The Sun.
London, England, 1866-07-16 00:00:00

Prophets end Losses.

The facetious correspondent of the Racing Times
writes on the above subject as follows :
The science of betting would appear to be still in
its infancy, even though games and wagers were
well known when civilisation was young, or, in
other words, from time immemorial. How to do
his adversary is the principle uppermost in the mind
of your modern low-class betting man. There must,
of course, be two parties to every transaction of the
kind—one to win and the other to lose—so that the
party who receives is plus, and the person who pays
becomes minus to the same extent. No amount of
sophistry can get over this little fact, and it is only
varied when you have entrusted your coin to a loose
advertising prophet, and he forgets to cash up. I
have given on former occasions passing references to
miserable pickers-up of the public, but had no idea
whatever that the fraternity were so numerous, as
upon a little research I find them to be. They spring
up from all parts of the country with extraordinary
assurance, pursuing their calling with indomitable
energy and skill worthy a better cause.

In a largely-circulated bi-weekly contemporary of
the 16th June, exactly a month back, were a couple
Of columns of advertisements of commission agents
and tipsters, and no less than 14 of the latter have
since disappeared. The first that caught my eye
ran thus—" Notice : The British Turf Company,
for the convenience of the working class execute
commissions (by letter only) from 2s. 6d. to any
amount. Full market odds and starting prices gua-
ranteed. Address, with stamps or post orders, Alfred
Bennett, Secretary, 102, Newington-causeway.
Established 1850." We are all working men, as
Gladstone says, but the class whose " convenience"
here supposed to be consulted is evidently of the
humbler lot. Here is a pretty scheme to, extract
half-a-crown from a poor man's pocket. Mark the

high-sounding title, 'British Turf Company. Est&
_ _

Wished 1850 !" Ido not believe there is any legi-
timate association of the kind in existence, for in-
stead of handsome, extensive premises usually pro-
vided by companies of repute, the place is a small
tobacconist's shop, and the name of Alfred Bennett is
not recorded in the " London Directory" as residing
there. The working classes are sufficiently preyed
upon, both commercially and politically, by all sorts
of quacks and schemers, from maudlin trashy pub-
lications, to reform agitation, without having their
small stock of half-crowns further jeopardise(' by
the shallow artifice in question.

Another candidate for public patronage appears
under the name of W. Williams, of " Peas Hill-
rise, Nottingham," one of the well-known lamps of
that quiet locality, and here is his statement :
" Gentlemen,—We have this season gained the
summit of our (monetary) ambition. lam sure by
the liberality you have shown me that you are more
than satisfied with my discovery, and as I cannot
write you each. singly I thus publicly take the plea-
sure of returning you, one and all, my best thanks.
Gentlemen wishing for the above are requested to
write before the 23d, as it will not be imparted to
any one after that date." This appears to have
some reference to a preceding advertisement or para-
graph, but it is not so, and I may safely defy any
Greenhorn on earth to unravel the mystery. lam
glad, however, to find that Mr. Williams has gained
the summit of his monetary ambition, and heartily
trust his correspondents, assuming he ever had any,
have done so likewise. To proceed—one Fred
Gaywood, of Manchester, introduces his " new and
valuable guide to backers of horses," and continues,
"After many (roving ?) years of successful practice
he can with confidence recommend this work as the
best ever published—post free, seven stamps." Not
at all dear, as times go. Two advertisements now
follow, one from J. Harland, of Ipswich, and the
other from J. Garland, of Leicester-square. May they
not be the same ? The Ipswich man did business by
supplying winners of, the Northumberland Plate
and Liverpool Cup at long odds for 12 stamps,
and the Leicester-square worthy for the same in-
formation required fourteen. It was not wholly
impossible for a sharp backer to have discovered the
important fact from a careful perusal of the latter's
announcement which ran thus —" One horse in the
Northumberland Plate is favoured in so glaring a
manner that its trainer, one of the shrewdest judge,
of the days says he never knew a better thing, and
certainly during 22 years' practical experience I
never did. My information is from most reliable
sources, and I do not hesitate to say this will be
my greatest success of the year." Another tipster
and commission agent, one G. Cookson, hails from
20, Charles-street, Hampstead-road, which, on re-
ference to the " London Directory," I find to be a
chandler's shop, not a very dignified calling for a
prophet of eminence. He had " the greatest cer-
tainty ever known," which was retailed at half a
dozen stamps, and for the same figure a Mr. Segary,
of 142, Leadenhall-street, supplied the identical
article, but limited it to " gentlemen who would
act honourably after the race," and wound up
by stating " This is really genuine." How could
anybody doubt it ?
.Leadenhall-street is a large,
wealthy thoroughfare, but the number referred to
is not an extensive merchant's establishment—but,
according to the Directory, " Booser's refreshment
rooms," so that seekers of good things while leav-
ing their six stamps for the tipster might partake of
luncheon if so inclined. Mr. Frank Scott, of 132,
Blackfriars-road (a carpenter's 'shop), after the
usual liberality in offering £BOO for £l, and so on
for a variety of double events, says " My selections
will win the Worcester and Nottingham handicaps
by twenty lengths !" Your readers will judge of
the correctness of this as well as I can.
To the small speculative capitalist perhaps there
was nothing much better than a concern apparently
of a slightly different character. I refer to the
Royal Oak Money Club, where £5O could be got for
a shilling, or rather a little more, because, in addition
to the usual 12 stamps, two addressed stamped en-
velopes were wanted, one for tickets and one for
prize-lists. The club-house is situate " 64, Chris-
tian-street, London, E," I confess to a tolerable
knowledge of most parts of our interesting village,
but the street in question never before came under
my observation. However, on turning to Kelly's
mighty volume, I find it is a terra incognita, lying
between Cable-street and Commercial-'road East,
and not, to the best of my memory, a very aristo-
cratic neighbourhood. The scheme seemed to be of
the lottery or "little-go" order.
Mr. Gilbert Bradshaw, of 67, Brook-street, Lam-
beth, is also a dealer in double events and certain-
ties. He informed his subs" that No. 2 black and
27 yellow were of no use, and recommended their
being peppered. The place is a small tobacconist's
shop, and pepper could not be purchased there, nor
did it:appear at all intelligible what the numbers and
colours referred to. In addition to the channels
already enumerated, one T. Mathews (not Tom the
veteran clown), of 138, Newington Butts, heads his
advertisement, " A Fortune for a Shilling," alluding
to something called " Orlando's Winning Guide,l'
and informs us that " This celebrated work shows
the most simple, easy, and only method by which
£lO may be at obtained for every ss. invested. It
tells you plainly the way to realise thousands." The
author finishes with the word " copyright !" in in-
verted commas, alluding, as I suppose, to the circu-
lar, and is a warning to pirates. The number, 138
in Newington-butts, does not, for som e reason, appear
in Kelly.

As I have shown clearly that £BOO is to be ob-
tained for a sovereign, it is doubtful whether our
friends will go to the extent of ss. merely to secure
an unimportant thing like a £lO note, and this " for-
tune fora shilling," being a fifth of the amount sought,
appears like a couple of sovs. only. The last place
to be referred to is " Mensal-green," a pleasant
spot to finish at. The performer is " M.A.," and
he dates from the post-office there, not the mine,.
tery, and referring to. the Northumberland Plate,
says, " I have an out and outer. A certain horse
has been in reserve all its life ; it will now win two
or three races, and I am assured this is its first
journey. Those who are fond of hedging can win
largely, for the stable money will be invested in a
few days, and the horse down to short odds. As
this information must necessarily be limited, it will
be sent only to gentlemen forwarding Us. Those
who will not reward me after the race need not
write." The horse alluded to must have been an
unprofitable one to its owner.

At the Criminal Court recently a couple

- Al•••••••
of fellows were awarded lengthened sojourns in gaol
for victimising a Yorkshire butcher out of £9 by
advertising to lend him £l5O for 10 years, but re-
quiring the first year's interest in advance, which he
was silly enough to remit, instead of requesting the
capitalists to deduct the trifling amount and send a
banker's draft for £l4l, which would have been the
much more safe course. They dated from an oyster
shop in Euston-road (a capital place for "natives"),
the proprietor of which received letters from the
country at half-a-crown a week. Many of the
parties abcva referred to probably adopt the same
course by getting unsuspecting tradesmen to allow
letters to be addressed to their shops. Enough has
been shown now to put all intelligent members of
society who have a desire to peep into sporting
futurity on their guard, and, while they seek
" prophets," take care that " losses " do not ine-
vitably follow.

COUNTRY MARKETS.

NORWICH - SATURDAY.

Thorn was a fair show of wheat at market to-day; but
few transactions took place, at about the rates of this day
so'unigjit. But little passing in other articles. The bril-
liant and forcing weather which we have had during the
past week has enabled the growers to secure tho greater
portion of their hay crop (which is of good average quality)
in excellent order. The corn crops are also being rapidly
brought to maturity under the most promising circum-
stances.

White wheat (weighing 641 b), 55s to 57s ; old red aitto
weighing 651 b), 51s to 53s ; new red ditto (weighing
601 b to 631 b), 51s to 52s ; best malting barley (weighing
521 b to 531 b), 36s to 38s ; runs ditto (weighing 511) to 521 b),
34s to 365; distilling ditto (weighing 501 b to 521 b), 30s to
32S ; oats, 24s to 26s ; beans, 57s to 39s ; peas (maple), 363
to 38s per qr. Flour, 37s 6d per sack.