The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-07-25
STORIES OF BETTING.
English Hotel Guests Tell How They
Played the Races.

st. Louis travelling men cleaned up
Wednesday on the victory OF West Baden
in the first race at st. Louis. In front of
the Hotel English last night group of
drumElers were talking about the race, and
one of them said: 1T was a sure enough
good thing. A wise friend of mine told
me before I left st. Louis that he would
probably have the hottest kind of tip to
send me one day this week, and Wednesday
1 got a telegram from him which ran like
this: Go to the limit on West Baden to
win this afternoon 1 took the tip and
went to the poolroom here and saw that
West Baden was in the first race. His
price was six, two and one; that is, to l
to win, to l to win for the place and even
money to show. L am not a sport, so did
not plunge very heavily on the race. put
ten on the horse to win and protected my
self by putting another ten on him to show.
L noticed that almost everybody was get
ting West Baden tickets There was a rush
to get on the good thing. The tip had got
out somehow and everybody was fighting
to get piece of it, When the race was
called ii seemed to me that nine out of
every ten men in the poolroom held tickets
on West Baden. The horse won, and won
easy, and so the good thing went through.
1 understand that the proprietor of the
alone.
Il had a good thing not long ago. said
another in mournful tones, but could not
put ii over. l know an operator mere VINO
gets a redhot tip now and then, and when
/ was here several weeks ago he came to
me and said: Put every dollar you can
rake and scrape on Matin Bell at Washing
ton Park The wires are humming with the
glad tidngs. The race is as good as won
and there's nothing to II but Matln Bell.
Well | was flush and l went down here to
he nnlr a M
Matin Bells price. She was In bunch
of dogs l saw and really figured TO have
a. splendid chance anyway. The wire
separated myself from $50. 1 put it all on
the colt to win and did not even try for
show money. Before the second betting
wire which went. 'Matin Bell is now to l,
and L began TO think that 1 was surely
there with both feet. l could feel the $3.50
of easy money that l was 10 nave. After
a bit the operator called: There they go at
Washington Park. Matin Bell got off in
the lead, so-and-so second, so-and-so third.
A few seconds later he drawled: 'Matin
kept feeling better all the time. 1t was
Matin Bell at the half by two lengths,
Matin Bell at the three-quarters by three
lengths Matin Bell at the mile by four
lengths and Matin Bell IN the stretch by
five lengths. My friend the operator was
sitting behind the betting Enclosure listen
ing to the ticking of the wire, and as the
last message indicating the winner came in
his Jaw dropped five inches and my heart
sank like lead a skate called Learoyd, at
40 to l. slipped in and got the money and
Matin Bell blew up somewhere between the
back stretch and the wire 1t was tough
after the lead / got.
When you play the ponies" said another
travelling man, You can look for anything
The most astounding bits of bad and good
fortune happen constantly. a month ago
| had a bet on Crimean, who was in field
of good sprinters at st. Louis A fast one
by the name of Frank Bell got away in the
lead, with Mickey D. second. The two sim
plv ran away from the bunch and | saw my
Crimean money burned up. When the
stretch was reached Mickey D. was a
length ahead of Frank Bell and Crimean
was ten lengths away. seemingly hopeless
w beaten. / turned to leave the room just
as the operator called the winner. The
first syllable was such a joyful shock my
heart stopped beating. 'Crimean wins!' he
called He won easy by two lengths The
whole thing was that the other two stopped
like cart horses and Crimean came away
and won as he pleased"