The Washington critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1885-1888, 1885-08-05
BACKING THEIR "Tnps..
Increase of Local Interest I'm Horse
Racing.

Increase of Local Interest In Horse
Racing.
The interest in horse racing that has
grown here the past few months Is re.
markable. Many Of our best known
business men drop in as regularly to
look at the days quotations for Sara
toga, or Monmouth, or even dcspised
Brighton, as they look at their morning
paper. Almost every man you meet
has turf guide, and many Of them have
their regular correspondents at the
track. Viator and Goodwin each fur
nish tips to number of people here.
There are a few Washingtonians who
have followed racing for several years.
These men never bet on every race, but
when they have good thing they
"plunge." They are in correspon-
dence with several friends here, who
are already several thousands ahead on
the season.
Human nature Is a curious study, and
nowhere more so than in a pool-room.
Here is man that takes every tip given
him, he has sometimes four or five
horses In race, and it often takes him
five or ten minutes to calculate idst how
he has come ont. Again there are
many men who take their books and
study out the conditions and public
form Of the horses, and then back their
judgment. Several Of these have excel
lent judgment, notably one In the In
terror Department. Several men bet
who do not believe in tips, public form
or anything else. They take q paper
with the entries in one hand, lead
pencil in the other, shut their eyes and
iab the pencil down, the horse 1t strikes
they back. One noticeable popularity
about all amateu r betters is this : When
backing their own Judgment, il the odds
against horse are long, they think
their Judgment at fault and only play
the race light, whereas IL the horse they
fancy is at short figures, they are twice
as apt to play him heavy.
A Teutonc gentleman conceived the
idea that there was some way to beat
the races, and he set about to accom-.
plish it. He first got acquainted with
the telegraph operator in one of the
pool rooms; finally he asked him to
take drink, and then made the follow
ing break: "You runs de wire ?"
Yes" "All right ve'll blay de string.
You gets de tips and give em to me. /
comes in er about nine O'Clock and
plays de horses. After | meets you
somewhere an We carves de goose-do
you see?" He saw, but the Joke was
too good to keep, and for the last few
days Ven carve de goose" has been
a byword down town.
Baseball.
The Nationals were beaten Yesterday
in a well contested game by the New
arks. The reorganized Newarks are
strong nihe, and will make any club
play ball. The Nationals have won
eight ont Of nine games, which Ia all
that could be expected of them.
Following are the results of the sew
eral games played yesterday: Newark
National, 3 to !; NoIfolk-Trenton, II
to IL; Virginia-Lancaster, s to 6; New
Y ork- Buffalo, to /; Chicagc-Phila-
delpha, 13 to 3; Boston-Detroit, 4 too;
Providencc-St. Louis, to 4; St. Louis
Louisville, 3 to 3; Baltimore Athletic,
. to /; misunderstanding, 4 to /.
The Nationals have been very unfor-
tunate in the last few exhibition games
arranged here. Arrangements were
made to play the Athletics to-day, but
Monday being rainy, the Athletics were
obliged to play the postponed game
with the Baltimores to-day. The Ma
tionals will play a championship game
with the Newarks this afternoon, and
the game will no doubt be as interest
ing as the Athletic. National game
would have been.
Aquatic.
The eight and four cared shells OF
the Columbus will go around on the
steamer for Boston, leaving tomorrow.
The crew will leave Saturday or Sum
day.
Joint meeting of the regatta commit
tee tomorrow night.
The regular monthly meeting of the
Washington Club will be held this
evening at their club.room, on Ninth
street.
TrOtting at Ivy City.
Considerable interest is being mani
tested by the local sporting fraternity
in the scrub trotting race which has
been arranged to take place on the Ivy
City track ut o'clock to morrow after
noon. The contest will be between the
large sorrel horse so. G. Staples"
owned by John Simmons, which will be
driven by James Morrow, and the fleet
footed small bay mare, "Jennie G, :"
owned by Albert Gleason, and which
will be driven by James Coyle. A de-
post of the stakes, which is 5000, has
been made. The distance will be two
miles, in heats, the best two in three.
The race involves long standing doubt
as to which is the better horse, both
being considered among the best local
stock, and II large crowd will doubt
lessly be in attendance 10 witness the
decision.