The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1894-07-06
SIMPLE Is TIE RACEGOER,

From the New York sun.
One of the most notorious swindlers
in this country once said that New
Workers were the most provincial peo-
pie in the world. and that il was easier
to separate Gothamite from his money
than to swindle a farmer out of cent.
How true this may be is a question, but
one thing is certain, and that is that
ten New Workers, if not more, fall vic
tins to confidence men to every one
out-of-towner. The crowds that fire.
quent race track are naturally sup
posed to be composed of very shrewd
men, yet there is not class of people
in the country to-day who are victim
lied so often and so repeatedly, and yet
submit without word, as lot of race
track people.
Every one takes turn at buncoing
the racegoer, and a trip to any of the
track with a crowd of horsemen will
furnish the best verifcation in the
world of the swindler's statement. In
the first place, as soon as a race track
opens its meeting all of the railroads
which connect with it Immediately
usually costs but forty cents to go to
and from Coney Island it now costs fifty
cents for an excursion ticket to Grave
send, which is only about two-thirds
of the way down. Coney Island visit
ors can still get tickets at the old rate,
but if a man happens to be going TO
the race track he must pay extra
money. On the little elevated road
which runs from Weehawken to the
Guttenburg race track the fare all the
year round is but five cents. When the
race track was open, however, it cost
ten cents to get to the track, unless
you happened to be one of the natives,
and then by explaining to the ticket
seller just who you were you could OBJ
tain passage at the regular rate.
Then, again. the admission 10 race
track is exorbitant. 1t has been shown
that with free admission the assOcia-
tions can still make a tremendous
amount Of money, yet they charge one
dollar and half for badges, and with
out paying that much one cannot get
inside the grounds. Once in, every body
takes turn at the poor Spectator. At
every pump and water faucet on the
grounds or in the buildings there is a
man who insists on drawing water for
you. and then calls your attention to
cigar box with slit in il which is sus-
pended near by. In the toilet rooms it
is case of tip half dozen people or
get abused like a rufian, while in the
matter of meals the prices are simply
fabulous. What money man has left
after running this gauntlet the book
makers get, nine times ont of ten. and
all in all the average man Is decidedly
disconsolate individual when the last
race Is run. and in his haste 10 get
home he jumps into a parlOr car only
10 find that there is not a seat left
IN II, and then is obliged to pay twenty
FIVE cents for the privilege Of standing
up, where he might have had a seat
and saved the money by taking an or
binary passage. All Of these facts go
10 show what easy victims men are who
belong 70 a class which is supposed 70
be exceedingly shrewd-
But these swindles are mild com
pared with the games that are run on
inc Day A4sA-c IerE p-4N Naf-N-A -. 80
the racing crowd from the foot OF
Whitehall street 70 the train al Bsv
Ridge. This trip consumes about half
an hour and gives the gang Of swim
dlers who iufest the boat ample time
N which 70 hook q few victims II
viii De hard for great manT people %
believe it, but the game worked On this
boat successfully Is the old thread
bare, time-worn shell game The same
old gang Of thimbleriggers who used
70 catch drunken sailors and soldiers
fresh Young clerks on the Bowerv have
had the temerity 20 carry their game
right into = crowd Of gamblers, and
judging from what sun reporter saw
the other day they are meeting with
marvellous success Every one knows
the old shell game, yet there seems 70
be fascination about IL which men
cannot resist With the same old err
Of Come on gents picS cut The little