Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-25
THEY KNEW A GOOD THING

About hundred yards below the en-
trance to the Benning race track there Is
| so sharp dip in the roadway that a tall
| fence built around farm across the way
| from the race grounds offers an excellent
| perch every day fer several scores of small
and midcle-sized boys, mostly biack,to Climb
| upon and witness at least certain stages OF
| the races. The boarding may be, and very
| likely Is, pretty sharp and rough seating
| space, but 1t isuffices and every day the
| top of that fence Is almost literally black
| with members OF the rising generation who,
desiring to be- sports" have no dollars
wherewith to purchase badges at the gate.
Each of these fence birds appears to bring
from 10 to % cents out to the track
every day for speculative purposes and
they nave no difficulty in getting Their
money down at the regular odds prevail
ing inside the betting rIng for there Is a
large, ornately-clad, extremely black
"spoht among them who acts as book
maker for the outsiders. He Is known by
the name of Dick" only and he mates a
handbook for amounts ranging from i've
cents up to half dollar. The "spoht gets
the odds from the regular bookmakers
states inside-he provides himself with a
paoge Tort purpose-and then he energies
from the grounds and takes the bets
of the fence birds. He does lot of bus!-
ness In this way, and usually gets all of
the money. But the boys on top of the
farm fence nailed him almost to a stand
sun one afternoon last week
A mile and three quarter hurdle race was
on the card, and all of the fence birds ap-
Deared to be laying for It,, as it We're
Ihey declined to put their money down with
the big black bookmaker on the first two
races OF the day. They were waiting for
the hurdle race. When the betting opened
on that race Dick" the "spoht' bookle
went into the paddock TO get the odds
While he was absent little yellow stable
10y slipped to a hole in the fence across
the way from where the farm fence was
damned with Youngsters and gave whis-
tied signal. Two yellow boys jumped from
the renee and ran over to the stable boy
The latter numbed a few short remarks
to them, and then disappeared back within
the grounds The two yellow boys who
had conversed with him went quietly up
and down the fence, simply saying, ITS
uh-goin' troo. an it's uh watuhmelon.' and
an the fence birds nodded sagey. Then the
black booknlaker returned and walked up
and down the line.
"Whut yo' all kids uh-gwine tub do wit
dis heah racer" he inquired of them col
lectively. ''Ain' none o. yo' all got no
Dough-"
They all jumped from the fence and upon
him at once They wanted to know what
McFonsos price was in one breath.
IN NUMBERED t one. an all yo' wants of
1t, replied the fence bookmaker, and they
passed their dimes and quarters in to him
as II Mcfonso the rank outsider, at 100
10 " I, We're r. the only nag in the race.
Dough lef' buy papuhs wit" said the
spoht' bookie, with a broad grin, when he
had taken in all the McFonso money. Dis
veah moss McFonso couldn't beat uh fat
nlsguh lax me uh-runnin', much less race
horses"
The fence birds al climbed back to their
perches- however, and seemed to be salts
hed. Ihey all stood up precariously and
balanced themselves when the cry They're
on! rang from within the grounds and
they appeared to know the colors as well
house
"Wheah alrss McRonso?" was the oues-
ton when the Horses came swinging around
the track for the first time.
Hes las, said the bookmaker, who had
taken a stand on the fence An dat's
wheah he am finish"
'Lookee dat boss Mac uh-goin' upr' was
the shout all along the fence when the
nurdlers were turning into the stretch
for the last time. Hes uh-ketchin' dat
Julius Ceesuh, de fav'rte, evuhy iumn an;
ef he all keeps uh-trailin' Ikea dat, it's
uh walk TO limits uh walk TO- him
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS on-corne eli
de money, boy!-bring uhlong dat coin. yo'
o muie-now yo got de Ceesuh-hop on
tuh him Jus a few mo- little teeny tumps
boy-aLn' McFonso winsn -
Whereupon, with wild yells of elemental
JOY some score of fence birds just natu-
rally tumbled headlong forward and sur
rounded the gioomy-faced Dick, "srohtr
and hand bookmaker The good thing thar
the renee birds had been laying for" that
me yellow stable boy had confirmed
through the hole in the fence, and that
they had all got down on to a boy. had
taken such crimp in the hand bookmak-
er ron that he looked to be In two minds,
whether to WEIGH for 1t or to nav Off They
rad MIN surrounded. however and he paid
scores of bets.
Jes' yo' nigguhs ketch me uh-layin' odds
on any mo 100 tub 1 shots. that's ALL" he
muttered as his fat roll of bills faded
away.