64 CANADIAN" TUEF RECOLLECTIONS 



JOKE ON DR. ANDREW SMITH AND DAVID 

 ALEXANDER. 



I have chatted elsewhere about the fun a few of us 

 had with "Major" Quimby at Whitby over his appoint- 

 ment as official pool seller at Saratoga, and I'll now tell 

 a little story about what happened in the same town the 

 following year at the expense of two of the present mem- 

 bers of the Ontario Jockey Club. A big party of turf- 

 men were seated on the verandah of the Robson House, 

 passing the time away after dinner before starting for 

 the track. Dr. Andrew Smith, then Principal of the On- 

 tario Veterinary College, David Alexander, Roddy Prin- 

 gle and the writer were sizing up some of the afternoon 

 candidates when suddenly the whole party were startled 

 by a couple of newsboys who, with a Chiffney rush, land- 

 ed in our midst shouting: *' Gazette extra. Great fire in 

 Toronto on Temperance street. The Veterinary College 

 in ruins and a lot of race horses burned." Dave Alex- 

 ander, who had just made his first investment in the race 

 horse line, by buying of Dr. Smith a half interest in the 

 steeplechase mare Helen Bennet, jumped to his feet and, 

 thoroughly excited, urged the Doctor to order out the 

 horses and start at once for home. Friends on all sides 

 commenced to tender their sympathy and express the 

 hope that everything was insured. Finally, after every- 

 body had worked themselves up over the fire and several 

 telegrams were being prepared asking for further par- 

 ticulars as to the disaster, we let the cat out of the bag 

 by owning up that we thought a little shock would do both 

 the Doctor and Alexander good after the loafing they had 

 indulged in for forty-eight hours, waiting for fair weather 

 to bring on the races, and in consequence had set up the 

 job, got the special despatches printed and hired a couple 



