Evening star., 1899-04-07
A Oolored Sport Who Came Near
Winning a Great Big Sum.
PLAYED A SlIHoRSE COMBINATION
The Favorite in the Last Race
Threw Him Down.
HOW IT ALL HAPPENED

to fire a volley over the debris-in a pure
iy figurative sense, that is TO say. Lit
orally he didn't commit any breach of the
peace at all. But he had a Coordination"
ticket in his clothes for a couple of hours
that practically made all the rest of the
habitues of the pool room forget what they
were there for. This "spote" was as black
as that overworked ace of spades. He was
known to his envied inmates - lesser
"spotes"-only as Dick and the very
large-checked suit of plaid that he wore
had a certain cake-walk suggestiveness, as
did his orihamrne of a cravat-a huge red
bow-his patent leather CATERS with blue
polka-dotted uppers and his three large
yellow diamonds, two of them on his fin
gers and the other screwed in the middle of
his shirt bosom of horizontal green bars.
He was a "spote'' all right.
He got down to the ST. Asaph pool room
on the first Of the afternoon trains. He
was all alone. He was too much of a fig
ure of awe with his gorgeous makeup to
be addressed by the other "spotes' of his
hue on the train. In the car he thumbed a
fresh-looking telegram good deal. The
Star man, who was bound for Alexandria,
was guilty of the rudeness Of looking over
the 'spotes" shoulder The telegram had
g. New Orleans date-a night raessage-aud
it simply bore the names of six horses
with the signature of the sender.
He's a po'tuh on uh Pullman" vouch-
safed the "spote" to the Star man, not
rninding the latter's bad manners in looking
over his shoulder little bit. "An he's uh
baby, yo' heah me! He knows 'em laik he
knows uh blackin' brush. Ans a-gwine
tu1 mex uh comb b'nashun on de hull six
Itll win in uh walk"
SO The Star man concluded to go along
for the purpose of seeing six-horse com
bnation put over the plate.
Writing the Ticket
The man with the makeup of Missis-
sippf river steamboat gambler of ante-bel-
lum days who writes the combination tick
cts was drumming ON his desk with his
pencil when the "spote' walked up to the
counter after having sized up the house
betting on the NeW Orleans races for a
few minutes: THERE wits nothing DOING
at the combination ticket writer's counter
The "spote" produced, his telegram. cleared
his throat, and began; In
"Ah's got de hull six babies" he said
with a grin to the ticket writer. AN Abs
a-sW1ne tub TEX 'dm all tub win. Doan'
want none of 'em seen or t'u'd. Dev's all
tuh come in all alone
Shoot EN- out Said the ticket writer.
The 'spote" named the six horses thai he
..as hiie@ We're e going TO win the New Orleans
races They wereIginpth the order of the
races Elkins, Phidias Can I See FIN
Lady Contrary, Hairpin land Diggs.
me ticket writer Xid His bit of ranid ca1-
SSuia5lns. S,il, with freaueaH glances at the
blackboard to get Ethesprices on the run
ners, and then he looked up at the ..snota,
with grin .....a.cn - "P''e
Huntin' for a hog g-kiliin', amt voua~ ba
ASKED the ST ote. pas' Coin, to put US, out o.
business hes2 rIt-<fisures, a thousand fo
one How much do You want on it?''
Two delluhs, =, replied the 'spote." and
ne handed up the money. The ticket writer
wrote the names of the horses down on the
ucket, placed the figures $50, 600 to s2'' at
the bottom of it and handed the bit of
pasteboard to the "spote'' with the remark: :
You're good thing. Come again.
KIN DO yo hoherin' wen de hosses
run, was the spotes" reply and then he
went to the entreme outer row of seats In
me pool room and sat down to wait for
1900 to accrue to him on an investment Of
First Horse Wins.
Along toward 3 O'clock the betting came
In on the first race at New Orleans The
horse Elkin that the "spote" had in his
combination ticket was the favorite, al
though he had been at a long price in the
house betting. The queer crowd surged up
to the counters to put their money down on
things they liked,'' that figured" all right
IN the dope books: but the "spote' kept
ms seat; his speculation for the day was
over He was simply waiting for his 81
to grow by accretion to $1,000.
Then they were off at New Orleans, as
tne telegrapher announced with a bored
was mile race, and there was nothing to
IT. but Elkin all the way. At the three
quarters, when the telegrapher announced
that Elkin was In the lead by two lengths,
the spote" leaned back in his seat with an
its all over" expression, snapped his fing
ers couple of times for luck, and said:
De baby cake-walks in. Ah'm on right"
'Elkin wins by three lengths" announced
the telegrapher, and the announcement was
received with silence. Pool room crowds
don't play favorites as a rule.
Nah mex Is Fijyus," said the "spote."
gazing at his ticket again, "an" Fijyus he's
got tuh win An feels uh little squinchy
uhbout he all, but Fijyus he'll buck-jump
In"
The betting came in on the second race
a. while later on, and Phidias was at
comparatively long price Several horses
in the race were at much shorter prices.
The "spote' didn't look worried a little
bit over this.
"Fijyus he's dun got tuh win," he said
and that was all there was about 1t.
"Off at New Orleans" announced the
weary-looking telegrapher again. and then
he began to call off the way the race was
being run. 1t looked bad for the 'spote's"
ticket until the telegrapher had carried the
nags along to the three-quarter post, and
then Phidias, who hadn't been anywhere,
got his first cab, joining the bunch Of run
ners as third in front at that stage Of the
journey.
BY . Head.
"Uhlers in the stretch by length" an
nounced the telegrapher. "Phidias second
by length, Liddesdale third and then
the "spote" began to- rrsst for his horse. He
swayed back and fertllin his wicker rock
ing chair, moaning tfGome, yo' Fijyus! Yo'
| a-heah me a-talkin', ihdss-come yo' Fijyus,
or yo doan' git mo- oats-ketch him, yo
baby, an yo' pail tEeattyo' right"
"Phidaas wins, by a headP' announced
oh yo' babyp' sss,,tNressedly exclaimed
the "spote,' his finger swapping, stopping
suddenly and an t1etuPned crescent grin
| spreading over the whole area of his choc-
olate countenance. .-sr m
1t seemed that nsolie Of the lesser
"spotes" must have been riding Phidias
too. for their exultant ''Uh-huhsr' rang
| among the rafters Of the barn-like pool
shot. =. b
'.De mex. on n,aaf 5,plese uh pas'e-boa'd," ]"
said the ''spote," Eansacking through his
pockets sgain for Ills ticket. 'is dain' JUS.
All doan' laik dis yeah hoss Kin All See
'Em, but ah amt ul1-playin' wot All laiks,
| but wot's dun sent tub me, So Kin All See
EN- he's dun got tub win. too
1t was after o'clock by this time, and
| the 4:15 train from Washington had
BROUGHT a. large na,Dahar of "S1lndOWp