The herald., 1898-03-14

There has been nothing of consequence
in local sporting circles during the last
week. Coursing appears to be the only
thing the public cares to support. The
golfers have laid off temporarily on ac-
count of the recent rain, which put the
grounds In an unpleasant condition, the
ladies especially being afraid to risk tax :
ing cold by venturlng on the damp links.
The Manhattan Athletic club gave an ex-
hibition last Friday night. On the same
evening the San Francisco public was in
fiicted with another shameful exhibition
OF foul fighting by Sharkey In his meeting
with Choynski. The showing made by
the participants in this fight gives a line
on Jeffries of this city. jeff put up a,
strong front with Choynski. in fact better
than the sailor, so the natural conclusion
from this must be that the Los Angeles
man has a shade the better of Sharkey
1t is probable, however, that Sharkey has
fought his last fight in California There
has never been an exhibition In which he
took part that has ended satisfactorily,
and his ring career has always been char
acterized by a shameful combination of
taking and foulng.
For developing ways that are dark and
tricks that are vain the heather Chinee
is peculiar at any and all times, but it is
on the turf that the American displays his
ingenuity. Appreciating a certain SINH
larity between the coursing and horse
racing a trio OF young men of this city
bethought themselves of scheme by
which they could make few easy dollars
Two Of the outfit have sisters and the other
has brother. who is a shining light in
social circles. Were any of these innocent
relations to suspect for an instant that
their brothers had tried to beat the book
ies they would don sackcloth and sit in
ashes.
One of the trio has had greyhound for
about eight years past, and while the dog
is thing of beauty his days of usefulness
are over. as is generally the case when an
animal is made household pet. 1t was
proposed to the owner by one of the others
that they enter the old house dog in one
of the coursing stakes and then bet on the
other dog. The old grey looked all right,
they argued, so 1t was likely that prohlbitive
odds would be laid against him, and as 1t
was 100 to chance that the animal would
lose. all that they had to do would be to put
as much money as they could raise on
the dead one and so lay the foundations of
a fortune.
The owner took as quickly to the scheme
as does live dog after rabbit. and after
some dickering it was agreed that as he
furnished the dog and the others the brains
of the combination. he should get al least
one-third of the profits. The dog was duly
entered In the name of some owner other
than the real one and then for week all
three Of the conspirators had a severe
economical attack and saved all they made
and pawned all they had that was avail
able. Finally the momentous day arrived
when the coup was to be made. 1t was a
coup that would go down in the annals of
dogdom as the greatest in its history, and
incidentally stamp the originators as
Napoleons of coursing and easy finance.
For an 4nstant after the dogs were slipped
the conspirators experienced terrible
scare for instead of the other dog taking
tbe>iead their dead one displayed all the
agility of a colt and was In fair way to
outpcint the other from the jump. But age
will assert itself, and after the dogs had
hurried forward few leaps the old house
dog began to show signs of fatigue and
drew up his right hind leg and ran with
only the other three. A few more strides
and then another leg came up, and had not
something unexpected happened several
more TOuS WOulu nave seen the animal
flying in the air. The jack took the dogs
close to where a crowd of spectators were
standing. among them being the owner
of the dead one. The old house dog stopped
as II he had been shot, then, turning, trot-
ted over to his master and lay down by his
side, contented and weary Then the trio
awoke from their pipe dreams of sudden
wealth and took sudden realization that
they had as much show for getting their |
money back as the old house dog of catch
ing the rabbit, and so it turned out for the |
race was declared off and the trio walked |
home poorer but wiser youths.
o o O
The Azusa Stars defeated the Pomona |
College team in baseball game at Clare |
mont Saturday. Score: Azusa Stars, II; |
Pomona College, 0. Hits-Azusa Stars, 12; |
Pomona College, 2. Errors-Azusa Stars |
4; Pomona College, 9. Batteries-Azusa |
Stars. Preston and DEVON; Pomona Col
lege, Wharton, Steffa and Hubbard
COURSING
1t took q hrova to