Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-12-24
STRANGE sUPERs11T1oNs,
Tho Fanaticism of Some Profe ssional Gnm.
lIecs.
Pittsburgh Post.

Tho Fanaticism of Some Professional Gam
blers.
Pittsburgh Post.I
Il amt dom no bettin' to-day" said
professional gambler to friend OF
his as the two sized up the situation at
Monmouth Park in Prices pool rooms
Saturday afternoon.
"Busted?" was the laconic query.
mo, but I laced one of nv shoes up
wrong this morning. It's a bad sign.
III let the runners alone to-day"
Are you superstitious?
II frankly confess that I am, he re.
piled, as he lit cigar, "and 1 don't
know OF sporting man or gambler in
Pittsburgh that is not superstitious,
and, furthermore, I do not believe there
is human being living who is not. Of
course some are more than others, but
take gamblers and horsemen as class,
and you will find that each one has his
own peculiar quilp. Now, this morn
ing l laced my shoe up wrong. If 1
had left it that way it would have been
lucky day for me, but I did not; I
unlaced it, and I'll bet two to one if 1
bought a pool on horse he would
break his neck before he came under
the string"
CHATS quite interesting. Would you
mind giving me some of your expert
ence? What do you consider q lucky
omen?"
"You want to know what I call q
lucky omen, eh? That's just as the
idea strikes me. When I was in New
York last summer used to count white
horses. Say I would be standing at
the corner of Fulton street and Broad
way, l would take out my watch-when
l had one-and time myself and count
the number of white horses that turned
from Broadway into Fulton street dur
ing five minutes time. I sometimes
would go on the odd numbers, and
sometimes on the even. Like this: If
1 made up my mind on the even horses,
and an even number went by during
the five minutes, then Iwould be lucky,
and vice versa"
II have heard of gamblers visiting
fortune-tellers for tips. Do you ever
visit them?"
Many time, sir. Here's one in
stance: 1 am q red-hot Republican,
and was backing Jim Blaine to sheol
and gone, when I went one day to see
fortune-teller. Says she: you have
been making foolish bets; go and bet
the other way all that you have-all the
money that you can beg or borrow
[ told her I was betting on Blaine, and
she said Wait Then she went into
another room and came out in about a
minute. Cleveland will be elected as
sure as you sit in that CHAIR That was
q paralyzer, but I took stock in it, for
she never fooled me in her life. I
hedged and bet on Grover, all on her
account, and made $4,000 clear above
my hedge and of Kelly, the bookmaker.
Here's another instance from the
same woman: L had been playing in
hard luck till I only had $12 left.
went to her and told her how I was
fixed, and that 1 wanted q tip on the
races. She told me to read the names
Of the horses to her. I did so, and
when I got through the list she said /:
clifford is the only one I am sure of;
bet your money on Tilford.' / went
down to the track, and when the horses
went to the post there were only four
tickets on him. This was bonanza,
you know, if he won. I bought one IS
ticket. The track was regular duck
pond, slosh up to the horses knees.
Tilford came in last. Oh, I forgot, he
was entered for two races that day.
The next race he was in I heard Mike
DAILY, who owned him, wanted to scratch
him, but the judges wouldn't have it.
That wasn't very encouraging, but I
stuck to him and put my last flyer on
him. His jockey famed him every
jump and brought him in winner by
two lengths. [ got five hundred odd
dollars for my S. ticket. So much for
fortune-tellers' tips. Some fortune
tellers are snide, but take one educated,
or that has it naturally born in them,
and they get there as general rule.