AND TIMES OF JOHN OSBORNE 457 



was " Job," and " Nat," and " Sim," of the old times, 

 and so the custom has been maintained down to the 

 present. Archer was " The Tinman," on the strength of 

 bringing the " tin " to his followers. After the death 

 of George Fordham, Archer was honoured with " The 

 Demon," a title which was conferred on Fordham before 

 "The Kid," in honour of his "kidding" propensities 

 with his younger rivals in the pigskin had deserted him. 

 Custance was popularly dubbed " Cussy." John 

 Osborne during his career was created by popular voice 

 " The Pusher," by reason of his so rarely using whip or 

 spur in a close finish, and riding a horse home by the 

 "push and screw," which characterised his finishes in 

 the last few strides to get the last ounce out of a spent 

 and struggUng horse. Another of John's titles was 

 " The Bank of England jockey," which he enjoyed in the 

 height of his fame. After the death of his father he 

 was addressed as "Mr. John," and often enough as 

 "Johnnie Osborne," or "Old John." "The Druid" 

 said of hmi — " The talent for giving the points of a race 

 to a reporter varies very much, and few, if any, excel 

 young Osborne in this respect." That was written 

 many years ago, before Archer flashed upon the racing 

 world with unparalleled brilliancy. From our own 

 experience the faculty of giving a brief, vivid description 

 of the points of the race was Archer's above any jockey 

 of his time. In his recital, Archer's eyes brightened 

 up to a remarkable degree, as if he beheld the actual 

 competitors running before his mental vision. 



In one of Osborne's desperate races with Archer 

 some years ago, he beat " The Tinman," who was on a 

 red-hot favourite, by the shortest of heads. Ever after 

 that Archer had a wholesome dread of the " old 'un's " 

 desperate rush on the post. Indeed, he once confessed 



