The morning call., 1893-05-07
PIpED OFF THE SNAPPER.
The Boys Were in Glover Till the
PooIrOomS Closed,
New York Sun.

Every morning at O'Clock sharp during
the three months the pc0lrooms in this city
were open tall, slim young man with
black mustache would saunter into the cafe
oil the Hoffman House from the main cor
rldor. and going up to the bar would order
drink. This drink he would sip quietly,
gazing in the meantime at some picture or
statue In .he famous art gallery.
frequenterS of the hotel cafe al that hour
OF the morning noticed that Invariably be-
lore the young man had been at the bar
three minutes he would be approached by
another man, who would hold whispered
conversation with him and tlIen. after
taking package from his hand, would
stroll quietly out into the street and mix
with pedestrians On Broadway.
Not long after the first man had left an
other man would stroll into the cafe, have
quiet talk VITA the dapper young man at the
Oar, take package from him and disappear
out into the corridor At least dozen men
went through this performance with the
young man every morning, and when the
last man had disappeared the young man
himself would finish mis- drink and 20 out
into the street.
Ihere was never any noise about the
young mans business with the other men.
1t was all transacted quietly, and unless one
happened to be watching one would never
notice anything unusual.
But TO the bartenGeTs and barboys the re-
peated performance every morning WAS
great mystery until they discovered the
identity of the young man. When they
louud mat out the queer actions which had
so puzzled them became perfectly clear, and
they protited by their knowledge to de-
gree that lew people have any idea OF.
Inc strange young man who used to visit
the cafe so early every morning was Snap
per Garrison, the well-known jockey, and
the. men who so quietly approached him
were his commissioners. 1t is well known
that Garrison, if he did not actually own.
was Interested to a large degree in Bunker
Hill and number of other horses running
at Guttenburg and Gloucester. These
horses were never out TO win but what
Garrison knew OF il, and as at least one ran
every DAY the jockey used 10 send his conl-
missioneIs out early in the morning to get
the best prices obtainable against the racers
In the pOOlrOOmS. The closing Of the rooms
spoiled This game, but il is estimated that
during the months they were open Garrison
packed ut least one horse for good
thing" every day, aud as he collected on the
nine out OF every ten Lets he laid his win
nlngs are said 10 have reached over $4,000.
For time the Hoffman House barboys.
ana bellbOys tried In vain to get on TO Gar
rlson'S 'gnod things" bur were unable to.
FINALLY they made Il practice of dividing
the work of one of their number among
themselves. aud the young man, thus freed
from duiy. used to follow one of the COM
missionerS around, watch his bets, and then
hustle back TO the hotel with the tip. A
purse would Immediately be made up,
and the young man dispatched to the
nearest poolrOom with the bet. In this way
the bows used to make from So TO SO ana
sometimes as high as $50 apiece day. Gar
riSOn's tips rarely ever went wrong. and up
TO the time the pOolro oms closed the Hoff-
man House employees we're in clover. Iney
won an average of nine out of every ten
bets they placed, aud whera they lost il was
only By head, showing that they were
on the right horse any way, i [ he didn't
win.
Bit the closing of the poo lrooms killed
this game. and no longer does Garrison
stroll into the cafe at . A. ~. and no longer
are the bell and bar boys making twenty
times their wages out of the races. 1t is no
wonder that the boys Of the Hoffman House
are in favor of re0penng the puOlrOOms.