The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-11
Vile Dens in Which Children
and Women Are Allowed
to Gamble.
MENACE TO HORSE RACING.
The Ebert Ordinance if Enforced Can
Very Easily Remove the
Evil.

The reputable horsemen in this City
attending the races of the Pacific Coast
Jockey Club on the Ingleside track-are
becoming very much disguised with the
prospective outlook. Many of them have
brought stables of thoroughbreds thou
sands of miles to race during this winter
at a cost of small fortune, and they are
in dread now that, through the pc ttifogi ng
thereby of a lot of crooked race-jobbers,
they may have to withdraw their entries
and stable their horses for the season.
At no time in the history of racing on
this coast have affairs assumed such a
black aspect, and if the police especially
do not come to the rescue OF the better
element the thugs will kill one of the great
est industries of the State.
Here is how the land lies on this particu-
lar subject: A few men of energy and wealth
invested nearly half million dollars in
building the IngIeside track. They Of
fered purses suffici emily attractive to get
score of Eastern owners to send their best
horses to the co asst. In all 152 thorough
breds came, accompanied by retinue of
attendants mum bering one-third that
figure. Nearly 1000 people have been, and
track. The hotels OF the City have been
crowded with visitors day after day here
to see the best horses in the country in
competition. The feed growers have been
made happy, and the breeders of the State
have had their hope realized that the big
Eastern horse-owners might come here
and see from personal observation that the
stock of California farms is fully season
ahead OF that of the East at the same age.
Well, all this is threatened with an I'M
timely end, which means the loss of mil
lions of dollars to the State.
Fortunately the Wagner ordinance.
which is the ak to do all this harm, has
been postponed for couple of weeks in
its consideration by the Board of Super
visors. But after all 1t is only delay
which means but little except a prolonga-
ately taken to remove the causes that have
led up to the framing of The ordinance.
The Wagner ordinance will necessitate
the stoppage of all pool-selling on races
within the City and County, whether
in town or within the racing inclosure.
Should the ordinance go through it will
be but short time before similar ordi-
nances will be enforced in most of the
counties OF this State and that must ne
cessarily be the death of racing in Califor-
MIA, as there is no track on earth that
can afford TO put up purses attractive
enough for foreign entries unless an in
come can be derived from the poolbox
privilege.
The trainers of the Wagner ordinance
have brought it forward in sheer despera-
ton and with view to stopping the dis
graceful scenes occurring daily in the City
where the so-called commission brokers"
are plying trade that Justly entities them
to the harsh measures of the police.
Some years ago, when ex-Mayor Ebert
was a Supervisor, he framed an ordinance
which accomplished the desired object 1t
closed up the gam bling heIls on Leides-
dorff street, where bets could be made on