Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-08-20

eot-The Turf Hunger Who Carries a
 Blind Boy About as Mascot
 Superstition secms to go hand in hand with all games of chance. and therc arc few gamcsters who do not believe in luck. in mascots which arc apt to bring luck and in hoodoOs which arc certain to blast all chances of success This Is particular ly true of race track betting, and so many odd things happen u the big race courses that n certain amount of superstition Is not to bc wondered at. Of the thousands of regular bettors who attend tho races daily in New York, C.icago and other grcat centcrs, where tho sport of kings is very popular. not 0 small pcrccntagc be- licvc that n hunchback or a blind man Is n mascot of tho gilt edged variety, and whenever thcsc superstitious gamblers pass blind man or hunchback who Is begging near tho entrance to tho track they arc surc to drop coin in the mcnti- cant's hat flor luck"
 The rrsult is that blind negroes and hunchhackcd unfOrtunatCs arc as thick around the ordinary race track flies around a sugar harrcl, and both find no difficulty in getting all tho sugar" they dcsirc. It is said that many of the beg gars rap such handsome rcturns during tho racing season that they arc able to 1.-Two in comparative luxury during the winter months, when tho idle hang tails l arc eating their heads of in their stables. Knowledge of the power they possess over ! the superstitious turf plungcrs often leads the boldest Of tho bCggars to thrCatcn all , sorts of disaster to the man who refuses to drop a nicklc into flcklc fortunes human i slot machine. Rather than bc hopelcssly hoodoocd and walk home, many n race track bcttOr has unwillingly left a coin in ! such a mcndiCant'S s hnt.
 X St. Louis paper tells of n travelling 1 man who recently met blind boy on n train near Cleveland. II was interested in the bOy," said the drummer. He oc- | cupicd n berth in the sleeper and was i taken into meals by stout man whose department and drrss proclaimed him to be | q lover of racC horses. In tho course of conversation with the Ind he told mo his destination was the Cleveland trOtting | meet, adding. with singular sincerity, that he was q mascot. When found out ho was not joking, I questioned him and found that the big fellow with whom he was travelling had met him at the entrance to,nnc of the eastern tracks last year and had given him n dollar.
 l ''luCk had ISCcn against him all the sea son. but that day Ina won on every rac". even 20 to I ClIanCC bCinS included among his g'ssl things After the msSrt the pIunLs,r hunted up the blind bay. gave him sUud suit of clothes and practically adopted him. taking him Hround with him to race meetings all over the country. Tho mascot assurcd mc thnt he had a delight full time. having nothing to do and being treated just like n swell. to usc his own words. From curiosity tried to enter into a conversation with tho sport as to how the charm of tho blind cx-bcggar worked l was politely told to mind my own business but thCrc was an mir of prosperity and succCss about tho big fCl- low which convinced mo that the relations between the mascot and himself wcrc as satisfactory to employer as to employee"
 Then, Is vCry interesting story about
 Lord Roscls'ry. his Dcrby winner I.adas
 and n hraC" uf hCIlgChOgs- In his under
 graduate days LOrl RosclCry owned an other L.adaS On the day iCfOrc hC Tan
 that horSr as he left his house in Park
 ianC hc noticed n dead hedgehog upon tho
 grass plot, and I-lSlaS lost, thus prsIvinE
 cohclusivCly that far As Lord RussrlsCry and Ladas wcrC CuncCrnVl n hedgehog Wa.
 thu worst sort of n hOOlOn But the story doCs not end at this point. FrnIn tho day
 the first I.adas was hODiOOsyl until the day
 of the Ep>om n,rty of IS9i Lord Rsrscicry
 succCNNlC,l in duslging nll the hcSlarhOE-s ir
 England and was consequently Surc tint the ~ssepnd I-l,las would win the DcFby ir n cantcr. oR the morning Uf the event