48 



I was put right on from walking to galloping horses, 

 and the first animal I ever bestrode was the vicious Whip- 

 ster. My mother, in the meantime, had ascertained my 

 whereabouts and had written Mr. Burbage. She said if 1 

 was satisfied and was willing to adopt riding as a profession 

 I might remain until the racing in the fall, at which time she 

 would see him and confer further concerning my future 

 career. 



The next spring I left Mr. Burbage and went to White 

 Sulphur Springs, Scott county, where I secured employment 

 at exercising with James Fenwick, a noted breeder of that 

 day. He bred Quiz, the grandam of Longfellow, and her 

 sister. Queen Mary, besides a host of other celebrities. I re- 

 mained there three years, and frequently galloped Quiz. In 

 this connection I wish to call the attention of the reader to 

 my previous statement that breeding is a lottery. Quiz was 

 of no earthly account as a performer, while her sister was 

 considered good enough to run against Gray Eagle, Wagner 

 or any others of her day. But she produced Nantura, who 

 was the dam of Longfellow. Queen Mary gave to the world 

 the first Red Eye, by imp. Sarpedan. 



In those days the stable boys slept at the house and were 

 treated as members of the family. I had few privations and 

 got along well with the trainers and grooms. Everybody 

 seemed to take an interest in me, probably on account of my 

 small size and my precocity, for even then I was a close ob- 

 server. 



I left Mr. Fenwick in 1842 and became attached to the 

 stable of the famous Jim Shy. He lived on the race track 

 at Lexington and had Theatrus, The Splotch Mare and a 

 half dozen others in training there, including Rothschild, 

 with whom he won the two most important stakes at the 

 meeting that year. There I remained for a number of years 

 and got my first mount as a jockey. 



Mr. Shy had promised me for weeks before that he 

 would give me a chance, and I looked forward to the time 

 I should sit in the saddle and ride a sure enough race with a 

 great deal of eagerness. Finally, the eventful day arrived. 

 I cared little for the class of the horse I was to be on. All I 

 wanted then was to ride. They put me on a mare named 

 Pinderella, by Monmouth Eclipse. She was of ordinary call- 



