JOHN E. TURNER. 33 



to work, and while thousands of them never learn the 

 value of a dollar there are others who do and succeed 

 in amassing a comfortable fortune in the most hazard- 

 ous enterprises. On the trotting turf one of the latter 

 by his skill as a reinsman and his ability to deliver "the 

 goods" when due, was assigned the title of "General," 

 his name on the Pennsylvania tax list appearing as 

 John E. Turner. * 



A sketch of John E. Turner's career reads like that 

 of many another lad who started at the foot of the lad- 

 der, Irish wit, clear head, and thrifty habits proving his 

 talisman. Aladdin did not come around mornings and 

 let John E. rub his lamp for luck or to help his imagi- 

 nation, as the young man was always up at peep of 

 day looking for the nimble sixpence. As a boy, he 

 started out to care for horses that came to the shed of 

 a road house near Philadelphia, while those who made 

 up the driving brigade of the day were inside toasting 

 their shins and swapping experiences, as they had a 

 "little of something." Turner was so industrious that 

 he soon attracted the attention of the road drivers by 

 his good manners and the taste which he displayed in 

 keeping everything in shipshape order, to say nothing 

 of the care that he took of their horses after a spin. 

 One gentleman in particular thought that the Irish lad 

 should have a horse to drive on the road, so he sent 

 him an old stallion named May Day. Turner soon 



*The term "General." or "Little General," -was first connected with John 

 E. Turner's name in the summer of 1878. In April, 1903, when referring to it, 

 Charles H. Page, of Philadelphia, wrote as follows: "One afternoon in the 

 summer of 1878, in company with A. G. Westmore, who at that time was doing 

 turf work for "The Item," as we were sitting on the fresh green sward waiting, 

 wondering and watching, we saw Turner, who was engaged in a race, skirmish- 

 ing and manoeuvering for a position, and when he won the heat, one of us and 

 I think I am the man used the words "Little General." The following Sunday 

 Mr. Westmore used the words "Little General" in "The Item." That was the 

 start of "General" or "Little General." " 



