Morning journal and courier., 1889-12-27
OF THE RACE COURSE
Superstltions of Persons Who Bet- Omens of Good or Had Luck.
 From Horse and Stable

to the scarcity of crows in New Jersey. A year ago the corn fields and oat stubbles along the New York and Long Branch rail- road were alive with these highly civilized and sagacious friends of the farmer, and whenever race train sped past there was a vast chorus of caws and such futtering ot wings as drew heads out of windows from one end of the train to the other. And then the old stagers were won't to remark one to another: "The all black wins to-day" No better or surer tip could have been desired by those old time followers of the turf. When all black rose on the wing nothing could have induced them to invest their money on anything but Brookdale horses. If person on the way to the race track hap- pens to run across a United States flag in such place as to have his attention strong ly directed toward it, his first thought is, 'Has Cassatt any thing in to-dsya" He then goes over the programme looking for Ches- terbrook entry MT. Csssatt's colors are spoken of as the national colors, but in real ity they are more French than American, and more Dutch than either.
 When a betting man loses nerve, after series of heavy losses, he will accept tip from anybody and anything. A young man who doesn't know one horse from another was approached in the paddock by New Yorker, who bets from five hundred to one thousand dollars on 8 race, and is regarded as successful plunger.
 "Give me winner!" he implored. s'I haven't had place horse in two weeks"
 He was completely unstrung, and should have been in bed. As he spoke crimson veil, such as pale women wear over their hats and faces to heighten their color, Aoated down from the Bridge of Signs, as that part of the grand stand between the club house and the secretary's office is called, and fell at his feet. He picked it up and noticed that it had 8 narrow white border. At that in- stant Heckler's bugle sounded the horses to the post, and Tenny passed him, Hamilton up, wearing the red and white of the Pulsi- fer establishment. He sought no better tip, but hurried to the ring and put up eighteen hundred dollars on the winner of the Choice stakes, getting even money. He held on to the veil until the race was run, then called messenger boy and sent it to the young wo- man who had lost it. A speculator in doubt resorts to innumera- l ble devices in his search for tips. If only two horses go to the post he probably Hips 8 dime, heads for one, tails for the other, to decide which is the winner. If there are | ten starters he writes their respective num- l bers on small bits of paper, shakes them in his two hands, presses the palms close to- gether, opens them and blows the numbers away. The last one to leave his hand is tEe winner.
 Women who bet have their favorite mes senger boys, and will allow no others to place their commissions. "Oh, where is my lucky boya" is the anxious inquiry that is heard over and over again. If the lucky boy fails to turn up there is no bet.
 Sticking pin through the programme from back to front is a popular method of picking winners, and it .is about as good way as any in these degenerate times. Of all tips, that which is known at the track as the nigger tip Is the best. When an acci- dent occurs at the starting post. and the jockey finds it necessary to dismount, there is great scramble among the superstitious | to bet on his horse. Many times this season this tip has been successful. It is very re- | markable-very mysterious. It may be pos- sible that readjustment of the saddle, or a 1 tightening of the girth, infuses fresh spirit l in the horse. At the last Cedarhurst meet. l ing, Donald, an outsider in the betting, spread-eagled a field of fast horses. There was a long delay at the post and much | breaking away, In the sourse of which Don aids saddle slipped back till the girth be- | came loose. The packers of the horse eaw it, and, in their hearts, blamed the jockey, who seemed wholly unconscious of the situ- ation. Finally an attendant called the starters attention to Donald, and the jockey was ordered to dismount, while the trainer moved the saddle forward 10 its proper place and frightened the clinch. Donald got off last, went through his horses aud won hands down.
 l Many persons are playing the black horse | this year because of superstltious notion that it is time for the blacks to have an in- ming. They have fared moderately with Britannia, Burlington, Onaway, Pontiac, Re clare and Ralph Bayard.
 Few betting men have the courage to wa- ger their money after having seen cross eyed person. Such an occurrence is hoo | doc of the worst sort. Personal cont act with hunchback brings good luck. Wo- men have been seen to leave their seats in the grand stand and rush down to the lawn l for the purpose of touching hump on g dwarf's back. Even August Belmont is be- lieyed to be superstitious, because he em- ploys a clever young hunchback to place his commissions in the betting ring. This rev. | erence for the deformed is not confined to the turf. When Sarah Bernhardt first visi- | ted the United States she was met down the bay by score of we'll known disciples of l Thespis. In the small company was a | hunchback, whom I shall call MT. X a
 modest, retiring little man, who would have | liked to remain somewhat in the background during the reception which took place on
 board the steamer But this privilege was denied him, for the divine Sarah singled him ont at glance, and, casting etiquette to the | winds, rushed through the ranks of his | companions, took his hand in hers, and
 shook it effasively, at the same time gently stroking the hump between his shoulders.
 Having done this she turned her back on him and condescended to smile graciously on the group of mortified stars, confident that her appearance in America would be
 attended with the best of luck.
 The man who, having bet, detects himself 1 singing before race, is doomed to lose. Ills l only safeguard is hedging.
 The appearance of Q gray horse never fails l to cause anxious search for the red haired | girl The combination will always be re- | garded as invincible.
 1 One man often comes to look on another
 as his evil genius, who, met in the betting ring or paddock, is sure to bring i'll luck.
 And, on the other hand, there are men
 whom it is considered lucky to follow.
 Money carried for three days in mans
 shoe. or a woman's stocking, is invested with absolute confidence in it's winning pow. CTS.
 Some men never back horse except at l odds of six to five or nine to five. They as-
 sert that they always win at those prices and
 lose at others. Of course most race-goers
 have lucky days. Some win on Tuesday,
 some on Thursday, some on Saturday, and some lose every day.
 Danlel Boone Good Enough.
 From the Detroit Free Press.]
 A farmer who was seated with his wife in
 a wagon on the market yesterday beckoned to newsboy who was shouting: "All
 about -" &c., and asked: "What's
 up nowao "All about the message"
 "What messenger aThe President's." "Oh,