Evening journal., 1897-02-03
RACING IN MARYLAND.
CROOKED GAMBLING SAID TO BE
DEMORALIZING CECIL COUNTY
rrr7nDr II

CROOKED GAMBLING SAID TO BE
DEMORALIZING CECIL COUNTY
PEOPLE.
The following description Of the rae
ing in Cecil county is from the New
York Herald:
The blight of illegitimate racing, with
all it's attendant social evils, has fallen
heavily on a little rural county in
Maryland. Driven out of New York by
the reform racing law of two years
ago, expelled from Guttenburg and
Gloucester by outraged public opinion.
vania and compelled to fly from the law
in Delaware, the men who reap a rich
harvest on the race track from Gutten-
burg and Gloucester methods have
swo0ped down upon peaceful commu-
nifty in Cecil county, Maryland that
until a few months ago never saw
horse race before except the 'trotting
exhibitions" at the annual agricultural
fair.
There, where the officers Of the law
are pliable and take refuge behind the
excuse that there is no law 10 stop it,
the evil of wildcat racing has
reached n position Of impudence and
iniamy which would seem to make de-
cent the worst tracks New Jersey ever
had.
Cecil county lies about midway be-
tween Philadelphia and Baltimore. The
men who back the sort of racing that
was driven out of New York and New
| Jersey appear to have wisely made in
advance all the arrangements which
would secure them immunity. They or
| ganized racing associations, secured
/ land and laid out race tracks in the
| fields far from any large town. There
is one track at Iron Hill, on the line OF
the Philadelphia, Wilmington and Bal
timore railroad, near the Delaware
state line. There is nothing at Iron
Hill but the railroad station, the race
track and the stables.
A few miles away, on the line of tn,
Baltimore and Ohio, also near the Della.
ware line, was opened a track at Barks
dale. This now consists of a railroad
station, a race track, half a dozeI
houses and numerous corn-helds. IL
the same immediate neighborhood, OF
the same line of railroad. a third tract
was made at Singerly, which is named
after William NJ. Singerly, Of Philadel
phia. The race track at Ell1tOn wa
also acquired.
This makes four tracks, all within
radius of ten miles They are cOntrollel
by two syndicates. and between then
are eight racing meetingscf thirty day
each q year, so that there is racing a
almost any season on one of thes
tracks throughout the year.
Cecil county is a prohibition county
It's people are supposed to be so goo
that fast driving on Sunday is consic
cred a crime. Yet these racing organ
cations dominate the politics of tn
: county. and things are done there o
the turf that would probably neve
have been tolerated by the Big Four
at Guttenburg. There is the usual ski
game No one dares bet on the merit
. of a horse, because it has been repea
o edly charged that at some of thes
e. tracks the race is fixed" in advance.
e The young men of the neighborhoC
y are infatuated with the gambling spir
= and many of them have been RUNE
d The morals of the community ha,
q greatly suffered Lawlessness abOun,
e and the citizens are rapidly getting L
y In arms to drive the sports" from Il
e county.
The location of these tracks so nei
the Delaware line has made it vel
convenient for the lawless element
l. have as much immunity from the Ia
i- as the race track managers themselve
j. Pickpockets and thieves ply their trad
y and when detected make a run for
II and escape out Of the jurisdiction.