Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-28

California In the Winter. I was learning all
the time.
But it wasn't only race riding that was
learning. got to know how to beat the rail-
roads without riding on the brakebeams.
certain number Of attendants are allowed TO
ride free in every horse car-the others have
to pay Needless to say. owners who wanted
to cut expenses told the boys to hide under
the hay. One time Jimmy Butwell and beat
our way from Benning to California, though
we had several marrow escapes from being
thrown on the train.
RUT the most desperate effort ever made to
duck paying the railroad fare was when
started from Los Angeles for Victoria British
Columbia, with 50 cents Ia my pocket
That was back in 1909 and had just got
married In Los Angeles! The family capital
amounted to just $3.50. It was necessary TO
get to work at once, and the nearest racing
was at Victoria I decided TO leave my wife
In Los Angeles until could send her enough
money to follow me. gave her the $35 and
kept the 50 cents By hiding in q car taking
some horses b Victoria ] got to Seattle with
my 50 cents intact, but there was the ferry
TO Victoria TO be faced. laid the cards ON
the table and told the ticket taker that I'd
pay him when could. I must have handed
him good line Of talk, for got by.
That first week up there came near marking
the end Of my riding career. The breaks an
went against me. couldn't win race, and
didn't seem able to get going ut all.
It was during that week that had the
greatest temptation to pull horse that ever
had presented to me. A man, now training In
the East came to me and said, Johnny,
know things aren't going % wen with you. II
you're on short-priced one can get you
expense money from one Of the books" He
meant that the bookmaker would take his
word that would keep my mount from win
ming. lay % much ~ he could against the
horse and give me percentage Of the money.
Well was In q desperate fx-but I knew
my wife. thanked him. and declined his
proposition
Just after that managed to win . race Then
my luck turned and won I'VE or six more IN
Two or three days. That put me ON Easy street
and ] sent some money hack to Los Angeles.
did quite wen until near the close Of that
meeting when got . nasty fan. when re-
covered consciousness in the hospital nav VIE
was bending over me.
wasn't long after I got back In the saddle
tnaf made what may be a record won
six different bets on one race-and only two
horses were entered
IL was at Ogden. Utah. Interest in racing
was at fever heat throughout the cattle coun-
try then-and rs q special feature a match
race was arranged between Thistle Belle. knovn
as The Pride Of Montana" and Anne MCGEE.
The Pride OF Colorado" had the mount on
Thistle Belle and Happy" Buxton was on
Anne MCGEE
From hundreds of miles around cowboys from
both States gathered at Ogden to root for their
respective champions.
They weren't satisfied with betting on the
m fnfk HAo q
each furlong. The owner of Thistle Belle had
bet down on each furlong, too-and had an
interest in all of them
Both Happy" and realized that whichever
got the break at the start was going to have
the best Of N-and We both did quite bit of
"hddling" at the post. had determined to
win all six bets-so when I finally got off IN
front. kept Thistle Belle racing as hard as
she would 60. never gave Anne MCGEE q
chance TO slip by and made every post q
winning one-getting home first by less than o
length.
How those boys from Montana did whoop 1t
up!
was free lance in those days and If ever
take trip abroad no one can accuse me of
not having seen America first. My itinerary
took IN the United States Canada, Mexico and
Cuba I was riding at Charleston, s. c., one
year when came within an ace of being dis
qualified, possibly ruled on the turf-not for
losing race. but for winning.
1t was unique experience rode q a
year-old, which had never won race, for an
0wner-tTainer who had a strong local following.
There is an unwritten law in racing that the
owner Of maiden 2-year-old may run his
horse . conditioning race without being COM
PEELED to try. to win. This owner didn't give
me any instructions before I went out. and
when won on his flly he raised an awful
holler and went to the stewards to try to get
me disqualified. He said had fosged his filly
against his instructions It wasn't true. The
fact Is she had run IN" on him, and he was as
mad as . wet hen because he had been waiting
to get a bet on her at a good price, and had
missed his chance The stewards dismissed his
snranfoinf