The record-union., 1893-01-20
NEW YORK Poo1RooMs.
Only Question of Time and You Lo


The character of the poolrooms is regu-
lated by the neighborhood and the char
acter of the habitues. The rough, ragged
and dirty element are to be found IN all.
The WelI-dresSed man is to be found only
IN certain rooms, especially those near
the exchanges. These poolrooms are un-
der the protection of the law, the book
makers being supposed to forward the
money to the race-track, and place for
their patron for ten cents CO mmission.
They collect the commission-obey the
letter of the law-but it is ridiculous to
suppose that the money is placed at the
track. The men in the Office are the only
men you have dealings with, and the only
men concerned in the transaction. Some
outsiders tell stories Of large winnings,
but others, who are never heard of, lose
their all, and families suffer because of
the rooms. Some men have net the time
or the money to go to the tracks, but the
poolroom affords them ample opportu-
nifty TO lose the little they possess.
Human nature is strongly portrayed in
these places. Humor sometimes is
/ found. Some horses are burdened with
strange, inappropriate names that it is a
wonder they are able to run mile. Pub
lie, famous and historic names are drawn
upon to designate the horses. Pet names.
Indian names and unpronounceable COM
| binations of letters are called into service,
times il seems as though the owners had
searched the Sanskrit of the Mahabharata
to find some sort of appellation. some
ordinary names are funny under certain
conditions, as when the announcer calls
out: Headlight leads" India Rub
Der in the stretch" The latter is an old,
| old joke with horsemen, but it never fails
to arouse laugh when the horse really
| leads.
a very funny incident happened dur
ing the present season. Two horses with
similar names were in one race. Stone
| nell and Stonemason We're the two, and
on one Il forget which, were long Odds"
while the other was 'short horse"
Stonenell, for example, was to 5, while
Stonemason was 20 to l to win. A young
man at the poolrooms put up "a on
! Stonemason, having a faint, very faint,
chance to win $50. The race was run,
! Stonenell in the lead all the time, Stone
mason not heard from. AT the finish,
| however, the man called out, ''StOnema-
son wins" The young man with the
ticket was simply enraptured. Without
waiting for verihcation from the race
! track, he invited friend out to celebrate
| the luck. While the young man was at
! sent word was received over the wire
! that the operator had made a mistake and
that Stonenell had won. The change was
made on the board, and the returns hav-
! ing been made straight, the tickets were
paid. AT this juncture the happy youth
returned and looked up at the board and
nearly collapsed.
what's the matter? ?' asked his friend.
Matter - he cried. Don't you see
/ Stonemason wasn't in it. l didn't think
he would win, but after the race was an
nounced, with Stonemason winner, I
spent every single cent had in celebrat-
ingp; and he went forth broken in heart
and pocket.
That is the way that nearly everybody
goes out of the poolroom if they tempt
| fortune long enough.-Harper' Weekly.