St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-09-10

l Was@8Az5HT tiers the room. The
pool room proper is reached by means
of a door with snap lock. The room is
very smnll, about twenty by twenty
five feet. One corner of it is partitloned
off with oak panels and frosted glass:
There are two small openings, Just
large enough to put ones hands
through. Behind one is the layer or
odds, and behind the other the cashier.
THE MODE OF BETTING
is bOokmaking only. On card hang
ing on the inside of the glass partition
are the names of the horses entered Tor
the several races, together with their
Jockeys, the weights assigned. ana the
distance of the race. On the left-hand
column of each race are the odds laid
against each horse to win and Tor
place.
The room the other day was like the
hot room of Turkish bath. There was
little or no ventilation, and the place
was denSely crowded with men and
youths. How the sweltering inmates OF
the den ever stand such a coping up
day after day is past finding out. And
the crowd is nearly always composed OF
the same persons. They may be seen
here day after day, and one OF the great
est
MYSTERIES OF THE POOL ROOM
is: ''Where do they get their money to
bet with?' But they get it somehow,
and are ready to fight the seemingly
endless battle day after day.
The pOol-rOOm crowd is a curious one.
First comes the layer of the odds. In
this room he was full-faced, pleasant
looking, sharp-eyed fellow of about
twenty-eight years. Before him
lay a great bunch of book
makers tickets, and when bet
was made he wrote the horses name on
the face of the ticket, and called out the
tickets number, with the money laid,
thus: Twenty to five, Belvidere, Mol Isl"
This was recorded by the Sheet-keeper.
When the sheet is full on each race it is
handed to the cashier, who checks off
each bet as winning tickets are
handed in to him. The betting
crowd looked. on the whole, more like
crowd OF wOrkingmen than an assem-
blage'Of sports. A few young men,
lowering about their twenty-tirSt birth
days and dressed fairly, looked like
clerks or young artisans. A few were
inclined to be tough, and were, without
doubt, young crooks, who are
NOTORIOUS GAMBLERS,
and loose all the money they steal. A
dozen men present were well dressed,
and, to all appearances, young business
men. Just before each race was called
a score of men of all ages would flock
into the room, scan the board, place
bet, and 90 out again. These were
clerks who came out on some excuse to
dabble at the Internal game. One
middle-aged man, with a round, lobster
hued face, short and stout of stature,
was evidently accepted as an oracle on
racing matters by his companions,
and many questions were prOpounded
TO him as to the merits of certain horses
and Jockeys. \ number of the questions
asked were so irrelevant that it was
plain the Questioners were not CONVEX
SAINT with racing matters. A question
asked by the writer brought forth the
startling information that the man had
never been on race track i'll his life.
There is absolutely no sport, however,
in betting on horses in a pool room: it is
nothing but plain gamble.
The pool room is connected with the
commercial news department of the
Western Union building, which has
wires running right to
THE RACE COURSE.
Twice during the interval between
each race the ruling prices laid by the
bOOkmakeTS at the course are received
at the rooms and marked on the slips.
When the horses canter to the starting
post it is so heTalded in the pool room,
and detailed description of the horses
at each quaTter-pOSt on the course is
called out to the excited bettorS.
The Long Branch handicap was about
TO be run when the writer entered the
room. The space in front of the card
was completely damned by those who
wanted to finally decide what horses
they would play. A young fellow in a
striped flannel shirt, who watched the
rear door, had to clear out the crowd to
let others have chance at the card.
Every one was discussing the candi-
dates for stake honOrs, and buzz of
low conversation filled the room. A tall
fellow, with long, thin face, said to a
companion who had handed him So, to
which he added another bill of the same
denomination: "WhO'll we play, jim?
ElkwOod or KingstOn?" Il don't care.
Put it on whoever you want to-" was
answer. "Well. I'll put it Oh ElkwOod
at TO l. But l tell you, Belvidere
might win. He went mile and three
furlongs within the record" He then
squeezed through the crowd and
PUT IT ON ELKwooD.
Most of them were playing Kingston.
who was an even-mOney favOrite. 81
like DunboJne," said one young fellow.
Another didn't see how Triboulet coald
lose. Several liked Eurus, but others
said he wouldn't run straight. Two
backed BelYidere at Is to l against, on
his previous form. One or two were on
Favor. When the telephone bell finally
jingled and the young man announced,
"Dere at de post, gents" every horse in
the race had an eXpectant hacker
among the sweltering crowd. A few
more bets were made, the telephone
again jingled and the tough young man
called out: "Dere off; TribOulet in de
lead, Dunboyne runnin' second" The
most breathleSS excitement permeated
the room, and not a word was spoken.
''PaSSin' de stand, Kingston leads,
Eurus second and ElkWoOd third;
called the young man. Several men
here nudged each other and made re-
marks eulogistic of Kingston or his
jockey, Mclaughlin. Another said
"ElkwOOd's coming up; he'll be there al
the finish" Those whose horses were
not in the first three
HIDED THEIR TINE
and awaited developments. The horses
ran around the backStretch in nearly
the same order until they entered the
hOmestretch, which is supposed by pool
room fiends to be as good as if the race
were finished. Here Kingston was lead
ing, Elkwood second, Favor third. The
Kingston followers, who were in large
majority, here broke the usual still
ness, and one of them shouted;
Livingston wins! How can they
beat him with Jimmy up?'
The racket was at once hushed by the
pool room men, and the crowd awaited
with interest the announcement of the
winner. Not whisper broke the still
ness of the room. Ten seconds were
thus passed, when the young man at the
telephone broke the spell by laconically
announcing in a wooden voice: "Bel
videre wins, ElkWood second"
The crowd was SnellbOund for q mo