Mr. verpool; and in the second ties, Mr. Buckworth's Briton. Burroughes's Comus, Mr. Caldwell's Railroad, Lord Glentworth's Lightning, Mr. Caldwell's Runjeet Sing, Mr. M. Bagge's Fanny Ann, Mr. Grant's Denizen, Mr. Villebois's Niger, Lord Stradbroke's Melton, Mr. Villebois's Newbury, Mr. Burrough's Comet, and Mr. Chute's Hangman, also passed through the slipper's hands in their fruitless efforts for the Swaffham Cup. The same year, at Louth, November 24th, in consequence of the frost, Kenwigs divided the Great St. Leger with Mr. A. Graham's Cacciatore, Mr. Dawson's Slyboots, Mr. R. Bennett's Violet, Mr. Newell's Lucy, Mr. Fowler's Midnight, Mr. Hutchinson's Grasper, and Mr. Tindal's Chasse, having beaten Mr. Marshall's Norwood in his first course, and Captain Daintree's King Cob in his second. King Cob won the Cup at Newmarket, and the Great St. Leger at Barton-on-Humber the same season. In addition to these victories, Kenwigs has occasionally distinguished himself in that mortifying "all but" work, known as running up. In 1840, at Ashdown Park, February 4th, he was within an ace of taking the Cup back with him into the land of turkeys, hospitality, and hard dumplings. In his first course he beat Lord Rivers' Grasshopper; in the second, Mr. Goodlake's Golden Lion; in the third, Mr. Agg's Amulet; while for the deciding course, Mr. Etwall's Enham was declared his superior. In his last public appearance, Kenwigs also figured as a run up dog; this was in December, 1843, for the Antique Stakes, Newmarket Champion Meeting; when, according to the Judge (an amateur), he succumbed to Mr. Fyson's Fairy; while many, on the other hand, thought Fairy undoubtedly succumbed to him; as it was, he beat Mr. Drinkald's Fantail in his first course, and Mr. Fyson's Frederica in his second. Other advices from Newmarket, Liverpool, and elsewhere, say that, in a few instances, Kenwigs has not been so successful; but what we have already shown, coupled to the character we received with him, must, we feel assured, be sufficient for our having at once transferred him from the hands of Mr. H. Hall, of Newmarket, to those of Mr. E. Hacker, of "the Great Metropolis." This character, by the way, cannot be too well known-"Kenwigs is a most determined and beautiful runner with his game, very fast, and undeniable in stoutness and honesty." Anything more pithy or more to the purpose could not have been said, and with it we finish our second course with our heartiest wishes for the success of Kenwigs and his popular owner, and hoping the latter may soon produce another Kenwigs, though not to the injury of this old and faithful servant, for whom a bed of clover should ever be prepared at Stradsett Hall, with any further luxury Squire Bagge may think fit to give him-except the sack. *After a brief pause the Slipper was again at work, Fairy and Kenwigs being put in to decide the point at issue. A hare was soon found-Kenwigs was first up by a couple of lengths at least; after some short turning-work by both, the hare broke away in favour of Fairy; Kenwigs, however, out-paced her; some short turning-work followed, the hare was killed, and Fairy declared the winner of the Cup. Many thought it a cap of another colour."-BELL'S LIFE. 20 THE LATE MR. CROCKFORD. "With nought but calculation in his brain, And nought revolving, save the way to gain." To make a millionaire, particularly when the ingredients allowed for that purpose consist of little or nothing beyond a clear head or a determined perseverance, is in these days a much more difficult receipt to follow out than it was half a century or so back; for one man who is just now springing up mushroom fashion, we think we could name ten who have; and yet that in almost every instance the apparent difficulties at starting would be on the side of the veterans. Notwithstanding that laudable piece of advice so generally given to young men "that industry and sobriety are the only roads to fortune," we are inclined to agree with Sir Balaam, in fancying the greatest have been acquired by what the city knight would term "a lucky hit." The exercise of the spinning jenny, the execution of "a side-long glance of love," and the rattle of the dice-box, have eclipsed all that industry and sobriety alone could have effected during five times the period in which their immense riches have been amassed. The stage of a theatre, a place at the hazard-table, or a book on the Derby, are much shorter cuts to distinction and estate than the milliner's back room, the butcher's shambles, or the fishmonger's shop. With this for her motto, "A lucky hit," a secondrate actress in a strolling company may picture herself amongst the highest in the land, superior to all in wealth, and equal to any in rank and title; with this to cheer him on, the needy tradesman may become the nightly associate of the most renowned and honouredmay clothe himself in purple, and feed on the fat of the land. And "Some there be, by fortune favoured yet, Who've gained a borough by a lucky bet." Class pleasure or amusement under any head we will, one almost certain result must be money out of pocket. Whether our taste be indulged in the ball-room or the open field, whether engaged in listening to the music of the Bohemian Girl or the Warwickshire lads, whether feasting our eyes on the beauties of an Ellsler, our palate on the delicacies of Ude, or our whole senses in a run with the Quorn, a portion of our time and cash must necessarily be sacrificed. We have nothing to offer against this: strange indeed if we had, considering we may be classed amongst those who say, "what is fun to you is life to us," or, to borrow again from Apollo "And, if allowed we may be the expression, What you make a pleasure we make a profession." But, alas! this is not all; we cannot stop here. Pleasure in moderation, rational amusement, the cost of which we might reckon before entering on it, is not enough! Life requires higher seasoning and excitement, anything for excitement, "the pulse's maddening play" is seized on, and health, happiness, and fortune set upon the hazard of a die. Nimrod in his excellent series of papers-"The Anatomy of Gaming"-declares that in his numerous circle of acquaintance he could not name one man who had benefited by play or gambling. This is sufficient to show that the writer was not himself in the ring, though, had he been ever so well versed in the practice of Play-fair, he would have found it almost equally difficult to identify any nobleman or gentleman of fortune whose honour or estate was the better for this unfortunate passion. Indeed, there appears to be a kind of tacit understanding, that though all apparently have equal chances, none but adventurers and gamblers by profession shall, in the long run, have a profit side of the account to show. Nimrod knew no man who had benefited by play, but how many who had been ruined? Where went “ the domain of Blythe, the pride of Mellish and his ancestors? where the splendid fortune of Mytton? where upwards of two-thirds of the sixty thousand a year the present Lord C-(now called a knowing man) came into possession of on attaining his majority? Why are Lords L-d and S-d, and others, aliens to their native country? Where, in short, are the thousands of thousands who have left their families in misery and want? For what use and for whose advantage has all this waste been applied? For what? To build a hell on the plan of a palace, and make a blackleg Crœsus to rule over it. The foregoing remarks are levelled rather at a system than an individual. What we complain of and regret is, that society should have allowed, nay, absolutely encouraged and supported a man in such an undertaking as this. We are no advocates-indeed, we do not see the necessity-for that clean-sweeping some people would have. The legs in their places are all very well, and men we know will play, whatever H.R.H. Prince Albert or Sir James Graham may say or do to the contrary. So far so good; but surely this might have been done with some degree of privacy and propriety. Let a gambling house be a gambling house and nothing more, instead of as at present associating Crockford's with life in the west, and proclaiming coram populo the dice-box and cards as the chief business of our aristocracy. It is said there will be some difficulty in finding a man fit to take Mr. Crockford's place; one as worthy of the support of the club, and equally capable of pandering to the taste of his patrons. For our own part, we could wish never to see the situation, at least with all the duties hitherto appertaining to it, re-occupied ; a hope, however, in which we place but little confidence. The history of nine betting or gambling men in ten would, we think, be found very similar-all rising from little or nothing, and gradually reaching the rank of influentials. Here and there we might have the fortune to stumble on "a character," rich in contempt for his superiors and English grammar; but the more generally, coolness and quietness mark the man, and this, with the secret manner in which he exercises his vocation, makes a lengthy memoir scarcely necessary, if indeed it be practicable. Mr. Crockford was one of the last of a swarm of heavy betting men of the old school. "Crockford and Cloves, O'Mara, Holland, Bland; Pupils of Cocker! Calculating band!” have all passed away; while, of the whole band, the subject of this notice was undoubtedly what Brother Jonathan would have called "one of the most remarkable men in our country." He began life as a small fishmonger, and even in this calling is said to have displayed his genius for speculation, frequently going to Billingsgate and buying a whole bench of fish on the chance of there being a demand for it from other retail consumers; this appears to have given him a taste for higher game, and he soon became a nightly frequenter of a hazard-table in King's Street, at which he continued to play with indifferent success, until, profiting by "the office," he made a hit on a Derby outsider, and thus laid the foundation stone of his future elevation. The fishmonger soon after this entirely gave way to, the leg, or sporting-man; the last shop, we believe, which he occupied in the former capacity being within one of Temple Bar, and open at this moment for the sale of the same commodity. In his new calling, 5, King Street, St. James's, was the first house he appeared in as hell proprietor; subsequently he made a fourth partner at 81, Piccadilly, and some time between 1820 and 1825 took upon his own account, but with the private support of some noblemen, 50, St. James's Street, previously known as Fielder's Gambling House, and opened it as Crockford's Club House, with what success the fact of the houses 51 and 52 being quickly added to it and the whole thrown into the present magnificent pile, is of itself ample evidence. To go through the list of men who within those walls have to-day revelled in all the luxuries of life and fortune, paying thousands for a dinner and hundreds for a glass of claret, and the next have been turned away from the door as beggars, absolutely praying for a few shillings to supply the very necessaries of existence, is a task we would gladly spare our readers and ourselves; and consequently with a brief sketch of Mr. Crockford's more peculiarly sporting life, that is, as a racing man, we hasten to conclude. The first visible sign we have of Mr. Crockford's being on the turf was in 1808, when, at the death of Mr. Panton, he purchased that gentleman's house, the best in Newmarket, as his private residence; it was not, however, until 1811 he became an owner of race horses, and as from that time up to his decease his cracks have been but few and far between, we shall give the names of the principal performers without further date or distinction :-Remnant, Pandora, Touchstone, Marplot, Democles, Gossamer, Spy, Nadga, Nora Creina, Merrymaker, Rob Roy, Sultan, Tablet, Fairy, Romp, Hope, Emperor, and Brutus. This carries us up to 1825, from which period there was a longum intervallum, as we do not find his name again until 1841. The best of the horses whose names we have given, we need scarcely say, was Sultan, who in 1819 was second favourite, and ran second to Tiresias for the Derby; in 1820 won two gold cups and a thousand *We think it was Fielder's, but do not give it as an authority. guinea match, and the next season was sold to Lord Exeter for a thousand. Brutus, Merrymaker, Spy, and Democles may have paid their way, but nothing more. Chummy, filly by Buzzard, Sister to Cardinal Puff, Pine-apple, and Ratan, comprise the second division, all of which have been so lately before the public that comment upon them or their performances would be superfluous. As a betting man, few were more looked up to than Crockford, and none enjoyed greater confidence; but as far as real judgment in racing, or a knowledge of the animal went, we believe he was to the last but a mere novice. This, however, was never a drawback on his game, relying on his experience not in horses but men, and with nearly as much advantage to himself as he had derived from the same sources over the hazard-table. We should say that he had won more money on one event than any man before or cotemporary with him; on one particular Derby indeed, (we rather think it was the General's year), he had nothing to do but receive. Mr. Crockford died, after a short indisposition, on Friday, May 24th (the Oaks day), at his house in Carlton Gardens, leaving a widow, a large family, and it is said a fortune of three hundred and fifty thousand pounds. Mr. Crockford's stud were sold at Hyde Park Corner on Thursday, the 22nd, and realized the following prices : BROOD MARES. Honoria, br. m., 8 yrs. old, by Camel, out of Maid of Honour by Champion, with a colt foal by Gladiator, and covered by Alpheus gs. 200 Ratan's dam, with a filly foal by Buzzard, and covered by Buzzard Chestnut mare, 6 yrs. old, by Bentley, out of Ratan's dam; covered by Venison 61 Sister to Cardinal Puff, 3 yrs. old, covered by Alpheus 57 Chestnut mare, 5 yrs. old, by Buzzard out of Emma, with a filly foal by Gladiator, and covered by St. Francis 53 Battersea Lass, by Phantom, dam by Young Election out of Miss Manager, by Giles; with a filly foal by Bentley, and covered by Buzzard 41 800 390 155 105 105 57 32 26 Ratan, 3 yrs. old, by Buzzard, dam by Picton, her dam by Selim.. .... D |