Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-10-15

aNHkV eoutain aei 100 I poo, r roo sass
eleven of which belong to one firm. They are
called commission Offices" because there ia a
law forbidding betting on races between May
Is and October Is, except at the tracks. Legal
ingenuity drove q coach and four through this
restriction by adopting the simple pretext that
the pool rooms were acting as commission
agents, merely accepting money representing
bets sent to the tracks.
SPIDERS AND THEIR WEBS.
Now, these 100 pool rooms are scattered all
over the town. but always in crowded business
neighborhoods. where the persons who keep
them sit like spiders and spread their webs for
victims. The establishments are packed with
men and boys at all hours q very large proper
ton of the patrons being clerks. There is no
FRY too small to be caught by the nets of the
commission Offices" and there are no more
ardent gamblers than the Office boys and shop
boys, who club together and invest part OF
their earnings weekly in ''favorites" and short
horses" Thousands of clerks sacrifice or
economize on their lunches in order to save
the money for betting.
DISASTROUS EFFECTS.
1t is said that this form of gambling does
more injury than all the faro banks and other
institutions for gaming put together. When a
man has once Been smit.eu with the fever for
| betting on races he is of no use for anything
else any more. 1t destroys his morale The
vice Is fairly undermining the youth Of this
country. No wonder that detectives are COM
! monty engaged By large employers to go around
| among the pool rooms and find out if their
| clerks frequent them. The most trusted en-
ploye, once attacked by the frenzy, is no longer
to be counted upon. His interest in his work
relaxes, and there is no telling when he will be-
gin to steal in order to provide himself with
money n NJ he For
the benefit of clerks and others who are en-
gagged during the day there has recently been
| arranged in st. Louis scheme for racing from
pm. to IL pm. The races in the daytime
are supplemented by races at night under the
glare of electric lights. These nocturnal con-
tests are watched and gambled on in cities all
over the Union.
WITHIN EASY REACH OF ALL.
Before long it may be expected that other
TRACKS will adopt similar plan. In former
times people were obliged to go somewhat out
TO play away their money, but the races bring
the luxury of gambling within easy reach of all
and even the women have adopted the vice to
an alarming extent. Many business men, who
most anxiously discourage such indulgence by
their employees. are themselves plungers and
there are not few such in New York who
often carry from $4,000 to $40, 900 in their
pockets for investment in horses, thinking
nothing of venturing 900 on a single race.
Compared with this form of gambling the
Louisiana lottery was harmless institution. Ii
is claimed that it is demoralizing the people
from the highest to the lowest, and the time
may yet arrive when national as well as state
legislation will of necessity be resorted to for
the suppression of the evil.
THE PROFITS MADE By THE RACE TRACKS
are well-nigh fabulous. Say that one finds 100
booknakcrs on a course on race day. Each of
them pays s100 day for his privilege. In ad-
dition to this the racing association which owns
the track gets per cent commission on every
ticket sold. 1t also gets the profit on the sale
of programs at 10 cents each, which is a big
item when $4,000 or 20, 900 people are present
The bar and eating privileges are sold at high
figures, and from ss25, 900 to $50. 900 season is
paid in by tho telegraph company for its priv
ilege. Racing is to the telegraph company a
great source Of income. This can readily be
comprehended when it is considered what an
enormous quantity of Geographic matter is
sent out from the tracks to the pool rooms and
elsewhere all over the country. Dispatches are
flowing over the wires in q continuous stream
reporting each race ut all stages of its progress
from start TO finish and this Is only part Of
the electric correspondence that is transmitted
THE EXPENSES OF BooKMAKER
in active practice are great. To begin with, as
has been said, he must pay 500 day to the
race track for his privilege. He is obliged to
employ two expert accountants at $40 day,
one of them, ''sheet writer" whose business
it Is register each bet made in duplicate, while
the other writes the tickets. This kind Of work
requires great skill. inasmuch as prices are
changing every minute, and the horse that is
the favorite one moment may presently drop to
nothing Besides these men the bookmnker
must have cashier at SIS q day. who has
charge of the money box. Ordinarily he chalks
the prices up himself, but he may prefer to en-
gage somebody for that job. The cashiers and
accountants are all sporting men themselves,
and they receive such good wages for only
three or four hours toll four DAYS in the week
1t should be further mentioned that the book
maker needs two or three messenger who
have varied duties, one Of which is to maintain
q running communication with the paddock for
the purpose Of obtaining information, notice Of
tricks, &c. He is obliged to spend great deal
OF money on supplies in the way of stationery
&c, which ere all manufactured and sold at
high prices by one man, who has obtained from
the racing clubs what is effectively q monopoly.
HIGH ROLLERS ALL THE SAME
Notwithstanding these big expenses it is OBJ
servable generally that bookmakers wear dia-
nond shirt studs, occupy boxes when they 60
to the thea,ers and are accompanied on such
Occasions by handsome and beautifully dressed
women. In short, they are thigh rollers" and
VIGIL tucF Cau duOTu 10 DC, lndsuucn a. tle1f
expenses ara paid and the cost of their extrava-
CANT living is hquidated mostly by poor clerks
and other people to whom even small losses
by gambling signify distress. 1t Is the latter
who contribute mainly to the maintenance of
the race trucks, into which such q tremendous
stream Of money flows derived from q million
petty sources and carrying with it the pitiful
earnings OF the shop boy, together with the
squanderings Of the spendthrift ON the high
road to dishonor.
SORT OF MORAL CHOLERA.
II il marvellous frenzy this passion for
''playing the races" A sort Of moral cholera,
It fairly promises before long TO infect every
American boy with the gambling fever before
he Ii old enough to have learned tho danger Of
It. Although II may seem almost incredible, il
II nevertheless true that all Legitimate business in
Now York city h stagnated, comparatively speak
ing, during tho racing season owing 10 the con-
centration ii public interest on the tracks and
because Of the enormous draught on the money
resources of the people by the racing indus
try. II would hardly be possible to find more
Improbable kind Of gambling than that Of bet
ting on tho races, % far a. prospects Of gain
are concerned, but II h an old saying that
new fool IL born every minute, and the truth of
that bunoo stserer's BIT Of philosophy 10 1t the
bottom Of the financial success and prosperity
Of the professional racing gamestsrs The only
persons who play the races With profit are . few
"knowing ones, who make . regular business
of betting On one or two races each day, basing
their investments on actual information and