The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-11-08
TOUTING Is STRONG.
Cnppers and Hangers-on at the
state Fair Race Track.

Cnppers and Hangers-on at the
state Fair Race Track.
There is a string of touts at the Fair
grounds as long as the track. They
are a busy crowd, too, but they struck
frost in their attempts to put the
sports next to good things. They sue
ceeded now and then, but they agreed
among themselves that it was a pretty
stiff proposition they were UP against.
Though there have not been many race
meetings in Savannah, yet the men
who like the sport are wise enough to
know what a tout is and that his pre-
dictions are as valuable as ten dollar
bill thrown in the river.
OF course there are some horsemen
who know a good deal about what
horse is likely to win a race. There
are even some among the touts who
have a pretty fair idea about it. The
best tips that can be obtained are from
the owners, but they don't always
know. What they do, they are not
telling about it. 1t is when a good
thing is pretty plain to them that they
give it away to a friend, who has to
keep it pretty dark. When man has
a really good thing and wants to back
it himself pretty strong, he doesn't
want to go round proclaiming 1t from
the housetops, because that means odds
will be lowered and that he can't place
as good bets.
The touts are a sorry lot. They are
hangers-on and respectable owners
don't have anything to do with them.
They are out for it in any way it Of
fers. and they keep hammering away
at first one and then another of the
men about the betting ring until they
find a mark. They part him from
some of his wad by making him go
up against dead one, telling him that
he can't lose, that the horse he bets
on has a cinch and hundred and one
other things that there isn't much
chance of ever happening.
It's when touts are working for a
purpose that they boost horses along
that they know have no chance. They
figure it thai a man will think tsat
the horse must have some show. or aiv
owner would never have entered him,
knowing that the average man does
not have it occur to him that some
times good thing can be made cut
of making an entry that is never in
tended to win.
Sometimes the touting is done with
the hope that some chan will put up
tenner on a horse that will win out
w
he will remember the man that put
him next. If tout can steer four
or five unsuspicious creatures up
against the bookies, getting each to
back different horse, he stands to get
a rake-off, hoover wins. It's sure
thing for him if there are no more
horses in the race than he gets backed,
and a few honest dollars cen be picked
up by a smooth article in this way.
Not a man, unless it was one who
looked too wise, failed to get a pass
made at him around tile betting ring.
The timehonered and very transpar-
ent methods were followed, and some
times with success. One would feel a
nudge at his elbow, glance around see
an eager face that had all the charac-
teristics of the hanger-on and CRATER
written upon it, and hear a
question about some chap having
bet on a horse, the questioner be-
ing in very evident anxiety to
know what the other had backed to
win. He would put up some sort of
talk about the other chap being very
friendly with one of the owners and
very wise. which meant that he. could