The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-05-08
PLAYING THE RACES.
PICKING THE WINNERS a FAvORlTE
AMUSEMENT WITH CONGRESSMAN.
Good Stories Vt tho Race Track-Prcsi-
dent Harrison has Saved 500, 600 in
the White riouee-CoIumbus Represent
ed Iva Marble as a Baseball Pitcher.

3'tiN'HH'n W'Tc enjoying lhcUNtFcs nv the
Baseball games This week it is the races
in the grand stand, paddock and the bet
ting ring 40 the Washington race course
you may, almost any Of these fine days, see
quorum Of tho house Of representatives
and gOodly number Of senators. IL IL
even charged that the managers Of the
housa contrivc 10 50 arrange the proceed
fpes and debates that members spOrtiyely
mchned may leave the Capitol without
risk Of their absence being disclosed by the
telitale roll call, though as to the truth Of
this have some doubts.
Races have always been popular In
Washington. and in the good old days the
greatest races known anywhere in the
country took place within the shadow Of
the dome % the Capitol. II IL tradition
OF racing in this country that the greatest
sums ever wagered upon the result Of one
race were wagered here on trotting con
test about forty years ago. Even now
when "plunging" IS not considered good
form, it Is no uncommon thing 10 see q
senator or representative In congress stand
90 win from 1900 10 5000 on one race.
The heaviest winning have heard Of this
spring was made by far western sen
atOr, who knows as much about horses as
be does u the law Of the attraction and
correlation Of forces lie had plenty Of
money, ample nerve 20 place it and luck.
lie won in five days something like $1,000
Oddly enough, our southern friends are
the heaviest losers II has become a trite
saying in Washington that the Kentuck-
JAMS know more about race horses than
any one else and pick fewer winners. As
usual when there are races in town, the
Kentucky delegation i'm congress is calling
on the sergeant at arms for an advance on
their salaries. Senator Blackburn has lost
steadily, "the penalty" says an old horse
man, "Of having racer named after him.
Ever since a right good horse was named
Joe Blackburn the senator has been losing
money on the races 1t IS hOOdOO."
Editor Henry WattersOn has been in town
for some time, and Of course he has attend
ed the races. Probably be will have 10
borrow money 10 get home with. That
prince Of good fellows and fine horseman,
Colonel Stealy, correspondent of the Louis
Vile Courier-Journal knows every racer
on the grounds and has an intimate ac-
quaintance with every stable boy and
trainer, but be can't find the winners.
There was time when senator's, cabinet
officers and all sorts Of people were eager
20 play Stealy's tips, butnow his selections
are avoided as a sort Of financial pesti-
lence.
Speaking Of Stealy reminds me of n good
story concerning the manner IN which
couple OF bright newspaper correspondents
played the races day or two ago. Louis
Garthe, Of the Baltimore American, and
4. G. Rowland, Of the New York Press,
pooled their cash and their issues. Garthe,
who knows a good deal about horses, went
to the track with the firms money, which
amounted to something like thirty dollars,
while Rowland remained in town TO write
the special dispatches for both papers. On
this occasion Garthe had bad luck, and by
the time the third race was over the CAPT
tai OF the Garthe-HOwland firm had been
swallowed up by the bOokmakers. Atthis
juncture Of affairs O'Brien Moore, of the
St. Louis Republic, took hand in the af-
fair. Having heard of Garthe's copartner-
ship with Rowland, and their mutual mis-
fortune Moore cOntrived TO meet Rowland
on "the row" and 10 remark, quite Incl
dentally and innocently. that one of the
correspondents had had big run Of luck
at the race track. "WhO is it," asked
Rowland "Why, a man came in from the
track a few minutes ago and said Louis
Garthe had won about 500 during the
afternoon" Rowland was delighted, and
set up half q dozen bottles Of wine for "A
number of good fellows who were in tho
Joke. His chagrin when his unfortunate
partner appeared may be imagined.
Senator Wolcott, or I'd, as his friends
like to call him, has been often at the
races, but so the surprise of every one he
has not once been in the betting ring. Vol
colt has given up playing the races, and
now that he has married and settled down
be SAYS be will never again be caught IN
such a scrape as that in which he found
himself at Long Branch few years ago
the famous occasion on which he played
the tips of a colored waiter and won $4,000
In one afternoon. This big sum was paid
him bv the boOkmakers in track money
fiyes. tens and twenties which have seen
active service and frequent transfers from
one s,yeatv palm TO another. The whole
made a stack so big that Wolcott wrapped
il in and old newspaper and took the bun
die on his knees and rode with It and some
friends in "A cab 10 his hotel. There he gave
a couple Of waters fifty dollars apiece for
STRENGTHENING it out and stacking IT up.
Still il was an elephant on his hands, and
with the remark that he didn't know what
todowith the dirty stuff, Wolcott, whOwas
not then the eloquent senator from Colo
RADIO. went over 60 Phil Days clubhouse
and lost the whole pile at faro. Those were
Wolcott's wild oats days, and thorough
bred he was too. Now he is as steady as a
cart horse.
Wolcott is already known as the most
gifted orator we have in congress. When
he made his brilliant silver speech in the
senate few days ago he was paid com
pliment so extraordinary and quaint that
/ must tell YOU about it. Old Senator
Sawyer of Wisconsin, is business man
who never makes a speech, and who as
rule has q business mans adherence OF too
much talk. When Wolcott began speak
ing Sawyer was ia the cloakroom smoking
a cigar Overhearing few sentences
through the open door, he was induced TO
move out into the chamber. Taking a
seat very near the young orator, he rs
tened rs one enraptured TO the end, and
then. in unconscious disregard OF the rules
of the senate, be led the galleries and
shocked his colleagues 10y clapping his
chubby bands with good deal OF vigor
This performance was considered all the
more remarkable by those who knew that
while Woloott had been pleading for free
silver, Sawyer is unalterably opposed to It..
The Wisconsin senator explained this in
\ NJ A.