MR MANNING AND MY WEIGHTS 



stop and talk sometimes about racing but more 

 frequently of other matters. I wish that I could get 

 under his orders again. 



This reminds me that when I visited Ascot a few 

 years back I ran across Mr Manning, the Clerk of the 

 Scales, and it was most charming of him to encourage 

 me in the way he did. I was just outside the weighing 

 enclosure and he came behind me saying : " Hurry up, 

 Sloan, and get on your colours. I should like to weigh 

 you out again." 



Charlie Wood was standing near and he said to Mr 

 Manning : "I should like to see him going to the post 

 too." 



Mr Manning added : " That's right, and if you know 

 anyone, Charlie, who can do him any good, don't you 

 forget what I have said." 



And Charlie promised that he would do all he could. 



Mr Manning was always very fair, having no 

 favourites when at his work, usually sharp and 

 severe in his manner. Wlien I first came over I could 

 not get used to stones and pounds. He would ask 

 me my weight and at first I would reply 102 lb. or 

 whatever it was. He gave me a little time, but even 

 later on it was inevitable for me to give the weight as 

 I had always been accustomed to in America. " Will 

 you give me your weight properly ? " he would repeat, 

 and then I had to do a bit of lightning calculating and 

 divide by fourteen. Sometimes I was uneasy whether 

 I had said the right figures, and would have to borrow 

 a card from someone to check what I had given in, 

 but was usually right. When I met Mr Manning 

 away from the race-course he was always congenial 

 and friendly, although as I have said he is very sharp 

 and quick to the boys at the scale. But that is his 

 official manner. By the way, Mr Fitzgerald, of whom 



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