the
easy, respectful manner that comes Of
association with the great ones Of the
turf As he rises from the chair by
the fire his hand goes to the spot
where his forelock used to grow.
"Ay. sir. eight.thirteen as ! am" he
says in answer to my usual question
for he still clings to the old, daily
habit OF going to scale, and It would
disappoint him were | to forget It.
But I'm gettin' bit suspicious Of the
scales over at the mill It's worryln
TO think that. perhaps, they're a few
ounces out. And to be weighed like a
sack of -four, too Times have
CHANGED"
I watch his eyes go sadly to the
corner where his siX.ounce riding
boots-very old, but newly polished
stand with the trees in them; then to
the worn racing saddle on its bracket.
and the double.rcined snaflle bride
that hangs below It. The leather is
GLOSSY with soft soap. the stlrrup.
irons and bit as bright as new silver.
The gear wouldn't be safe to ride In
after 20 years Of disuse, but that never
occurs TO the old Jockey. They get
their weekly attention in readiness for
the mount that will never come.
The weather, too" he goes on.
Here's the first July meeting comm
on and I'm covered up in nannels as If
] was going for n sweat up the Lime
kilns' Seems strange TO be sittin'
over the fire at midsummer and read
in of a cold Ascot, don't ii. sir?"
"A strange Ascot altogether, Tom, "
l agree.
He purses HIS thin lips severely.
"Ah, sir, you may well say that when
the gold cups took from under the
very eyes of the police and the stew.
ards Such thing couldn't have hap.
pened in my time The gold cup!" he
gasps 81 should have liked 10 see the
race for Il, though. The horses seem
TO have made a good finish Of It,"
And the riders" | suggest.
"Oh, the boys" he corrects. He al.
ways speaks of presentday Jockeys ms
boys. Il don't know about them.
don't hold, and never shall, with a
stirrup.leather six inches too short
Yes. sir. ! know what you're goin' to
say about Sloan and the rest: but they
had the pick Of the mounts and would
have got winnn' brackets whether
they rode short or long. Go anywhere
and watch a start, as ] did two years
ago, and see how helpless every
blessed boy is directly his mount
gives him any trouble. And then
when the flag falls-or this new gate
thing starts them Hardly one with
his horses hind legs properly unde'
him, As for gettin' the last ounce out
OF an animal at the finish, how's II
possible to hold him together, to fee
his heart beatin' through the saddle
flaps, to nurse him and push him when
you cant get your legs down to griT
and squeeze until you and the horse
are part Of one another"
The American seat is the old jock
ey's pet aversion.
"Rumpln and borin', this White
Knight and the French horse? Oi
course they wcre-both of EN-" h
proceeds. What else can you expec
when their jockeys are crouchin owe
their horses ears without any pur
chase on the reins? What's to pre-
vent one of EN- savaging the othe
when there's nothin controllin' hi'
MOUTH"
In his day he has been at grips will
old John Osborne, and Custance, anC
the Challoners. He has fought n ding
dong finish against the redoubtabl,
Tom Cannon, laid necktoneck will
the "Tinman," and II anyone SHOULD
know the whole art of riding 1t is he
That's what stops EN-. | get tina
riled, sir, when ] read about horse
bein' pulled | can't tell you! VIII
wants to pull horse when the easies
way to make him lose is to ride hin
with a slack rein? Just think for
moment The breeds always improy
IN, and yet, times are no faster thai
they we're in my day. And why? BE
cause it's the horses who do the racir
by themselves. With this American
seat they get no help from the chap
on their backs!"
Only those who have worn silk hav
a right to argue the debatable que:
ton. avoided 1t by asking the oil
Jockey whether such charge as tina
maac against Stern grasping his OF