The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-07-19
[From the Springfield Repub ican.l
History and WAYS of Pool-Sellinp

p0Ol-selllng, THIS history OIL the origin ana
spread in this country of this species of
gambling, with some of its characteristics
and trickeries, by New York correspon-
dent of the Chicago Tribune will be of in
terest to amateurs and public curious in
the wicked ways of the turf
The pools IN vogue in this city chiefly are
known as the "Paris Mutuals" and "Com-
bination Pools" Mr.. Joseph Ollcr, the in
ventor of the mutual system of turf specu-
lation, was first known to fame by his huge
pink umbrella, which was feature If the
Longchamps races of 1864. He was the
leading operator in ''poules," which were
conducted on the principle of the English
sweepstakes, or hat-pool. This is very
simple, and may be thus illustrated If
there are ten horses entered for race, an
equal number of tickets are sold at stated
price. and drawing of tickets had, each
ticket bearing the name of one of the horses
entered None of those investing in
sweepstakes knows the horse he is backing
until he draws his ticket, and this is gov
erned entirely by chance. This drawing
is, in fact, q lottery based on the race TO
come, so that the inventor has the double
excitement of drawing for horee to back,
and of following the fortunes of that horse
during the race Mr.. Oller managed poules
Of this nature at LonRchamps and other
French race courses with remarkable sue
cess. lie sold chances for from two to
twenty francs, charging small commission
for his service in managing the sales. HIS
profits were 30 great that it was not long
before gorgeous wagon, with half dozen
apt clerks, and wonderful indicator en-
the roof succeeded to the deposed glory of
the pink umbrella. But in 1866 the French
government awoke to the fact that Mr. Oh
ler's operations savored Of gambling, and
were opposed to the laws of the land. Con-
sequenily he and his numerous imitators
wee arrested and stop put to their prof
liable speculations. Then it was that Mr..
Oler invented the "Paris Mutuals."
"Poules" were illegal because of the ele-
ment of chance which entered into the
plan of deciding which horse each better
should back,-a lottery, pure and simple.
Mr.. Oller eliminated this feature from his
poules, and called them the "Paris Mu-
tuals." By this scheme each investor Sc
lected the horse he desired to bet on, and,
if his favorite proved successful, he be-
came entitled to all the money in the pool,
less the commission exacted by Mr.. Oller.
During the Paris exposition the "Paris Mu-
tuals" became very popular on the race
courses, and were patronized by various
crowned heads of Europe, and the aristoc-
racy generally. Some won, some lost, but
all the time Mr.. Oller was deducting from
each pool his commission of ten per cent.
and getting richer.
The first "Paris Mutual" indicator ever
used in this country was set up at Jerome
park during the spring meeting of 1872. 1t
is reported that the distinguished New
Yorker Leonard jerome, initiated the public
into the mysteries of the mutual system,
and for the purpose Of explaining it "run
the machine" himself for brief period
Subsequently that distinguished apostle of
faro, John Chamberlain, imported other
indicators, and, in very short time, they
made their appearance upon every race
track, and cropped out at the scene of near
ly every sporting event in the country.
POol-rooms soon made their appearance in
the cities, also, and the attention of spec
ulators was divided between them and those
other resorts of gamblers, the stock eX-
change and the gold room. Thus the "Par-
is Mutuals" found themselves transported
to congenial soil, where an appIeciatine
public slowed on them every evidence of
favor. So popular did they become that
not only were they 10 be found in the rooms
frequented by the aristocracy, where tick
cts were sold at So each, but they soon ap-
peared in the Sums of the city, where the
lowest classes could buy tickets for 81 each
and risk their money on the races. regattas,
or ball matches as we'll as their more pros
porous fellow citizens. In fact, 20 COM
pletey naturalized did the "Paris Mutuals"
become in a very short time, that gambling
became the more prominent feature of ev-
cry important event, and did much to bring
all sports, whether of science or muscle,
into disrepute, causing the true lovers of
sport to question whether the attendant
evils did not more than outweigh the bene-
fits derived from athletic training, of which
honorable and manly contests should be the
natural outcome.
In pools the seller has huge advantages
over his victims-his commissions exceed
ing in amount the sun which it is possible
for any one to win. They must be paid
whether the event upon the result Of which
the money was staked is a draw or not
He gets his money as sure as the taX-gath-
erer. He takes no risks whatever, but has
a sure thing on every pool. But this ad-
vantage which the game naturally gives
him does not satisfy him, and he, too, fire.
quently resorts to unfair means to enchance
his "earnings." The mathCd of manipu-
| lating the indicator In the interest Of the
| seller is very simple Let us illustrate by
the example previously given. There were
six horses-A, b, G, d. Il and F-entered
| for the race 100 tickets were sold on A,
| 80 on @, go on q, 40 on ID, 20 on Il, and
10 on f. After deducting the commissions
there would be 1895 in the pool, In the
event OF f winning, each one of the holders
of the 10 tickets would be entitled to $780,
so. But, suppose the operator so changes
| the indicator as to show that but so tickets
were sold on A and 90 on II, he would then
| divide the 1895 into 20 parts, instead Of
| 10, pay each of the 10 ticket holders &c.,
| 70, and pocket what was left, being ten
times $60,7 or $697 80, This little game
was played repeatedly on different race
courses. Complaints were frequently made
of this mode of cheating, but, as a rule,
men preferred to quietly submit to the
swindle than TO quarrel in pnblic with pro-
fessional gamblers and sharpers. Such
complaints were made regarding manipula-
| tons of the indicator at Jerome park, while
they were under the management of per.
son who is somewhat noted for playing
"skin games.
On one occasion tickets on the winning
horse should have brought their holders
800 each, In "A tickets were added to the
number sold Ivy the bookseller, and thu
amount claimed for the IA tickets went in
IN hta nockat In annthar inatance II tick