Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1893-06-28
Love foR CANINE.
Poolroom Fiends Who Play CombinatI
Systems.


PoolrOom Fiends Who Play Combination
Systems.
The passion for gambling is far
stronger than the love of sport You
can take paper and pencil and prove to
man that he can not possibly win,
yet he will turn round and invest his
money with absolute confidence of sue
cess. Such man will not pay one
dollar and fifty cents for admission to
track TO see race SO long as there is
place where he can hear a garbled
description of the race and have the
opportunity to bet that one dollar and
fifty cents. Such a man is the player
of com binations. He becomes what
the poolroom lounger calls the con-
bination fiend. His small capital in
vested on a single horse would yield
but a few dollars if the animal
proved winner, and what good
would five or six dollars do
him! He studies the papers, the records,
the guide and the betting during the
morning hours, probably in bed, and at
1:3O o'clock HES him to the poolroom
where he stands before the blackboard
half an hour at a time, noting the
changes in the odds. Finally he makes
up his mind to play a certain combina-
ton. He selected four horses as sure
things and the ticket-writer is asked
what he will lay against them straight,
place and one-two-three. After some
figuring the price is marked on a piece
of paper, say two hundred to one The
''fend" thinks it all over, talks with
half dozen acquaintance about the
chances of the several selections, and
decides to risk one dollar, half of his
capital. playing the combination
straight.
The horses being in different races,
some at Gutenberg and some at
Gloucester, he waits around till the re-
suits are marked up. A ring is made
around the winner. while the second
and third horses are marked with nu-
merals. His first selection wins and
he begins to feel good. He is already
counting his money. BY and by the
second selection has a ring drawn
around his name, and there remain but
two more to win to carry his combina-
ton through. The fourth is cinch,
one of the rock-ribbed. steel plated,
neutrality-suspicious. cinches, guaran-
teed not to rip. He will win sure. If
the third will only go through the
"fend'' will be in clover
At last the third gets home a win
ner, and the delight of the ''fiend'
knows no bounds. The eombinat ton is
safe now and he exhibits it with large
degree of pride to anyone who comes
in his way. All regard MIN as the
luckiest of men, and their souls burn
with envy. Then They're off ~
The description of the race is called
out, and all gather around to hear.
The finish is close between three, one
of which No. of the ''fiend's" COM
bination. The decision arrives in due
fellow goes out and curses his
luck, the judge, the horse, the
jockey, the trainer. the owner, the
track the day, the poolroom, the
combination and even life itself With
part of his remaining capital he takes
a drink, then goes to olive" to recoup
at poker, penny ante" Ave cents limit.
All the night is wasted in the mean lit
tie game, and when the morning breaks
he finds himself in possession of three
dollars and fifty cents. He has played
them right up to his breast" and rises
from the table worn out in mind and
body. Breakfast .seventy-five cents.
cigar and sundry cocktails seventy-five
cents more, leaving the "fiend" with
two dollars for the pootroom.
The poolroom gets it in the course of
time and the 'fiend" has to make
borrow" to get through the night
And so it goes. 1t is the life of dog
No, it is far worse. There is no hope
for such a man. He is on his way to
beggary, or worse-he may turn
thief
The writer can take you to score of
pOol-rooms in the city and show YOU a
hundred men who belong to the cate
CORY of pool-room "fiends" The city
is full of them. They abound They
begin as boys, who bet their ten-cent
pieces in combination with the ten-cent
pieces of their comrades, and they 90
on till the passion becomes too strong
to resist.
The main thing is how to do away
with the betting temptation in the city,
and to confine the evil to the race
track. Betting is bad enough any
where, but if it is to go on let it be con-
fined.
If it were not for the pool-rooms Gut
tenburg could not keep its gates open
Nobody is going over there in such
weather as has prevailed these ten
days. But so long as there is betting
in the city, and so long as the pool
rooms pay the track for the returns,
just so long will the cesspool of racing
be profitable venture.
Lord Beaconsfield was right The turf
is the greatest engine of national de-
moralization.-N Y. Tribune.