MR. SWINDELL'S ORIGIN 191 



The Burton Brewery How we parted Attitude to his trainer 

 Rectitude Non-interference Instances of coolness Love of a good 

 story Examples Adaptability Prudence Last days. 



FEW more remarkable figures have appeared upon the 

 turf in recent times than Mr. Fred Swindell. His 

 career, whether as a struggle against initial disadvan- 

 tages, as a success in varied undertakings, and specially 

 in a line that he had made his own, or as preserving 

 to the end the idiosyncrasies of a peculiar temperament, 

 is an interesting tale to be told. Mr. Swindell was born, 

 I believe, in Derbyshire, not far from Buxton. His 

 parents were of the labouring class, from whom he could 

 have received few, if any, of the advantages of education. 

 He was married twice, his first wife being one of his own 

 earlier rank in life, more studious of her husband's com- 

 fort than of appearances. His first occupation was to 

 clean out engines, for which purpose boys of about twelve 

 years old were generally employed. He did this so well, 

 and with such untiring energy, that in a short time he 

 had saved enough to promise himself a treat. This treat 

 was to walk on foot to the races, about thirteen miles 

 from the scene of his work, intending to win something, 

 or lose what little he had laid by by his early industry. 

 Fortune favoured his selections with such unwavering 

 success that when he returned home at night he at once 

 determined to leave the cleaning of engines to others, 

 and to follow racing, and become a backer of horses. 

 Like every other adventurous person, he soon left his 

 native place and the scene of his early success for 

 London, and, like Johnson and Garrick, reached it on 

 foot. 



He entered on his new occupation " full of youthful 

 hopefulness, and no long time elapsed before he became 

 a man in request as a commission agent. He possessed 



