The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-06-23

ifs holder has Of the wager. and he Is
very careful To hold on to II. lie ner-
,Ously watches the race, ard yeiis NM
self rel in the face, or stands mute a.
the case nay be. when Wistful WINS ~
a neck. As soon ne possible he axes us
way 10 the rear of the box or stau oc-
cupied by the boOkmaker with wfcm ne
made his bet, and is enc OF long OF
short line OF mer and boys, as me csss
may be- who nave struck vlnhei'
They walt until this cry y heard: Al
right Mistful. first; floretta. second
Apologize. third. Time, ~ IL" fhen
the cashiers commence TO pay the holders
OF winning tickets. As ttey hsrd their
tickets in. the cashier glances al the sneet
on which the tickets we're recorded, sees
that the number, amount and horse tal,y,
and then. after mutilating the ticker oy
tearing a small piece of the upper COT
ncr. ne files II ard han9s the ptitor INC
amount his ticket called Tor. rms amour
always Is tho total OF the sum oet py
each party. That Is. where the ODDS are
70 10 J. and the successful better bet -,
he receives back just SO. the - he put
up and the 80 bet against II.
THE FOREIGN BOOK.
In the foreign book the manner OF
making. recording and paying bets Is
iicnticaly the same. For the accommo-
datiOn OF this concern an entire section
OF the betting ring Is assigned. Inc BACK
AIUuHl - ItIITtu UA - iti~ sAl'ANH W
black board so elevated that the crowd
may eaily see IL. IL is so extensive and so
conveniently ruled off that the horses en-
tered in five or six different races at three
or four different race tracks throughout
the country may at all times be shown.
OF course. a very complete teiegTaPnic
service Is necessary. and one or mora tele-
graphic operators arc busily engaged all
the time. The jockeys who are 10 ride
the different horses. the condition OF me
track and weather. the odds against the
hOrses-ail this Is being constantly sent
I'm over the wires. This information Is
marked up on the blackboard. while the
clerks behind the long counter invite
spectators 70 invest.
Suddenly a cry Is heard from the teie-
graph operator that they arc or az
Brooklyn or at Chicago or at Louisville,
just wherever it happens 10 be. The
crowd quickly gathers IN front OF the
foreign book 20 listen 10 the telegraphic
description OF the race. the positions or
the three or four foremost horses being
given as they pass the different fractional
points In the distance OF the race. When
The winner. second and third horses are
announced some little delay follows be-
fore those holding tickets on successful
horses are paid of, for II Is not until
confirmation OF the result. together with
the time Of the race is flashed over the
wire that the fortunate ones are paid.
INV f''st ffR '%s' tfSf
From the foregoing It IS at once seen
that gambling In the foreign books has
not even the slightly rodeemng feature
OF the pleasure derived from witnessing
the races and betting therein II is gam
bling, pure and simple. Ia the estimation
or those who have the best interests OF
genuine racing al heart. both in the East
and West, the foreign book is one of the
greatest evils TO be found on a race track.
TO II more than % any other one thing
Is the present low condition OF racing In
this country attributable.
That this Is so is apparent from the
fact that a few months ago the control
ling turf organization in the West followed
the example set by its sister Organiza-
ton I'm the East. and prohibited on tracks
controlled by II the running OF foreign
books Both the tracks across the Poto-
mac permit the foreign book, and, indeed.
10 is openly asserted that the manage
meut OF each track Is financially inter-
ested In the respective foreign books.
How eyer that nay be- the manage
ment evidently disagree with Gov. o. FER
rail- OF Virginia, who asserts. and with
seemingly ample authority, that the
foreign book is an unlawful concern, for
no conccalment Is even attempted, aud 10
~ easily within the power OF the auth0r-
ties 90 obtain any and all Information on
which 10 base criminal proceedings n de-
sired. The foreign book Is a source or
great revenue TO the tracks, and not in
frequently play on The races at the tracks
Is practically deserted for the foreign
books.
They are also profitable IN that the on
portunity 20 bet therein attracts a much
larger attendance than would b. the case
it betting was confT ed 10 the few books
doing business on the races run at the
respective Virginia tracks. Hence. the
prohibition Of the foreign books would
soon compel the two tracks acro-- TIE
river TO close up. In this way Gov. OFFER
rail- has, provided ne be sustained By the
virginia courts, a complete remeuy against
the two tracks.-WashingtOn Star