Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1900-04-15

cases the SenderS were Sucn aDSOiute
strangers. Those who come to me per-
sonally generally have an introduction
or are guaranteed all right by some
responsible friend To accept money
from absolute strangers is rather a
risky business, without any protection
for myself AS / grow in wisdom, l
become more careful than ever with
strangers.
Old Days.
In the old days I've stood around the
ring sides on the turf where men
would bet all kinds of money, on first
blood, first knock down, the number
of rounds and the finish. I've often
taken the most terrible chances with a
rough crowd of crooks and thugs, who
followed the old bare-knuckle fights
for the purpose of robbery, but with
all the money that I've held on these
London rule battlefields, I've never
had a dollar go astray.
A Shareholders position in these
times is quite comfortable compared
to what it was at early sunrise in
some backwoods with the toughest
mob possible surrounding you, armed
to the teeth and ready and anxious at
any moment to start riot for the pur-
pose of plundering the respectable
sporting men at the ringside.
I've been in many tight spot with
the hard mobs, but no man can say
they did not get every cent they won,
no matter how tough the mob was.
In those days the betters generally
did all their business at the ringside.
Thou n how thoir on
looked stripped for action, and often
all my pockets have bulged out with
rolls of the long green, but the crooks
never got me. I wouldn't go through
the same experience again. for I'm an
older and l think a little bit wiser
man to-day.
During the Presidential and other
important elections l hold a great
deal of money from all kinds of bust
ness, professional and sporting people.
They come to me with all kinds of big,
little and the oldest kind of wagers.
Hard Work.
Some I hold, but more often l re-
fuse them, for the position of stake
holder is not the happiest one in the
world. Some chaps will often give
you long arguments and dispute re-
suits, especially if they are not in the
habit of betting. I've had consider
able trouble in my time with the novice
bettor who does not properly under
stand the game. but never a lawsuit
or any wrangle that could not be set
tied by common sense explanation.
These election bettors are wild, mix
ed crowd. and will give a stakeholder
more bother than the thoroughbred
sport who bets on a fight or a horse
race.
OF course you'll meet some dead
game betting men among those outside
of the sporting circles. but they are
few and far between. I've got so used
to the business that | can generally
size a man up as soon as he talks or
puts up his money. If he acts like
crawler or a wrangler l simply refuse
to hold his money.
This holding of other peoples money
is no happy dream. There are always
lot of little petty complications and
details arising which give the stake
holder more or less trouble; besides, |
never made cent out of holding
stakes or bets in my life, although I've
been held responsible for millions Of
dollars. Suppose some of the money
deposited with me was lost or stolen,
why, | would have to make it good,
What protection have | got in return?
None whatever. Banks have failed
sometimes to pay, but | have been for
tunate enough to have always been
able to pay back the full amount in
trusted to my keeping for the past
thirty years or more, and | hope to
finish my career as a stakeholder in
the same upright manner, although
I'm not anxious at any time to hold
other peoples money; for, indeed it's
a thankless job at the best.