The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1884-08-20
WOMEN BETTING AT RACES
HOW 1T AFFECTS THEM JOYS AND
DIsAPPOI NTMENTs.
In nioncy Melting Like Wet Nngnr-fe'
male Gambling Parties n Feature.

In Money Melting Like Wet Sugnr-Fc'
male GnmbIing Parties n Feature
The New York IiOur says. One OF
the most striking features Of gatherings
on the race course is the enormous mold
the betting mania has acquired over the
gentle sex. The days of wagering
boxes Of gloves or bonbons are practl-
cally over, and the keeuness with which
women pursue the mighty dollar IN the
betting ring is little short OF marvellous
to the merely casual race gocr. Time
was when ladies did not attend races
save in the company Of their husbands,
brothers, or intimate male friends.
Now for a great number Of women who
90 racing male escort is superlluoiS
in fact, he is in the way, There are
messengers on the grand stand who do
all the buying Of tickets and also the
cushing in for n small percentage and
do it much more quickly and reliably
than the ordinary made race gOcr can
do: the consequence is that regular
hen parties are now made mp for the
races, and pin money goes in way
amazing TO behold to the unsophlsti-
Gated husband or father
In its midcr stage the betting fever
among women il rather amusing, and
providing the female hacker il provided
with liberal allowance Of common
sense, it will lead to no particular harm.
| The writer numbers among hisacquaint-
auccs lady whom her husband has
taken to races very frequently during
! the past three on four years. lie never
bets himself, but lac allows her from $50
| 10 $50 II day ~ invest. Size starts IN
every year with charming enthusiasm to
bet nationally and carefully, so az to
make enough money to buy liberal
presents for husband and friends, butin
her career thus far she has failed sip
naly. She made her lightning this
year at ShccpShead Bay, and impaired
TO the writer in confidence that she in.
tended to buya conversation chair" for
her husband with the proceeds Of her
Concy Island Investments. The first
| three days she was ont, but the other
day she got fresh supply Of money. II
melted like ice under a blazing July sun.
/ Finally she began to grow dcmOrulizcd,
and bought one Of the twenty-five cent
"tips, which ran her deeper into diff
cullics. Dear me, " she said, sadly, oh
the way home, "such luck After the
second race began to give up all hope
of getting money for chair, but | did
hope that | would win sufficient to pur.
chase n couple Of tides. Now, even
they have flown 10 the dim distan~ :"
While this lady was unIucky, however,
there was a hcvy Of fai; ones betting i'm
mcdia,oly behind her who picked"
winners with startling uniform success.
There were four Of them, and they won
on six out Of the seven races on the card.
They were adopts i'll the use Of racing
slang Ihcy knew all about pace"
and Judgment" They praised Lcwis's
"sirong finish" and condemned
Mclaughlin for having ridden War
Eagle "all over the place" Altogether,
they were experts, III a measure, and
they probably had paid dearly for their
experience. They ent.ycd the races,
however, and the fun and excitement Of
betting had as much attraction for them
ms the mere gambling part Of the trans
action.
At Brighton Beach one sees the worst
side Of betting among women. Day
nftcr day, rain or shine, one can see the
same faces at the lower end Of the
stand, all OutwardIy indifferent, but Mt
the Same time intensely Interested m
form, condition, weights, and Jockeys.
The racing itself does not interest them.
They do not cY"n take the trouble OF
looking at the contests. A finish may
cause them TO Frisc; hut it is only 10 see
that the horse that they have backed is
doing well. They win or lose with the
most philosophical outward indifference.
An instance occurred few days ago,
within the hearing Of the writer, which
fully shows to what an extent women
will 90 that have become cnslavcd ia
betting. II was the race which VocaliC
won ut Shccpshcad Bay on Saturday.
The finish between him and Miss Brcws.
Ter was n very close one, and from that
part Of the stand where the writer sat il
looked very much rs il the FLY hnt
won by n nose. Immediately bchino
the writer sat middlc-agcd woman, o
matronly proportions aud dcmeanor.
Her face was white with suppressed OK.
element. In fact. she was SO nervous
that she did not trust herself to look at
the race. When MISS Brewster chnl.
lcngcd VoCaic III the stretch she arose,
however, and hig beads of pcrspiration
started on her forehead. As the horses
J shot pNst the post she clutchcd the
writer's arm and hOarscly inquired
"What do You think won, sir?" "NIiss
Brewster, | believe" was the reply.
"My God" she exclaimed, "don't tell
me that 7 havo backed the other one.
A few minutes after, Vocalic's number
went up. The woman almost cried with
joy "That saved me, she said, for
getting her reserve in her delight. 81
was away out on the meeting, and to get
even | took $50 which my husband had
laid aside to pay the interest on loan.
Twenty-Five dollars went on the other
races, and, attracted by Vocalic's light
weight, ! determined to risk all that was
left on him. Had Vocalic lost, ! am
afraid that | could not have faced my
husband. Now, however, win $50,
which puts me nearly $50 to the good
on the meeting"
Occurrences like this make even the
most enthusiastic male plunger look
rather queerly at his iavorite amusement