The Portland daily press., 1900-10-05
Three Portland Men
Who Make Bets There.
The Odds Now Offered in New
York on the Election.

Considerable money is being 1agered
in Portland on the result OF the national
election on Nov. 9th. The sums wagered
are small IN most Instances, but there are
some men in Portland who have been to
New York OF sent money there to be in
vested on the general election. The
universal opinion seems to be
that Mckinley will be the winner
ana the odds Of two and a
half to one which are being given IN New
York do not tempt many Democratic
betters IN this State. More money viii
be wagered on the results in states than
on the general result. For example there
cannot be many takers in Maine at odds
of eight to one on Mckinley, for everyone
knows that Maine is as sure Of sending
an electoral vote for Mckinley as 1t is to
see snow before the flowers bloom again.
One of the favorite bets about Portland
is that Bryan viii carry the city OF
Greater New York. Odds have been
given here Of seven to five that the Ne
braskan viii have the most votes in that
territory.
Whenever an election of any Importance
comes around there ara at least three we'll
known Portland business men who make
it a point to go to New York to remain a
week and there invest money on the cleo
tion.
Two of these men are staunch Repub-
I IL a..
All three of these men have made one
trip to the metropolis and viii make an
other one about two weeks before elec-
tlon. They carried with them consider
able Portland money, one of them telling
a PRESS reporter yesterday that he had
left So, 900 IN wagers in New York be-
longing to himself and his friends. He
said that he should go to New York again
and would then have more money to
wager.
''The way that bets are made in New
York during these days is interesting, -
said this man to PRESS reporter yes
terday. ''I usually make visit to the
national headquarters Of the Republican
party, and there I usually get some inside
information as to what is going on.
Posted by my friends there I go out to
look for bets. They are easy to find this
year on the results in Greater New York
and in the several states, but not on the
general result, though some money is tc
be found on that, too. go into the hotel
offices OF into the cafes where the sport
ing fraternity and brokers congregate.
These brokers will get you all the money
you want at prevailing odds If you want
to pay them their five per cent for it.
They get five per cent from you and five
from the other fellow, too. This money
is usually deposited with the manager OF
clerk Of the hotel who also rakes OF q
percentage for holding the money, and
who enters the names of the people who
make the wagers and the amounts and
conditions of the bet in a book which
they keep for the purpose. If you should
get a peep at these books which are kept
in some OF the largest hotels you would
see there the names of about all of the
men known in the sporting fraternity,
and many other names you never heard
of, which are the pseudonyms assumed
by men who have national regulations
On every election thousands OF dollars
change hands on the result, and those
whosare in the thick Of the fight, the
Senators, Representatives to Congress,
cabinet officials and others are among the
investors
''As far as am concerned, the amounts
wager I cannot afford to place through
brokers. It reduces the profits too much
I usually wait around until hear some
one say: ''Weu, Bryan is going to carry
New York by 10000" Then I walk Ut
to him and say ''What odds are you Civ
ing?" The man heard say this recently
replied, 81 am not giving odds, but viii
wager S4O0 to $500 that Bryan win carry
New York state. I took this bet ano