WHAT HANLON DID FOR ME 



to lift him out of trouble time after time isn't 

 funny. 



In writing all this I am afraid I have wandered a 

 good deal from the story of my life, but the various 

 topics have to be taken up as thought of or suggested, 

 and the distraction of cards and dominoes can help us 

 to keep our sanity on occasions. I do not intend to 

 suggest that there has ever been a suspicion of any- 

 thing in the way of " Pots " or " Bug-house " in our 

 family, but anyone who has a big nervous strain is 

 liable to want something to take the attention off more 

 serious topics. 



I have met many great players at bridge, have 

 watched their peculiarities and have studied how they 

 played the game. A man can so easily start off with 

 the best possible ideas about prudence and then be 

 spurred to risk. On the other hand, there are 

 " pikers " at the game who have no audacity and will 

 see opponents win a game where a little courage would 

 get them out of a hole. There are books and theories 

 but there is nothing like practice and encouragement. 



Speaking of the latter — encouragement — perhaps I 

 should have never gone on with race riding many years 

 ago but for the comforting words of Charles Hanlon. 

 It is almost entirely due to him that I persevered with 

 the forward seat. It was he who dissuaded me from 

 going on the stage and made me stick to riding. He 

 encouraged others too, and America has a lot to thank 

 him for in the way he could discriminate between 

 what would be for the benefit of the Turf and what 

 would not. He combined intelligence with a manner 

 and a way of speaking which anyone had to listen to. 

 His picture will give some idea of the kind of man he 

 was. 



255 



