, 1874-09-06

s~A@A ~'~N->~A 'tN0@
on with tho ardor and Attendance Of political
primary. Tho rules Of tbs turf arc in general
prescribed by tho Jockey Club at New York, from
the best foreign rsuthotity, and from original
suggestion in this country. Tho turf is also
protected by atrict legislation, and, as Uorrissoy
eaid to mo:
.tTho charter OF tho Saratoga Racing Asso-
citation gives ns much power to the incorporators
as man has in his own house,-yes more"
All this il ~~contemporaueous with immense
vitality IN other atl.1etio 6elds,-in yachting,
rowing, bnl1-playing, p;goon-shooting, scien-
tito fishing, walking, leaping, and wild
hunting,-so that it may ba said that
the Geld-sports OF America we're never on so good
footing, and that they approximate to tho
physical education Of our English forer1nners.
In corresponding degree, tho coatser and rudor
forms Of amusement have declined; prize-aght-
ing, cock-hghting, dog-dGhting, and public gam
ing. Buying pools and playing poker end bos-
ton nzo nov tbe great forms Of hazard- Let mo
call your attention to some representative char
actsrs in this strange Jet professional hurry
burly OF sporting life
FIRST, THE pooL-nooH.
On tho square OF ground occupied by Nor
rissey's hotel and clubhouse is frame cottage
Of yellow relieved by brownish- yellow, as big az
A YDnHttnC-61088s
the bar is q stairway leading up to elegant bed
chambers, which are let ont at 93 day.
In the corner is the Office ef tna
Associations Secretary. The body o1
the room in an auctlon-house; and, "here the
auctioneer caIls OF tho horses and domands bids,
arc hlnckbosrds. anuuuciatore and notifications,
besidea tables for CLERKS and reporters
Tie auctioneer is red-faced Dublin Lad. tust
brogue is rich to the point OF cream, while he
has certain natural expressions and antics which
p;ye rim a dtoN mean between sinceritg and low
Comedy, THIS is DR.. Underwood, q veterinary
| surgeon. formerly ho5se-bnyer for the Haash
| army. He Is accredited upon almost every rae
| ing-fell in America, aud is the lnt1oduce1 Of
| Dool-selIiue, being moved thereto by the fro
auent fracases he saw at Lexington, Ky., wbile
resident there, where money WAS frequently
placed in unreliable hands, or eounterfeits bot
against good bills, ETC. To stop the annual s]ay-
ing OF halr-a-dozen people, Underwood be-
gan to put of pools at auction,-the Racing AS
sociation itself being tho surety, aud taking its
compensation out Of the winners pool at the
rato Of about per cent. This was found, In
the course OF time, to bo profitable corner Of
every rnce-course, and that is why this pool
nom has boon erected, rs we'll as sheltered
t placea on tho courEe to keep mp the sale 1h1lo
| the oxcitemept is high. It Is for this reason,
| also. that so much time elapses between the
heats and races, 80 "a to afford tho Association
t1mo to compensate itself by tho pools. While
Underwood is rattlinG OIL the Eorses 1;s here here
|
pentlently on Broadway, Saratoga, and Broad
Tay. N, T.-tho subject OF all these sales being
| the immediate run in hand on the Saratoga
| Course.
| THE SYSTEM,
as it appears, is plain cnoug gh: Eight or ten
horses aIe to start. There is q favorito, and he
is nut up for sale in the pools. He brings any
where from s50 to eli, 900 (tho latter the high
| at nooi Underwood ever sold), according to tho
money in the audience. Suppose he brings
s5oo - renrcseptatiye price. There are second
| and third horse, with pro1lrnate chances. 10
chnsar nays. saw. $500 for the fsvorite's compe-
| f;tnr Ticn inc;ted by tho sum OF $500 which
mav noseibIy bo his. third auditor buys another
hoisc. soy for ESQ. The remainder OF the en-
| tries ara br1nched together and sold as ss tho
| faiJ aav for 125 Nov if mono OF tho better
1.,-S, 1,n,,n horses w1n the man who gayo $25 for
| 4stha f;ed will carry or $375. minus the per-
| ccntapc snbtracted bY the Association. Of which
Underwood gets sub-percentago
Aca;n. hehold John Alorrissey sitting down
hohn1 tirce tin bo1oe each divided into COM
,er+,nanta and rontnininc tickets, numbered,
nrinted. and registered, like railroad Tickets
- What are these. Mr. MorTissey?
9,E1 1s THE 3sESc4 Eac bor no95s qen1eaents
rsce. Five dollars ticket, sir!'
same mo % snm Of money. Now, suppose race Of
i've horses and 500 persons buy French mutual
t;sre haSej ay; say; @ minus per cent to the Asso-
cntion Il the horse wins. But there will be one
ohscnro nae on whom only three people bet
fI,oir money. Each of these thrco tickets, if the
i,oTsn wins will be worth $500 for IS, minus S25
~ the A.socintion. All tho money in these pools
is mt in sheet-iron boxes, and they are carted
to the trnck. The calculations afe qu1cRly
n,dn and the yaluo Of winning tickets put up
On bIank board After two days tickets aro
nj honorcd Int they will be cashed immediate
" liter tho roc, and at the pool-room, mornings
- Tho arrangements on the track to pay up these
poos and cash the mutual tickets partake q M the
nre from, four to six sellers OF mutual tickets,
hehini caisses. and policemen guard tho aisles.
TLa cashiers number four, and thoy cash the
tickets promptly after tho race and computation;
The 1 seuctiycncss OF this kind Of quiet and
vcl1- VIII -hred gaming extends TO all classes. aud
women send their husbands and brothers to tho
roo1s to nvcet for them.