The Detroit times., 1912-09-17
ED. WILLIS is ONE OF
THE UNIQUE FIGURES OF.
THE GRAND CIRCUIT
Colored Driver, Expert Trainer,
Has Educated Him
self "A
HE WRITES VERY WELL
Goes as Far as to Typewrite-
Stories for Horse
Papers ssAL1.
By RALPH l.. YONKER.

One OF the most unique men of the
harness track made one brief bow be-
fore the Grand Circuit crowd at the
State fair grounds. yesterday, in the
opening afternoon of the week, and
then made his departure.
The man was Ed Willis, the colored
trainer and driver employed by w. f.
ID. Stokes, In charge Of the Patchen
Wilkes farm, in Kentucky.
Willis is the only coiored driver OF ,
any prominence on the Grand Circuit.
There may be Negro who drives now
and then for some owner but there Is
none who has appeared often enough
to impress his name on the minds OF
the Grand Circuit followers, except
Willis.
Yesterday Willis drove Peter the
Gay in the first heat of the Horse
mans futurity for two-year-old trot-
tiers. Peter the Gay was distanced, SO
Willis had made his bow
The futurity is not finished yet but
Willis is out of IT, After he was dis
tanced, Lord Allen took the first heat.
Dillon Axworthy the second, and
Sweet Alice the third; as 1t was then
shutdown, 1t was necessary to post
pone the finish Of the event until to-
day when IL will be started first.
Willis had no chance whatever yes
terday, but he is generally rated as
one OF the cleverest handlers OF colts
In the country. He disagrees with
some who think That winning a race
with colt makes 1T hard for him to
come back later In life and make
good He points to the achievements
by young men and women and asks IL
that makes il impossible for them to
continue achieving wien they are
older
Ed has had no school education to
speak of, but nevertheless, he is an
educated man. He has picked up
much through his own efforts alone.
He goes so far as TO write stories for
horse papers and the editors say that
his copy needs very little rewriting.
The eolored driver is very modest
and unassuming. Often he has asked
to be relieved of handling a horse in
a race upon the plea that another man
would be in better position to win the
race. But his owner pays little at
tention to these pleas. preferring to
trust his horses to Willis.
Daniel j. Campau, tne donor through
his horse paper, of the purse for the
Horseman futurity, enjoyed the battle
from a box directly In front OF the
press Cox. close TO the wire
He sat alone in the box but chatted
with friends In adjoining apartments
as the first heat was being run. After
the first heat he came back to the
newspaper men and expressed his de-
| light In seeing the babies trot
Campau is the man who put racing
on a high plane In Detroit. He clean
ed the track up when II was in Ham
tramck, and established a new order
of things. Then came the track at
Crosse Pointe. and finally that at the
State fair grounds.
In the race for Michigan owned
PAGERS, billiard S. proved big sur
prise in taking the event in three
, straight heats. Storm was a hot fav.
orite. Nobody thought that there was
| anything that could beat the gelding
| Storm had been doing mighty good
work on the half-mile tracks, and was
looked upon as a sure winner.
The track yesterday was as good
as could be expected after the rain OF
Sunday. but it was little softer than
J II should have been to be in the best
kind OF shape. The crowd was small
but small crowds are expected for
opening days. The weather was brisk.
so that overcoats were generally worn
in the stands.
Doughty and RcindeI meet In the
semi finals OF the Detroit Tennis club
tourney 20 decide the championship OF
the club today. Doughty is former
state champion and Relndel is club
title holder.