88 Among Men and Horses. 



6 



no use imparting a ' good thing ' to a man who hasn't the 

 pluck to bet more than he can pay. 



Our chief amusement at the White Hart was pool ; and 

 it was a ' warm ' one. Cards were limited to long whist. 

 Tom Jennings generally managed to secure Jim Goater as 

 his partner. He then had three to two the best of his adver- 

 saries — which was moderate for him. Young Tom is a well- 

 educated, gentlemanly fellow. 



During the race weeks, I used to see Mr John Corlett, and 

 had often a talk with him about horses. As he was one of 

 the family, having married a Miss Stebbings, he of course 

 puts up at the Rutland Arms, which is the aristocratic hotel 

 in Newmarket. The trainers divide their patronage between 

 it and the White Hart, which is the chief place of call for the 

 jockeys. The other sportsmen are principally to be found at 

 the Greyhound, which is kept by Mr Riley of coursing cele- 

 brity. Many persons who are unacquainted with racing are 

 wont to imagine that Mr Corlett's paper The Sporting Times y 

 alias The Pink ' Un, is wholly given up to remarkably clever 

 though slightly risky jokes and funny stories. It contains, on 

 the contrary, an amount of turf erudition in its leading article 

 — written by Mr Corlett — that is worth ten times the price 

 asked for the entire paper. Although the pleasantry which 

 sparkles through its columns is no doubt heightened by an 

 acquaintance with the genial staff, and is veiled to a certain 

 extent by an affected absence of polish, it is, frequently, of 

 marvellously high merit from a literary point of view, and is 

 always acceptable to men of the world as a producer of a 

 hearty laugh.. The editor is wont to playfully assume that 

 owing to the 'festive' tendencies of the staff, the Pink 'Un 

 is in a chronic difficulty of being in time for publishing day. 

 Although the office in 52 Fleet Street is not run on abso- 

 lutely teetotal principles, the working and responsible editor 

 performs his part in a business-like manner which leaves 

 nothing to be desired. My friend 'Gubbins' is a thorough 

 worker, and puts in a lot of good ' copy ' unfathered by his 



