Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-01-07
DECLINE OF RACING.
BooK-MAKINc AND WINTER TRACKS
HAVE DONE THE WORK.
Originally the sport Of Kings. 1t Has Come
To BE Tool for Gambling and
Betting.
washington starr

known as book making 1t has become a
snort in which even gentlemen indulge
with many twinges of conscience. because
OF the associations that have become
woven into the warp and woot OK the
sport. Primarily. racing was introduced
10 improve the breed Of horses. Betting,
originally, was begotten by the rivalry
between owners and tho partisans OF the
several horses in a race. and has become
such a passion among the Anglo-Saxons
OF America that the thoroughbred, ths
most perfect specimen OF the equine race.
Is nothing more nor less than gigantic
gambling machine. His plebeian brother'
the American trotte-. it IS to be regretted'
Is fast following in his footsteps.
Gamblers excluded. every man VINO DC
Hcyes In improving the blood horse regrets
that betting has become necessary 10 the
success of race meetings. Could gambling
be eliminated from racing the understands
elements would not dominate the race
course as they now DO, and the TRACK
would be sought more frequently Dy our
wives and daughters. So interwoVen' now
ever. IS betting with racing that there ~
little doubt II the law against IL IS risiuiy
enforced. nearly, If not quite, every race
course in the United States VIII Tor Il iohB
time be shut up, and as a necessary co.i-
sequence a severe blow delivered 10 inc
breeding interests OF the country hs ia1
as IL relates 10 the blood horse. But WINE
this IL true. and while also the loss 10
breeders all over the country would be
greater than il now is. for there is already
a great depression in the housekeeping
Industry owing to over-production, when
tbs great question OF public morals is
AT stake the iuterrogatory as 10 which
shall be sacrificed IS easily answered by
every citizen who has at heart the welfare
OF society.
a HISTORY OF BOOK-MAKING.
At this juncuire when our local courts
are about TO be engaged with the trial
Of an alleged violation OF the law against
betting on one Of the tracks Of the Dis
trict. a brief history Of book-maklng and
its offspring, winter racing, may prove
instructive, as well as interesting. Each
had its inception in what IS known as
dash racing. ~ dash race, except be-
tween half-breds on country roads IN the
vicinity~of tavern. or at country fairs.
was not tolerated by gentlemen VINO raced
thoroughbreds previous 10 1851. Races
prior TO this period were usually run in
two- three, and four-mile heats endu-
rance being considered a greater desde-
ratum than speed. in 1854 dash racing
was inaugIuated at Saratoga as an eX-
pertinent. and IN imitation OF Il like sport
THAI had gradually been growing in pub
llc favor in England. John Morrissey
was ono OF the moving spirits in the
venture, and society at the springs. then
as now, was quick TO patronize every
thing labelled English. The system
proved q bowling success from the start:
Recognizing its popularity, the shrewd
turfman. Leonard Jerome, backed by An-
gust Belmont. William Aston. and others,
founded Jerome Park. Mr.. Belmonts
idea in adopting II, however, was not
to make money, but to afford sport In
which gentlemen could indulge.
while Jerome Park was a sllk-stochlng
organization, and heavily patronlzed by
the wealthy class. Morrssey, at Saratoga.
catered to the populace and daily coined
the dollars. lie was shrewd enough 10
see that the public preferred to witness
five short races in an afternoon, instead
OF two long ones. Contests between .
year-olds were also encouraged, and pool
selling was established from the begin
ming. While MJrrissey adhered to the
system Of French pools Jerome and his
associates transplanted the English sys-
TEN Of bOok-making 10 American soil,
where, like the English sparrow. It has
conquered a ha,itation and a name. and
has more than held its own. although
less fair and honest 10 the bettOr than
the French mutual plan.
AT MONMOUTH PARK.
Stimulated by Morrissey's success at
Saratoga Joha Chamberlain and other
spOrtingmen Of New York established
track at Long Branch, known as Mon
mouth Park. This was In 1870. Bookmak-
ing was an essential feature OF money
making, and the MOnmOuth-Pa AssO-
citation was the first in the racing annals
OF the United States 10 Cp MY proclaim
that ii was not doing business solely for
its health, but for the money that was In
1t. Then followed in succession the brood
known as the Brighton Beach and Sleeps
head Bay assOcia tions.
IN the mean time the passion OF
gambling had been stimulated % a white
heat among the middle and lower class g.
Uaul there had been created a constitu-
eucy OF gamblers male and female, that
reached far into tho thousands In New
York and within "A radius OF sixty miles
OF the several race tracks. The passion
Of gambling became a craving one. IL
did not take the associations named long
to see that patronage for continuous
racing could be had. Then 1t was that
winter racing was added 10 the pro-
gramme at the tracks controlled by the
several associations, the revenue being
mainly derived from the percentage paid
by bOolgmaker5 - DO business, who could
afford 20 pay large sums, wh"n they
got 50 per cent on the average, while the
bettOrs only got one As the citizens in
the vicinity OF the above tracks rose in
their wrath and drove out win-er racing
the fertile minds OF the race-trlck men
founded the Gutenberg track, vC'garly
known as the Gut" Routed from the
last-named resort n brief engagement was
Gently played IT BcnninG's and Il briefer
one still IT Ivy city. As 'as. as the
octopus has lost one tentacle 4. has thrust
out another. Whether it's hold on Ivy
City is permanent or not the courts viii
soon decide.
PROFITS or THE BUSINESS.
As an exemplifcation of the profits Of
bookmaking and rs an illustration or how
necessary 1t Is 10 the success OF modern
race meetings. IT was stated by a member
OF n local racing association in the pres
ence Of the writer during a recent meet
ing that IL the gates of the track were
thrown wide open to the public the club,
he believed, would make more money than
1t was then making by charging an en-
trance fee. What he meant was that
more people NoLIu attend, more DOCKS
would 90 on and betting would be stimu-
lated thereby. Bookmaking has not only
reyolutionized racing in the United States
IN the manner already stated, but in ad-
dition thereto it is largely responsible for
the low state Of morals that exists upon
the turf, and thereby has brought racing
into dsrepute. II IS responsible also for
the revolution that has gradually gone on
In the ownership OF horses that are raced.
Gentkmen OF high character still own
and race horses, and all who are iRterest-
ed in the sport know who they are. and
it Is equally well known that they are
sadly I'm the minority. 1t was TO the in
terest OF bookmaking that the ownership
In race horses should be diffused, hence
by the aid OF bookmakerh shrewd fellows
who were mere "rubbers'' OF the thor
oughbred and the trotter as well few
years since. now either own or control
horses. With such influences insidiously
at work II does not require a diagram to
explain why racing. founded for a noble
purpose and for the development OF a
noble animal, has fallen into such disre-
pute.
~. a..