The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1911-09-14


recently emphasizes the practical ex-
, t1nction of the Negro as a race rider
Three decades ago the Negro was in
MS zenith as a jockey. At that time
the majority of owners of thorough
| pred horses were in the South, and
' the Negro was the natural attendant
Oh the horses. Gradually, with the
coming of the sport to the North, tha
Negro jockey lost his ascendancy. .rho
white boy became the preferred one.
and today ,colored race rider is as
rare on the tracks as is a gray horse.
VI the great Negro Jockeys Isaac
Murphy was the peer in conduct and
In Judgment Of any white rider
Lonny' Clayton and his brother
poth were we'll behaved, we'll dressed
and competent jockeys. pike"
Barnes rode himself into the list Of
1mmortals by winning the first Fu-
turlty with Proctor Knott, beating the
great Salvador; Willie Simms achiey-
ed success both in this country and In
england: then there were "Coley"
stone and Tony Hamilton, Soup"
PERKINS, who later made his debut in
the East with Henry Of Navarro, and
Joe Harris, who was the star rider in
, California in 1907.
Ihe majority Of these riders are
dead. The others are poor. Those
VINO are mot dead have passed away
from the turf Isaac MurphsA the dean
and the idol of the black race, as he
was the pride of all horsemen, died
IN Louisville practically penniless.
he was crushed by the accusation
that he was drunk when Tea Tray in
the midsummer of 1890 defeated +bo
great F1renZe. He was suspended for
81 days by the stewards of the meet
lng-a most inadequate sentence if
ne was intoxicated and avn unjust
verdict, II he had been drugged, as
was generally understood. Perhans
the association did not care to have
It's great new park saddled with what
promised to be the gravest scandal on!
the American turf.
That practically ended the turf
career Of Murphy. He was tubercular
and In addition developed stomach
trouble from his efforts to keen down
TO weight. This latter ailment was
added to by his fondness for cham
pagne. 1t was, he contended, the only
llquor he could take that would
strengthen without fattening him.
often said his champagne bills were
equal to all his other living expenses,
ana ne lived well. He spent about
$l2'ooO year for 10 years, for he
had number Of camp followers.
Pike Barnes for time promised
TO maintain high place in the Jockey
ranks, but a foundness for night life
dulled his Judgment. An accident
100, brought on a timidity that he
could not seem to be able to shake off.
RE was riding In Chicago in race
IN which boy named Abbas fell.
Flkes horse strobe on the boy and
literally crushed the life out of him.
Barnes's nerve was gone forever after
lie rode one or two good races sub
sequently-notably his victory on Ten
| ny In the Brooklyn Handicap-but
practically his career ended with the
| accident. 1t was said he could not
| be induced to sleep in the night time,
sitting up until daylight, then to fall
asleep until it would be time for him
J to go to the races.
OF course, such 4 life meant ruin
Barnes had the good sense not to dali
| ly about the tracks and become a
wreck. He took with him what was
| left or his savings and started saloon
| IN Chicago. He lasted only half doz-
en- seasons. None of his race has since
| attained the eminence he achieved.
Some may question this latter state
| ment and point to Willie Simms. but
| Sinms was consistent jockey rather
than sensational one. He earned
| large fees when he rode for Michael
F. Dwyer and Richard Croker. But
money seemed to flow from ef1im. He
had at one time or it was so report
ed, bank account of generous pro-
portions and some land on Ocean
Parkway, Brooklyn, but it has gone.
| The trip which he took to England
| !" '"0 'i'-oC"' 'eu OWyef ana croker
invasion Of 1895, it was said, was re-
sponsible for the bulk Of his losses,
and 1T probably was He and Mr..
| Dwyer, 1t was believed, stood 4 tap
on Harry Reed in the Stewards Cup
when that fast horse was left at the
post. BE that as it may, Simms has
passed from the saddle and has ta''e,a
with him nothing Of the fortune t -.
once was his. ~
Tony Hamilton was another Of the
great black riders. Friends rescued
his body from 2aupers grave ant
90 .,I