The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-04
BETS THAT ARE ELUSIVE
Astonishing Amount of Republican
Money Failing to Talk.
The Reformed Bookmnker Tells of
the Panic of the Buffers When
Their Offers Are Taken-A "ShOe-
string' the Only Necessity for n
Successful Career ms Sport.

Said the retired bookmaker as he
watched the fluctuations of Sugar and To-
bacco in his favorite bucketshop the other
day:
Money talks in the betting world. but
talk does not always win money. The
difference between talk and the hard cash
has been illustrated during the past
month in Washington in a remarkable
way. The gentlemen who offer to wager
large sums on their Presidential candi-
date or on their favorite State and who
may be outbluffed with 'shoestriug' is
probably greater in this campaign than
ever before In the history of the Republic.
They stand on every corner, and they
hang over every bar in town. The hotel
Hobbies are full of them and the brokers'
offices resound with their generous voices.
The flash of their wads is seldom seen,
however.
THE people that are hunting for bets
in this campaign are the Republicans.
They are keen on the chase. Their ardor
is wonderful. 1t reminds me Of the COM
motion that occurs when some one says
Dennis Mullany's on newspaper row. Five
to one on McKinley's election is an every
day occurrence. Ten to one is frequent.
The reaction is frightful when Demo-
crat comes along and offers to take these
wagers up. 1t is worse than when man
says Lets have one-on you
These people will allow Bryan 112 cleo
toral votes and some are so generous as
to say that few more are doubtful. Be-
yond that none of them will go. New
York. Illinois, Indiana, Ohio New Jersey,
and Delaware are simply out of the ques-
ton. There is no use talking about them.
The Mckinley majority in New York will
be $4,000. In Illinois it will be 100, 600,
and in Ohio $4,000. The Democrats have
very little chance OF getting Maryland or
West Virginia, Kentucky. or Nebraska.
They are all practical certainty for the
Republicans. 1t is almost an insult to
talk to them OF anything less than 300
votes for Mckinley. AS for bets they will
back any proposition that it comes into
their heads to make. 1t makes no particu-
lar difference. They are all SO certain.
Now just advise you to flash a s. bill
in the midst of these buffers 1t won't
cost you anything, and it will be good
fun. There are Few things SO funny to
ME as the man who offers to bet to 1
that Mckinley will get 300 electoral
votes and then has to meet friend in
an awful hurry when you offer to take
him up and make the odds the other way.
THE average odds in this clique on the
general result is about 10 to /. The state
ment is made that the chances are ac-
tually 100 to 1, but that it would not pay
to keep your money up SO long for SO
small winning. 1t is no trouble TO
call the 10 to l offer either, however. The
man who makes 1t is quite as far from
putting up the money as he is the 100 to
!. Three times out of four If you force
this fellow he will finally be willing to bet
a very small sum even, and will consider
the giving or taking of odds ungentle-
manly
AS matter of fact there Is very lictle
betting in Washington this time, and none
of the kind that the New York papers tell
about In the brokers' Offices few thou
sand dollars has been staked aud some-.of