The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1884-12-14
WHERE WOMEN BET FREELY.
HEAVY INVESTMENTS IN POOLS At THE
COURSE on THE BEACH.

bis is the most remarkable racecourse
on lrth." remarked a regular attendant at
Brighton Beach. About every man. woman
and minor that comes here invests either In
mutual or auction pools"
Arc the races run on tho sQuaro?"
About as level as anywhere. On no other
track will you see such reckless riding or rs
many desperate finishes. The horses are sent
for all they are worth. and some OF the best
Jockeys in the land ride winners past the post.
The presiding judge. Col. Simmons. with Mr..
Burke and his assistant. are keen sighted. re-
sponsble. and just, mon OF experience in the
business. and arc always on tho watch TO de-
tect trickery and rascality. But you can 500
for yourself how tho course is rum"
I: was nearly time for the bell to sum mon the
horses for the first race. The bulk OF the occu-
pants Of the recently lengthened grand stand
were women. Many of them had secured front
seats as near to the finish as possible. At the
top OF the stand. in the shelter OF the embra-
surss through which light came from the three
sided windows. were groups OF women inter-
spersed with children. The seacoast view from
these windows Is one OF the finest In the world.
and 1t is seldom that some great steamship
cannot be seen phoughing her way in or out OF
port. During dozen walks along this row OF
embrasures. the writer never saw one OF the
rine picture. They were either scanning the
programme OF races. watching for their favorite
Jockeys and horses TO come out. or engaging
the boyish messengers. who fit from party to
party with .nimble lenps. to purchase mu-
tual tickets for them. Frequent trains arrive
spring from the cars and begin swarm ne over
the sand almost as thickly as black ants.
ing their faces to the right or left they flock
to the racecourse. The men rush to the betting
quarters and the women climb the steep stair.
the seats which suit them best At the extreme
eastern end OF the stand clusters OF dusky
rhatrons and maidens look down into the
paddock and criticise the colored stable boys
and riders.
the spacious betting quarters, confusion of
voices; louder and sharper than the never never
penetrates the ear. The auction pool stand is
In the closest proximity. have sold King
regular attendants.
comes to the mutual pool section. Long lines
eni ae he s
high palinRs 10 the free stand and field. where
81 tickets can be obtained. Clinging to these
palings with the tenacity of monkeys. those on
thrusting their hands through the Stats toward
the men in the five dollar section. is rs hungry
sssa an albany ndns he DAYS
fierce opposi'ioph Here You are" Pass up
like shouts are hurled at every person who APP
proaches the fence The shouters are young
men employed to purchase 81 tickets for those
who are not disposed. or who cannot Afford to in
for each purchase.
coming to the post. Swarms Of men pour out
from the betting section into the great space
fronting the stand. HUNDREDS pile UP and
ed. and every available perch from which n
clear view of the finish can be had is occupied
BARRIERS. surmonnied BY p b"r6ed wire. s En-
trance can only be gained to it from stairway
adses sand Is ep from the erowd BY
high double fence forming narrow lane. The
entrance to the STAND is on the far side OF tho
double barricade. To reach it ono has to BASS
through a series Of rooms. the last OF which is
the Secretary's Office, or squeeze through a
"Owner and Trainer"
arises wh HE S Crowns S he roa are sr
In the stand rise t. their feet. Some spring on
chairs and others on benches STRANGE to say
Scarcely woman strains her eyes across the
sand to the backstretch. but. divided they
Who's ahead now" INQUIRE anxious betters.
Hickory Jim, with Glengarine second" " Are
you certain that Hickory Jim is leading ?"
soed hfa ary sh 14s Dan l
woman, clappins her hands and making
: vain endeavor to stretch her neck in
when the horses swirl into the. homestretch.
% in ba p DhS the fat
has the race" A lvi hue sutruses the face OF
the woman. She sinks into her seat picture
Of desra Sne
addicted to betting on races. She had lost the
last OF large amount Of money raised by mort
believed was sure tip that Glengarine would
The most persistent better among women. -
said veteran of the turf. is little Miss H..
She was wonderfully successful at first, and is
ey 5oFn nns AZ e me ss began
races. Now. here at least, they have all caught
the infection; " When Miss H. has plenty Of
dreds Of dollars when other women would not
place Ave on. because the winnings would be so
ington races in the fall. When she took her
seat in the stand on tho Pimico track she had
qs ana shen By bacsns Wanda and hep
safe ones. came away with n bag OF money. She
often invests IN auction pools. and should not
Tor females next season. as have seen women
But another woman has come to the front
who is a heavier investor than Miss H.. She is
Mrs. p. Of New York. She is called tho Punper
among women. from the fact that she frequently
bets a. high rs $500 on race. She bets so
heavily and steadily that the pool men are
afraid to trust her money to the caro- Of boys
oial messenger. Mrs. ?. places great reliance
on tho dashing light weight Jockey Garrison q
advice. and has rewarded him with 81 800
diamond pin"
Tho Sportsman thus outlines the growth OF
the betting fever:
The feminine pungers at the Beach are getting
and more Reckless each day now that the beginning OF
the end OF the racing season Ia nj hand The md after
noon trains home from the Beach afford almost any
closs observer full evidence Of hs fact for the gldy
girls and marons are SO eIthused with the excitement
OF their investments that they give audible uterace
Their Thought. Several Of them habituay tak over
their heavy investments of amounts times
up Into four ngures, M coolly as IT common
occurrence while scores of them their hundreds
every day with as much nonchalance as the
most nervy specuator one robust lady remark ed the
other day that she WAS saving ali her pool tickets and
mad enough already TO very nearly supply small pool
room When asked why she saved these evidences ot
;he same breath. almost she remarked with sigh u re-
have missed IL for all the money the old track You
-" just then the speed Of the tram such III a,
caught her arm Rcryously saving that the would
apset Let IT," she SAID, spstefuly wouldn't care,
Smart horsemen are. as a rule unlucky at
the Beach. Michael Dwysr said: ." can never
win anything here. They run in and out So"
Which horse do you think will win next"
Herbert ought TO come IN first"
Herbert won the race.