Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1884-08-01
WOMEN BETTING.
Pin Money at the Races Melting
Like Wet Sugar.
Female GnnbIing Parties n Fenturc
The Varied Fortunes Of Ven.
turous Fair Ones "A
MatrOn,s Risk.
New York Hour.1

erines on the race-course is the enormous hold
the betting mania has acquired over the
the gentle sex. The days of wagering boxes
OF gloves or buttons are practically over, and
the keenness with which women pursue the
mighty dollar in the betting rings is little
short Of marvellous to the merely casisnl race
goer. Time was when ladies did not attend
races save in the company of their husbands
brothers, or intimate male friends Now
/ for great number of women who 90 to
racing a male escort is supertiuous; in fact
he is in the way. There are messengers on
the grand stand who do all the buying Of
tickets, and also the cashng in for small
percentage, ard do it much more quickly and
| reliably than the ordinary male race-goer
can do The consequence is that regular hen
parties are now made up for the races, and
PIN money goes in way amazing to behold
to the unsophistica.ted husband or father
In Its milder stage the betting fever among
women is rather amusing, and providing the
female hacker is provided with a liberal al
lowance OF common sense, it will lead 90 no
particular harm. The writer numbers among
his acquaintance lady whom her husband
has taken to races very frequently during the
past three or four years. He never bets him
self, hut he allows her from $40 to S25 day
to invest She starts in every year with
charming enthusiasm to bet nationally and
carefully, so as TO make enough money to buy
liberal presents for husband and friends but
IN her career thus far she has failed signally.
She made her beginning this year at Sleeps
head bay, and impaired TO the writer in con-
fGence that she intended to buy ''conver-
sation chair" for her husband with the pro
ceeds of her Coney island investments. The
first three days she WAS out, but last
Tuesday she got a fresh supply of /
money. 1t melted like ice under blaz-
ing July sun. Finally she began to grow |
demoralized, and bought Of the 25-cent |
tips, which ran her deeper into difficulties. |
Dear me- she said sadly, on the way home, |
such luck, After the second race began |
TO give up all hope of getting money for AZ
chair, but did hope that / would win sufii-
cient to purchase couple Of tides. Now,
even they have flown 10 the dim distance
While this lady was 'mlucky. however,
there was a bevy of fair ones betting imme-
jiately behind her who picked winners
with startlngly uniform success Theirs
were four of them, and they won on six out
of the seven races on the card. They we're
adert ia the Use Of racing slang They knew
all about pace" and Judgment They
deInned Mclaughlin for having ridden War
Eagle "all over the place" Altogether, they
were experts, in measure, and they proba-
bly, had paid dearly for their experience
They enjoyed the races, however, and the
fun and excitement of betting had as much
attraction for them the mere gambling
part of the transaction.
At Brighton Beach one sees the worst side
of betting among women. Day after day,
rain or shine. one can see the same faces at
the lower end of the stand, all oiitwardly in
different, but at the same time intensely in
terested in form, condition, weights and
jockeys. The racing itself does not interest
them. They do not even To Ike the trouble of |
looking at the contests. A finish may cause | ,
them 10 arise, but it is only to sec whether 1
the horse that they have backed is doing well | !
They win or loose with the most philosophical ,
outward indifference. An instance occurred ,
a few days ago, within the hearing of the
writer. which fully shows TO what an extent !
women will 90 that have become enslaved to | +
betting II was the race which Nocalic won C
1t Sheepshead bay recently. The finish i
between Kim and Miss Brewster was close n
me, a;id from that part of the stand where
he writer sat il looked very much as if the =
lily had won by a nose. Immediately behind i
IL, writer sal a middle-aSed woman, of ma C
ronly proportions and demeanor. Her face was a
white Wit: suppressed excitement. In fact she n
vas 50 nervous that she did not trust herself | y
q look at the race When Miss Brewster V
Nocalic in the stretch she arose u
However, with big beads Of perspiration b
tarted on her forehead As the horses shot
ast the post she clutched the writer's arm !,
nd hoarsely inquired: What do you think a,
yon, sir.' Miss Brewster, | believe" was al
he reply. "My God she exclaimed, don't T
ell me that, have backed the other ONE II
| few minutes afterward Nocalic's number is
vent up The woman almost cried with joy. q
That saved me-, the said, forgetting reserve .
n her delight. II was away out on the meet
~, and to get even | took so, which my
husband had laid aside to pay the interest on :
loan Twenty five dollars went on the
he other races, and. attracted by Vocalics
glG weight. | determined To risk all that
vas left on him. Had Nocalic lost, am n
fraid that ] could not have faced INV hus- tr
and. Now, however, ] win $50, which puts 81
ic nearly so To- the good on the meeting ~
Occurrences like this make even the most | X
male plunger look rather queerly NJ
{ his iaNoiite amusement or mode of sI,ecu- w
ltion. whatever he choose to call it. ~