164 



The Driving Clubs of Greater Boston 



been "stung," got a gold brick, etc., and for 

 a while it did seem as if my friends had the 

 right dope. 



However, I won the first race that I ever 

 drove him in for money, which, as before 

 stated, was in Rockland, Maine. He also won 

 for me at Readville (Dorchester Driving 

 Club's Field Day), at Marshfield and at South 

 Weymouth, and all in one year. These vic- 

 tories gave me more real satisfaction than if 

 I had won the Chamber of Commerce, for 

 Budweiser beat to a frazzle horses owned by 

 the verv friends that were sure I had been 

 gold-bri'cked when I bought him ; but I started 

 to tell of my first race for money. 



Lon and" Walter Newbert were partners 

 with me in the dyestuff business at that time. 

 They were Maine boys and used to spend tlieir 

 vacation in Rockland, where their parents re- 

 sided. It is necessary to state in this story 

 that Mr. Newbert, their father, was the chair- 

 man of the board of assessors of the city of 

 Rockland. 



One dav Walter received entry blanks for 

 two-days' horse racing to be held in Rockland 

 in connection with Old Home Week. One of 

 the conditions of entry was that all horses 

 must lie owned by citizens of the state of 

 Maine. 



Walter had Alice B., a trotter with a mark 

 of 2:22 1-2. and he was going to enter her in 

 the 2:20 class. Lon suggested that I sell him 

 Budweiser, and he would enter him in the 

 2 130 class, pay all expenses, and that he could 

 be shipped down with Alice B. 



I said. "Go ahead and take him." So Lon 

 made out a check for $300, in payment for 

 Budweiser, and I gave him a bill of sale of 

 the horse and deposited his check in my pri- 

 vate drawer in the safe. Budweiser was then 

 duly entered in Lou's name and shipped on 

 the Bangor boat to Rockland. 



Two days before the race took place Walter 

 and I went to Rockland. Lon was to follow 

 the next dav. to be there to drive the horse, 

 lust before' Lon was leaving Boston some- 

 thing came up in the matter of business that 

 compelled him to give up the trip, so he tele- 

 graphed us t«. Rockland that he could not go; 

 but for us to get someone to drive Budweiser. 

 Well, 1 decided to do the driving myself. 



When the race was called it was found that 

 Budweiser had drawn tenth position in the 

 field of fourteen horses that turned for the 

 word. As only four horses could score abreast 

 I was in second place in the third tier, with 

 horses in front of me, horses behind me and 

 horses all around me. We scored seven times 

 before getting the word. 



"The charge of the Light Brigade" was not 

 a patch on each one of these several scores, 



with "Hod" Nelson, who had the pole with the 

 gelding, Geiger, yelling like an Indian. 



Well, at last we were off. I had an idea 

 at that time that the proper place for me was 

 out in front, so I set sail in true speedway 

 style to win the race in the first quarter of a 

 mile. I passed all and began to creep up on 

 Nelson, who was leading. Just as my horse 

 got to his sulky wheel he looked around, and 

 when he saw who it was he gave one of his 

 characteristic veils and began carrying me over 

 on the grass at the outside of the track, until 

 finally I could go no further, so I then pulled 

 toward him and our sulky wheels began to 

 grind. 



I was not frightened, but I was as mad as 

 any frothing dog ever seen, and we both be- 

 gan to hand out conversation that would not 

 took good repeated here. However, we finally 

 got clear driving again, and I finished fourth. 



Just imagine my surprise to then hear the 

 announcer say in 'giving the positions of the 

 horses: "Budweiser tenth." 



Newbert's Rockland friends, on the quarter- 

 stretch and in the grandstand, urged me to 

 to to the judges' stand and claim my righltul 

 position. Tin's I did, and. for the first time in 

 my lite, stood before the monarchs of all they 

 survey. . 



I didn't know one man in that stand. -Nei- 

 ther did I know, at that time, that judges at a 

 horse race are supreme in all things. 1 he 

 starting judge was the well known Maine turf 

 writer. Milton Hatch. 



1 made my protest, saying: "Gentlemen, 

 you have placed me tenth, but there is no ques- 

 tion but what I finished fourth. I can bring 

 a hundred men up here who will sustain me 

 in the statement that I finished fourth." 



One of the judges replied: "My dear sir, 

 we are judging this horse race, and we placed 

 you tenth, and that is the position that you 

 will start the next heat in." 



Now what do you think about that ? "\\ hy, 

 1 declared, "you are a gang of crooks." Wow, 



wow ! 



Hatch here took a part in the conversation 

 by saying: "Young man. do you realize where 

 you are"' Do you know that these gentlemen 

 can nut you, and your horse, out of business 

 I'm- those words?" 



In sheer ignorance and being thoroughly 

 angry I retorted : "Why don't they do it, then.' 

 but 1 still say that if they don't give me the 

 position that I earned, which is fourth, they 

 are a gang of cheats, and you are no better. 



Ml 'this time the crowd on the track and 111 

 the grandstand were shouting to me, Stick 



3 At last Hatch took me by the arm and said 



