6o 



At the beginning of the following season I organized a 

 stable of my own and made a campaign through Montana. I 

 had John Baker and Premium, and both of them were of the 

 highest class. John Baker could run a mile in 1:40 or better, 

 and was a grand plater, while Premium had phenomenal 

 speed. Realizing that the people of the far West would not 

 take kindly to me if they came to understand that my sole 

 object in going there was for the purpose of making money 

 and carrying it away from the State, I thought I would be 

 more successful if I made them believe I intended to locate 

 there. I inspected several ranches and pretended that I was 

 anxious to buy. There was hardly a man in the State that 

 did not make me some kind of an offer, for they all seemed 

 anxious to get away themselves. 



They began to smell a mouse when, after the races began, 

 I annexed nearly every purse and stake with the good horses 

 I had brought out there for the purpose. I did not lose a race 

 in which I had a starter. But they finally caught on and began 

 to make life miserable for me. One of the worst frauds they 

 attempted to practice upon me was by the withdrawal of a 

 horse in one of the stake events, thus lessening the amount 

 at least $1,000. Of course, my Kentucky blood would not 

 permit me to stand for this, and I entered a vigorous pro- 

 test, asking to be permitted to read the rules, which, by the 

 way, I had helped draft. This was refused, and I mounted 

 a picket fence near the stand. The vast crowd that filled the 

 grand stand gathered about me, all eager to hear what I had 

 to say. It was composed of the beauty and chivalry of the 

 great Copper State. 



" Ladies and gentlemen," I said, " these rules cover the 

 case entirely. If I am at fault I am willing to retire as grace- 

 fully as possible under the circumstances, but if I am right I 

 ask you to uphold me." 



The air rang again and again with the plaudits of the 

 crowd. 



"Let a committee of two," I cried again, "go to the 

 stable, bring out this alleged sick horse, and see if he is not in 

 fine shape." 



" Give him a show," yelled the people. 



" I come of a race of people," said I, as soon as silence 

 was once more restored, " that always respects the rights of 



