Daily globe., 1882-08-13
TfPsON THE RACES.
The Bmsy Gentlemen Who SeIL Prophecy
Dirt Cheap for Cash.

month I've beaten the horses" called out
rather shrewd-looking young man on
pier s, North river, "Wednesday morning.
He held in his right hand bundle OF
sealed envelopes, which he shutiied over
and spread out as if they were pack OF
cards.
"Sure thing" he continued; "give you
the name of the winning horse IN each
race. Who'll havea selection. BesJ on
the track. Gives you all horses To win
for both first and second places.
Walking up and down the pier he ac-
costed each group of men as they came
up to the gang-plank Of the Jesse
Hoyt.
'fHow much for 'em? - asked a country
man, who seemed to have come out of
New Jersey.
''Twenty-five cents.''
"Give names of winning horses?"
'tYes-every one-never fails. Have
one?''
"Wa-al, yes, 1 guess I'll take one"
The selection seller pocketed the
quarter, and as he turned away the coun.
tryman said:
<Say, there. If this amt right, do
get my money back?''
III NChbAo1 pam DO-%
fail to meet me.''
The countryman presently discovered
that IN order to win any money by the
selections" he would have to put money
on the horses. This he had not bargained
for, and he was last seen trying TO get
his quarter back.
Several men bought envelopes, and all
did so in laughing, half-ashamed way,
as if they were willing, for the fun OF the
thing, to try it just once.
ado you sell many selections" asked
a reporter Of the man.
"No, not many; poor business"
The selection man evidently regarded
his interrogator as possible rival in the
business. The reporter brought an en-
velope. Within was a long, narrow
strip of paper. On it were printed the
numbers of the races, with spaces for
the first and second horses. For Wednes-
DAYS races at Monmouth park it gave
the winners as Parole, PiZarro, Amazon,
Fair Count, Itaska and Frank Short. The
first two were the only hits, so that one
who had lmpartlally followed the selec-
tions would have lost money.
Sometimes the selections have excellent
luck. One day last week the Oldest man
in the business named the six winning
horses, and the next day named five out
of six 1t is said that he was once rich,
and lost all his money on the English
turf He sold tips while in England, and
is now to he found busy at every impor-
tant meeting in this country. He adver-
tises his business and furnishes distant
subscribers with tips at so cents day, or
IS week. He has an Office in New
York, where his wife sells the envelopes.
He is always around the track and sta
bles, and is said to have a tout who times
the horses at exercises. His success has
stimulated imitation.
care you generally correct in your
selections? asked the reporter of this
dealer out of fortunes at twenty five
cents each.
"If l wasn't" he replied, 81 would
soon lose all my custom. Of course l
make mistakes. A horse may suddenly
get out of condition, and there are a
thousand mishaps on a race-course. L
only claim to name the horses that ought
to win if they have a fair chance"
At the entrance of the Monmouth park
race course a shabbily dressed man offer
ed selections for sale. The first thought
on seeing him was that if he was able to
pick out winning horses he was able to
buy better clothes. Apparently he had
some business at the gate, for he was
afterward seen on the grand stand wear
ing a badge. The man from the pier also
reappeared and continued his sales.
When the first two races had run the Sc
lection sellers went about calling:
Selections, gentlemen; names all the
winning horses. Named the first and
second winners alreadv.'
This was true, and business became
brisk. The next race upset the selection
men, and their voices were stilled- Sud-
denly they reappeared with pocketbOoks
loaded down with bank bills, and an
nounced that they would cash
running tickets on Turco at
slight reduction. This is
called sca1ping 1t was not confined to
the selection men, but dozen others
were in the field. They scalped from 10
cents to 81 from the winning tickets, but
the great competition kept the margin
down pretty low The scalpers had
hovered around the French pool booths
until the value of the winning ticket was
posted and then rushed into the crowd,
shouting: "Cash Turco, $3.50; worth
$12.75." AS cashing tickets at the booths
often involves tedious delay many men
were Wiling 10 pay 70 cents 10 get tnelr
money without trouble.
"How much do you make day?" asked
a reporter of a scalper.
''From $5 to $40 ON good day. 1t pays
our expenses and gives us little some
thing over to bet on the races"
Every race now has its selection
men and scalpers. They often travel
around from meeting to meeting. The
principal selection seller is now at Sara
toga, where he is said to be doing poor
business, because people there do not
understand it-New York Sun.
HeU dn All. 0ed Princess StcfndIed Paris
ShOpkeepers.
Geneva Continental Gazette.
One Of the cleverest and most beauti-
full members of the worldwide corpora
ton of thieves and swindlers has Just
honored Paris wit b her f1eeting presence,