The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-10-23
AT THE CHICAGO RACES.
HoosIer GirPs Introdu on to the Mys-
terIes OF the Speed RIag.

never been TO a race In my lie; Tor, In the
country where my home is such amuse-
ment is regarded with as much favor as
gambling, smuggling, or any of the amuse-
ments of the genus ''sport." / was some
gested 1 should go. He removed my scru-
pies by saying that really good people
went. and many ladies. So, as 1 wished
to enlarge my experience, went.
When the day rolled around my brother
was too Ill to go, so he induced John to
take me, which was only the kinder Of
John, as he did not know me- We drove
briskly out to the west side track. When
we had driven into the Enclosure l saw
two small boys with a meek, skinny old
horse, and overheard one say to the other:
Keep him in the middle of the road, and
hold the lines down tight, and he's all
right" l could see no evidences of spirit
In the beast to demand such vigorous
course of treatment, as his head hung half
way down to his knees in meek submits
sion and he was going at snails pace.
suppose the mentor had picked up this bit
of knowledge from the jockies, and could
not resist palming 1t off on the small Jehu.
JOun very hlilulg gave lnc pIOSidlus
which looked like table of logarithms,
and remarked: Perhaps l mad best fix
it for you, as so many of the horses are
scratched to-day" / looked around for a
barbed-wire fence as the source of the
scratches-we have so many in Indiana
but did not see any. John returned my
program and had drawn copious marks on
it. He then found me a seat, and as he
had business in connection with the races
which required his presence elsewhere,
sat alone for some time. / looked around
and amused myself watching the people.
The day was rather chilly and 1 saw that
many of the men had very red noses. l
am charitable and suppose they were
caused by the stiff northwest breeze. /
closed one eye and gaZed down on mine
and found it was wearing the pink"
which, L believe, is the proper thing on
such occasions. A man in the paddock
manipulated machine which reminded
me of the "Grube method" and "Abacus"
of my school ma'am DAYS. My interest at
once declined. | did not wish 10 learn
horse-racing by the natural method"
But John speedily treasured me that they
were the names of the horses and joclies
entered for that race. Pretty soon five
horses appeared. They aroused my sym
pathy, they were so very, very thin,
seemed half starved and not to compare
with our nice, plump horses, and the men
who rode them were even more emaciated.
The horses frisked around, that is, four of
them did; the fifth punched himself on
his four feet and refused TO stir. Pres
emily the ring-master (if such be his oflice)
gave him a cruel cut on the legs and off
he dashed, and really won that race. So
John informed me. He said it was ''as
pretty finish as he had ever SEEN" l
was glad he thought so, but never got to
know when it was a finish.
After two or three races John came to
me with a lot of highly-colored cards,
which he handed to me, with the remark:
You may keep them. String them to
make a necklace Of"
"What are they-what do they mean ?"
] inquired. John answered with a good
natured laugh-"They mean money"
And thereupon entered into an explana-
ton about a twelve-to-one shot, which
was worse than Greek to me; for, with a
lexicon, l can make a very liberal transa-
ton OF that. / held my tongue, however,
and reasoned mentally that as scratches"
had nothing to do with bodily injuries or
eruptions, perhaps shots OF this kind had
nothing to do with gun.
John had an amiable disposition and
was very patient in trying TO enlighten
bucolic ignorance. He sweetly and kindly
explained what q selling race was, / mean
time trying to call up look of intelligence
on what knew should be as the expo
nent of my state of mind, a perfectly blank
one. He told me why one weight was al
lowed one horse, and another still differ
ent one. l did know then, but I've for
fotten why now, so fear it was wasted
information. Johns cards became more
numerous, variegated, and, l fear, unre-
munerative. His "shots" all missed fire
OF course, l did not bet, bus a woman
seated Just back of me did. 1t seems her
tavorite came in winner, quite unexpect-
eddy. I'm unsophisticated in such mat
tiers, but it seems to me "the unexpected
happens" rather oftener on race course
than anywhere else. The woman in ques-
ton took her good luck quite wildly
jumped to her feet, waving her handker-
chief, screaming at the top of her excel
lent, strong voice, "Sally Lunn, o Sally
Lunnl She's a neck aheadl Ha, ha"
OF course, Sally Lunn is nom de guerse
and as Pm very domestic l borrowed it
from the cook book. She then wept his
terically, and for a time / supposed some
grave accident had happened to her friend,
Sally Lunn. John informed me 'she
probably had lot of money on her and
il was a two-to-sixteen "shot" By this
time | had begun to suspect the nature OF
this kind Of shot. Duringone of the races
a shabby young man sat near me. over
heard him say to his companion: "lf
Receiver wins this race, can go home"
His voice was rather melancholy and en-
tirely hopeless, and / felt sorry for the
poor wretch. He watched the race with
little interest at the start, but as the horses
came nearer the finish his excitement in
creased, and as his favorte came under
the wire winner "by hall length" as
John said, it eliminated in a loud shout,
and he bounded over seats, whirled down
the stairway saying: "Tm goin' to git
my money" hope he got TO go home
In speaking of this race John said of the
jockey: "When Smith is on a horses
back he is out for the stuff. Still the tip
was SO straight thet the bets poured in on
him, and, though he got off last, he grad
ually moved up, and at the head of the
straight came away, and made laughing
stock of the others" / looked at John in
bewilderment What did he mean by a
Tip" being straight, and straight" hav-
ing head. l did not know then; | don't
know now.
Between races the men disappeared;
where they went l know not; probably
for more cards. But John was kind and
always came and talked a little between
each race. About shutdown he announced