106 CANADIAN TURF RECOLLECTIONS 



comfort, yet one whose venturesome spirit led him to take 

 the overland journey to California, one of the Argonauts 

 of '49. Many a queer, out-of-the-way corner of the world 

 he explored, and when tired of his roaming, back he came 

 to the old home. He was one of the brightest scholars of 

 his day at old Upper Canada College; was in the same 

 class with the present Edward Blake, and the records 

 prove that he outranked him in class standing. Jack, 

 however, hated office work, and was content to play the 

 role of citizen at large. He was passionately fond of the 

 thoroughbred, and for many a year was a constant visi- 

 tor at all the running meetings held in the country. He 

 was a rare good sort, and his death was deeply regretted 

 by all who knew him. 



Another of the old guard was John Hendrie, big of 

 frame and equally big of heart, a man who rode at four- 

 teen stone and went straight as the crow flies. I think I 

 can see his smiling face now ; a complexion like a girl in 

 her teens and a voice, when it sounded in the hunting 

 field, like the notes of a silver bugle; a man game as a 

 pebble and everyone who knew him was his friend. What 

 more would you ask as a credential in his favor? He 

 also is but a memory. A seven-foot mound on the heights 

 overlooking Burlington Bay marks his last earthly rest- 

 ing place. 



Major Peel, representative of a good old English fam- 

 ily, a clever, popular fellow, fond of all sorts of sport, 

 but one of the unluckiest chaps that ever tossed a coin or 

 bet on the issue of a race. I once heard him declare that 

 if he wagered six and six made twelve, the other fellow 

 would be able to prove it was thirteen. He dabbled a 

 little in the racing game as an owner, h.aving, along with 

 the Hon. C. I. Douglas, brought Bill Bruce to this coun- 

 try. A very speedy horse, but an unlucky one. He was 

 brought over especially to defeat Kelso, then owned by 

 Archie Fisher and carrying everything before him. They 

 met at Guelph, and Bruce quit so badly in the race that 

 it was apparent to everybody that he was ''all off.'' 

 A few hours afterwards it was rumored that he had been 



