The morning times., 1895-08-11
Rice TRACK BILL|NsGATE
Stock Slang EXPRESSIONS Among
Local Followers of Races.
DOPE, D0PERS AND DOPING
What They Are and How They Are
Worked-The Omnipresent Tout
Greenhorn's Experience on His
First Visit TO the Race Track.

Every trade, profession and sport has
phrases, lat it is doubtful if anywhere,
in connection with any occupation in
the world, as much and as varied amount
OF shop talk" viii be found as on a
race track.
The stables and paddock contribute
easily as much toward this vocabulary
as the ring and lawn, but they have each
a distinctive flavor that can be easily
detected by the general run OF horsetnen
who have spent the greater part of their
lives on the turf.
With many of the stable hands, and
even some OF the trainers, it comes natu-
raj for them TO use expressions relative
10 their occupation that would sound like
SO much Chinese 10 the man who never
or only seini-occasiouaHy visits track.
They, however, often know no better,
many of them having been raised from
infancy right in the stable.
To novice, however, il all sounds very
funny. Take the average run OF men and
pump q story into their ears which is
replete with tales about dead 'uns, p"
HOLSTERS - ''handicappers, 'dopers,"
tips" ..sweners," etc, and they would
no more understand what you were driv-
ing al than if you We're Choctaw Irdian.
LEARNING THE PHRASES.
An unsophisticated young man recently
had a days holiday and decided TO spend
IL watching the ponies run at one OF the
across-the-river tracks. He accordingly
aonned his best bib and tucker, and, putting
a few dollars IN his pocket, boarded the
special, with visions of returning loaded
down with Uncle Sans currency. He had
never been TO the races IN his life, but did
not doubt for a moment that he could easily
win neat little sum.
After the train was well under way g
young man came through, calling out,
Here you are; Jockey Joe's tips, only ter
cents. Who wants all the winners" a!
he had set out with the intention OF win
ming all he could, he Immediately invested
in the tips and proceeded to scan then
carefully over He had just about fin
ished when the door Of the car again opened
and another young man came through anc
announced that he would furnish ''all thC
winners which were carefully selected
by Jack, the only tfpster" The unso
phisticated young man, meaning to keef
up with the game, produced another dlIn'
and exchanged II for a copy OF 'Jack's'
tips.
When he came to look them over hC
found that in not one OF the races had the
tipsters selected the same horses. This
was something of a sumner, but he soor
rallied, and by the time the train pulled
up at the track he had fully recovered
his confidence in his ability 10 win for
tune, OF, as the race track men woulC
say, run a shoestring into fortune" 3"
He purchased his ticket and soon found
himself in the betting ring. Not knowing
lust whattodo lie stood around and watched
the crowd. In moment be was accosted
by q well-dressed, good-looking chap who
asked him what he was on" This ques'
tion startled him somewhat and he hastily
looked down TO see just what he was on
He saw nothing but the boards in thering and
SO informed tile polite young man.
"oNTO A PIPE"
The stranger sg9iled and explained that
he did not refer to what he was standing
on but to what horse he had played. He
told his questioner that he had not played
anything and then to his amazement the
good-Iooking chap with sly wink took him
by the arm and taking him to one side
WHISPERED to him that he could put him onto
a pipe"
Somewhat alarmed at this suggestion he
! hastily declined the offer and explained
| that he had never in his life been on pipe
and had no ambitions in that line. This
innocence only served to increase the amuse
ment of his new found friend, who broke
| into a loud laugh and told him that pipe
on the race track meant horse that could
not possibly lose, or, in other words, onc
! that had a "cinch."
This mystery cleared up the young mar
expressed himself rs more than willing tc
place a bet on the 'pipe." He therefore
! handed some money to the good-looking
chap to place on the horse that he SAID
could not lose. 1t may be just as wei
10 explain right here that the goodlooking
/ chap was what is termed in race track par
! lance q tout" This species of the race
! track hanger-on is a very common one as
! every course III the country is overrun witt
/ them.
/ They are as n rule smooth spoken, not ovel
| conscientious, smart, good natured, nearly
always well dressed, generous, happy go
lucky fellows. If business is good they vii
have half dozen different people betting
on as many horses so as to increase theil
/ chances OF winning. lit isslack no wever
| they win do their best to select winner
| and then get some one to bet as much on il
as they can.
They either insist upon betting the money
themselves, claiming that they can get 9
better price against the horse selected
than the booknlakers have on their States
OF in case the victim insists upon betting
the money for himself they watch where
he bets it and in case the horse should wiz
wiIlberight onhandande expectsomer reward
for giving the tip"
PUT THE BRAKES ON"
If it should happen to lose they will be
conspicuous by their absence or they viii
have a long story about how they could not
have lost if the horse had gottenaway better