Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-03-26
AN OBJECT LESSON.
Showing What the Races Will Do for
Man.

showing " nat the Races Will DO for
Man.
There could scarcely be a more motley
tLrong of men than that which flows over
ON the trolley trains every afternoon 10
the horse-racing pool room on the grounds
Of the abandoned outlaw race track at St.
Asaph. The men belong to every station In
life. On Wednesday last, one of the racing
events of the season. the Crescent City
Derby was run off in New Orleans. The
St Asaph pool room was damned with in
fatuated Washington men, who went over
there on that day to place their bets on the
big entry. but who, almost to man. got
tangled up in the general vortex of mud
races all over the Countrywide pool room
at st. Asaph gets the reports from all of
the tracks and takes bets on the events
with the result that deep diSmaneSS per-
vaded the returning trains after darkness
had settled over the city. Warnings or ex-
pCstulatiohS do not avail with the man who
has go. the horse-rscing fever. Bitter ex-
perience alone can teach MIN that the
Ponies is game that cannot be beaten.
But there was one man at the pool loom on
" edneSday last who needs TO have his
case told about. Everybody in the pool
room, from the former prominent WASH
iEsfonian who came near holding high Of
hce n the District at one time down to
the negro tout, knew about this man, ana
Iitied aim for being fool.
This man was dirty, unkempt, shaggy
headed, unshaven, and in general 'ery
hgure OF uncleanness and wretchednesS.
Two yeara ago he was prosperous Wash
ingtcn contractor. an Industrious man, in
a lair way to become more than comfort
ably fixed, and with happy family, liz
Guiding two pretty daughters. Then he got
the pony fever" At first he followed the
racing circu;t-laid down his money where
he could see the runs made for iu-and for
few months was something of a high
rolling figure at Brighton, Sheepshead Bay,
Morris Park, and the other big race
courses. But he didn't know anything
whatsoever about racing, and he was
stubborn man. besides. He lost steadily.
He permitted his business to go to pot. He
went broke on the southern circuit, and
came back to Washington to do a bit of
mortgaging. His business passed out of
his hands. HE friends tried to talk come
sense into him. but he would have none of
it. He owned four good houses, that
brought in enough rental to keep mis- family
comfortably. They all went over at St.
Asaph. His family moved to IA little tum-
bledown rented house. The man kept
hammerinS away at the st. ASaph game
and he has been getting right down tow ard
the ditch for the past few months. Even
the proprietors of the st. Asaph institution
tried to induce this man to take tumble
to himself, but he was too far gone.
On Wednesday this man was one Of the
first of the arrivals at the pool room, and,
as said, he was the filthisst and most Woe
full spectacle imaginable. Before the first
race was run he sided over to one Of the
sheet writer's and pulled dirty piece of
paper out of his pocket 1t was a dis
possess document.
My furnitures on the street." said the
crazy man, but I've got 81 Do you know
of anything good? Want to win out enough
to pay my rent"
The sheet writer told the man he'd better
keep his 81. But the advice was not taken.
The man laid down his - on a long shot,
horse that hea rd Of q
and, of course, lost. AS he shuffied out of
the pool room in the direction Of The sta
tien, this man surely presented an upsur-
passable object lesson.