TOD SLOAN 



world Tony and I knew only from picture-books, and 

 that I should be shaken by the hand and talked with 

 by the Prince whose coloured picture was given to us 

 by the local grocery store at Christmas ? That prince 

 was to be King of England. 



There were, too, lesser lights of American growth. 

 I would have the weekly paper, and see the picture of 

 John L. Sullivan, and when we looked at the portraits 

 I would murmur : " Gee ! Tony, we have expected this 

 paper to-day, shall we ever have a handshaking ac- 

 quaintance with him ? What a pride it would be to 

 meet ' John L.' ! And if only he would notice me 

 some day ! " 



In my humble way I was to come out of obscurity. 

 From playing truant from school I was to show the 

 world how weight could be properly distributed on a 

 horse ; I was to be the possessor at one time of nearer 

 half a million dollars than a quarter ; I was to meet 

 almost every celebrity in the world they and I flourished 

 in. I am suggesting Tod Sloan myself — the boy, the 

 man, the jockey. Then came the reverse of fortune, 

 the facts of which shall be told; the grim battling; 

 hoping against hope; the procession of years full of 

 incident; but with the constant open sore of dis- 

 appointment. 



A sense of humour can save our reason and the 

 jokes of existence can make me laugh, and perhaps 

 you will laugh with me — who knows ! A jockey's 

 tears are for himself, his smiles can be shared with 

 the next fellow. All the same, who would have 

 thought, when I was run away with, on an old horse, 

 with me grabbing him round his neck, that, later, 

 I was to sail in for race after race for the great owners 

 of England and America. 



I have said I was frightened at the sight of a horse. 



