The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-12-26
Baldwin Was swindled, But He Made
$4,000 Profit Out of the Transac-
ton and So Gladly Forgave the
Swindle-A San Francisco Re-
porter Comes Out 1925 Winner.
New York sun.)

cause it to double in value. L could
sell the corner for enough to clear off
every mortgage on anything L own
Then I could go to my ranch and take
life easy"
He paused moment and thought.
But 1 do not care to take life easy, j"
he resumed. Il want to see go up at
that corner a splendid hotel. 1t shall
be the finest that money can build. ;"
His eye kindled at the idea. 1T shall
be eight stories high, all steel and
iron, no wood, except the doors and
window frames. There will be a great
arcade running from Market to Ellis
streets, with a magnificent rotunda.
The cafe will seat 1,500 people, and the
profit from that alone would be 100000
a year. The lease on the hotel that
burned had two years longer to run,
and then 1 had expected to clear from
the hotel at least $4,000 a year.
EXPERIENCE IN CHICAGO.
Baldwin used to be well known
figure on Chicago race tracks" said a
sporting man the other day in COM
menting on the fire. He didn't have
any use for the New York cracks. He
SWore that the New York handicappers
topweighted his horses out of pure
devilment, Just because they thought
stakes, but that he was in the racing
business for hygienic reasons; and he
finally declined to race any of his high
class runners on the eastern tracks.
Lucky was a good deal of a. character
around Chicago during the racinsf sea-
son. While he was close listed to the
point of parsimony in a good many
respects, in others he was an aged
Jubilee Juggins in improvidence and as
reckless in throwing away money as
any Coil Oil Johnnie. He had failing
for burning up money on his horses. No
matter in what company they were
entered, nor how far they We're out
classed at weights and distance, Lucky
would bet on EN- to win, anyhow. He
had good ones in his stable, but then
there were other good stables, too,
and LuclIy's horses couldn't always sip
into soft spots. But Lucky figured it
that each and every one of his nags was
a world beater, and he'd bet on them
whether the price was l to 100 on or 100
to l against. At that, Lucky Baldwin
was always a pretty smooth old propo-
sition, and if there was any one par
ticular in which he was more noted in
Chicago than in others, it was what ]
might call his absolute untouchable-
ness. Lucky had a reputation as a
man who positively. would not sur
render to q touch, no matter how
scientifically the same was engineered
that was the heartbreak of the brigade
of Well-dressed toUcheTS who in
habited the hotels of Chicago during
the racing seasons. The racing re
porter of a certain paper was telling us
one night about Luckys adamantine
countenance when he was listening to
the carefully rehearsed tales of touch
ers, when one of his listeners-a new
reporter on the paper, a man from the
coast-chimed in.
THE REPORTER'S WAGER.
"'What you say about Baldwin be-
ing the hardest of living propositions
when it comes to a touch is quite true
said he. He's got the same reputation
on the coast. Now, | don't know
Lucky Baldwin personally. 1 never
happened to run across him when ]
was in San Francisco, for when I was
out there he was spending most of his
time here in the east with his string OF
runners. But I'll tell you what I'll
do. I'll bet you $50 to $25 that, tomor-
row afternoon at the race track, IL
successfully touch Lucky Baldwin fol-
5000, rendering him an equivalent that
shall only be worth 81 in return. Am
[ on?"
That's what you are, said the rae
ing reporter. That's like getting $50 in
a letter for me. You're a good thing
But you don't know what you're going
to stack up against.
All right said the new reporter
I'll go out to the track with you an6
| you can see me make the touch.
The next afternoon the racing re-
porter and the new man went out tC
the track together. The new man was
got up in pretty hefty style-long tar
coat, top hat, patent leather top boots
/ field glasses, etc, racing toys from top tc
bottom. On the third finger of his left
hand he Wore a ring-a big sparkler il
! the middle and a bluestone on either
side of it. 1t was phony goods, the
ring.
Where did you get that bum ring?
asked the racing reporter of the MAJ
with whom he had the bet
THE man who was going to success.
! fully touch Lucky Baldwin smiled
Bought it on Clark street this
morning for rs cents he said.
| When the two men reached the tract
f! the racing reporter went into the pres:
| box to attend to his work, and the mar
who was going to dig 5000 out of Lucky
| Baldwin made for the betting ring. two
| races were run off before the racing re
porter saw his colleague on the papel
again. Then the latter turned up il
! the press box and plucked the racing
reporter by the arm.
/ Come on down into the betting
ring said he and lose that $25.
GETS 5000 FROM BALDWIN.
THE racing reporter followed thu
other man. Now, in the race that wa,
| about to be run off, one Of Baldwin.
| horses was entered. The bookmaker,
| didn't figure that Baldwin's horse ha(
chance in the world to win, so the7
| laid 20 to 1 against the nag. The mal
| who was going to touch Lucky dragged
| the racing reporter over within seein.
distance of Baldwin, who stood chew
! ing an unlighted cigar on an outsid,
circle of bettors.
Here goes, said the new reporter
and he rushed over to where Mr.. Bald
win stood.
Sir said he stopping directly il
| front of the western Croesus, I don
! know who you are or whether YOU ar
/ in funds or not, but / know that [ an
not I've just lost $4,000 betting on tn
! faVorite in the last race, and that tap
ped me for today l haven't time t,
get back to my bank before the mex
/ race, and [ have a chance to win m.
! money back and a great deal Tnore b,
playing Mr.. Baldwin's horse in thi
race to win. Lucky's horse simply can
| lose this race, and he's 20 to / in tn
-betting. This ring pulling the sam
/ from his finger hurriedly, is worth $50
and it is d good deal more valuable t
me on account of its associations. LIE
me have 5000 on it until after this race
4 want to put the money on Baldwin
] horse, and Baldwin's horse can't lose
In the remote possibility that Baldwin
! f,oTca does lose the Tqpn T. IL ra1nar