146 



The Driving Clubs of Greater Boston 



"This shows the additional expense for 

 each horse as well as the large increase in 

 luggage that has to be carted around. The 

 man who said "The luxury of today is the 

 necessity of tomorrow,' hit the nail squarely 

 on the head." 



That it is a pretty tough proposition to 

 skin "Long Shot" Cox at any game was 

 proved one forenoon at the Nashua, X. H., 

 track, when a combination of the trainers put 

 up a job on him. They got a tall lanky na- 

 tive to wager a couple of dollars with "Long 

 Shot" that he, the tall, lanky, weighed the 

 most. To make the thing sure some of the 

 boys wound strips of sheet lead around 

 each of his legs, next to his drawers. "Long 

 Shot" was a little afraid he was beaten on 

 the proposition, so, unbeknown to all, he 

 quietly adjusted a big block of lead on his 

 shoulders, under his coat. Away they went 

 to be weighed. 



"Long Shot" won the "darby," fetching the 

 scales down to 183 pounds to his lanky op- 

 ponent's 181 1-2. To watch the two return 

 from the weighing-in process was most 

 laughable. "Long Shot" was horribly round- 

 shouldered, while his competitor walked like 

 a rooster with frozen feet, at each stride 

 bringing a foot up to an angle that would 

 cause a prize-winning hackney to turn green 

 with envy. 



And here is a reason why Cox never lifts 

 his hat in response to grandstand plaudits. 

 He has been pretty nearly the whole works 

 in the New England for many seasons, and 

 acquired a big following that has watched 

 him with much interest. Everybody knows 

 how he has made good, and it seems to be 

 conceded that none of the star mechanics can 

 outdrive him. 



Every time he wins he gets the glad hand, 

 good and plenty — but he never seems to pav 

 any attention to applause. A number of 

 people have said: "What's the matter with 

 that man? Why doesn't he tip His cap to the 

 grandstand ?" 



Well, they just don't know what the mat- 

 ter is. "Long Shot" would be tickled 

 enough to do the Tommy Murphy act, but 

 for one very embarrassing fact — though still 

 comparatively a young fellow, his head is as 

 bald as a pool-ball. Hence he prefers to 

 keep his nice satin cap on in front of the 

 grandstand. Can you blame him? 



CHAPTER XI 

 "Happy Jack" Trout is Mine Host 

 to Members of Metropolitan Club 



A HISTORY of the horsemen of 

 Xew England, and Greater 

 Boston in particular, would not 

 be complete without an ac- 

 count of John Trout, known to 

 his legion of friends as "Happy Jack" Trout. 

 "Happy Jack" is dallying around the 

 seventy year mark, and his eventful career 

 has been largely spent in Boston and vicinity. 

 The past eight years he has been identified 

 almost entirely with the matinee sport, he 

 having, on June 1, 1906, taken charge of the 



What is a horse ? A horse is an article in the 

 sale of which you may cheat your own father 

 without any imputation on your honesty or 

 filial duty.— H. Smith. 



JOHN TROUT 



Metropolitan clubhouse at the Charles 

 River Speedway, and a most excellent host 

 has he been to the members of that organi- 

 zation. In the stable of the clubhouse it has 

 been his duty to look after many of the fast- 

 est horses raced in the matinees. 



"Happy Jack" achieved his greatest repu- 

 tation as a driver and trainer through the 

 gelding Anaconda, which was owned by Ed- 

 win Rice, the well-known young sporting 

 man of Boston. Trout gave Anaconda a 

 record of 2:013-4, pacing, and. then, under 

 the name of Knox Gelatine King, which an 

 advertising concern in Xew York had given 

 him after purchasing him from Air. Rice. 

 Trout gave him a trotting record of 

 2:093-4. 



This is the fastest record for a double- 

 gaited performer in the world. Previous to 



