The Washington times., 1902-09-28
MANY BIG PLUNGERS
ON TURF THIS SEASON
More Men Have Wagered Large Sums Than Ever
Before in History Of Horse Racing in America

One OF the most notable features O.
the racing season this year has been the
large number of plungers developed
Not in the history of the sport have
there been so many men who wageret
flarge sums of money upon the results Of
the horse races. The strange part of /,
is that many of them have been re-
markedly successful.
1t is pretty safe to assert that nc
class of gambleH-or spectators, II
you prefer-is as common as the race
horse bettor. Men and women alike
grown persons and youths, all seem
possessed with the desire to bet when
they go on to a race course. The spec
ulation germ seems to be in the air II
makes no difference. either, whether
the spectator of horse race wagers
50 or $1,000, he is just as much inter-
ested in the outcome of race. Indeed,
it is pretty sure to be the case on a
race track that the person who makes
the most noise has made the smallest
bet.
Men like John A. Drake, Davy John
son, "Pittsburg Phil" Dave Gideon,
and others who make it their business
to bet, scarcely move muscle during
the running of race, even though the
finish be so close that it sets the blood
of the spectator jumping through his
veins.
Men on a race track will wager their
last dollar with the utmost unconcern.
1t makes no difference to the race fol-
lower whether he has enough money to
buy food or not If he possesses but
one dollar and there is race to bet on
he will wager the dollar. even II he has
to go hungry The speculative fever
that seizes one on a race track seems
to be form of temporary insanity. 1t
attacks everybody. The affiuent and the
needy are alike its victims.
Like Craving for Favorite Dish.
Men like Drake and Gates and Whit
ney and Belmont do not bet on the
horses merely for the sake of winning
money; they bet in order to satisfy a
longing. It's like the craving for a fa-
vorite dish when one is ravenously hun
CRY; or the desire Of the dope fiend
for his pill.
Many persons who attend the races
and who bet on the horses, who have
limited amount of cash, often wonder
why they do not have the luck wealthy
men have. The answer is easy. Men
with money can afford to make large
wagers on horses at short prices; they
can afford to bet on them all three ways
and thus protect the money invested.
They have the capital to recoup pre-
vious losses; while the man with him
tied means is down and out, helpless,
when his supply of ready money is ex-
hausted. Then, too, the bettor with a
chance to make money quickly. He does
not like to take even money or less:
the profit seems too small. Wealthy
men are content to realize fair per
cent on their money invested, even on
race track. Their excitement is not
allowed to run away with their good
business sense; and 1t is for this rea
son that the men who don't need the
are always more successful than
those who do.
List of Plungers Is Long.
The list of plungers this year Is a
long one. Fortunes have on several oc-
casions changed hands in less than a
minute and half. Men who started In
the season with small bets became in
toxicated with their early gains. and
developed into plungers of
the first rank.
Such person is George Langdon. bet
ter known as Whitley" ,Langdon be-
gan the year with a shoestring. He is
now the possessor of some $4,000.
OF the old guard of plungers. John A.
Drake is easily the first in point of win
nings. He is said to be more han $780,, |
900 winner since the season began. Sena
tor P H. McCarren, the Brooklyn poll
tician, leads all the Eastern plungers.
with a total of nearly 100000 to his
:redit. John w. Gates Is close up with
4 profit of s150.000.
At Sheepshead Bay Drake more than
made up for his losses at Saratoga. At
he Spa fortune side-stepped him for a
lime and he lost about 100000. His
lorses were all out OF form and lost
repeatedly, and as he always bets on
lis own horses whenever they appear
o have the slightest chance, he lost S.
,er cent of his wagers. At Sheepshead
Bay Drake cleaned up 100000 on his
'olt Savable in the Futurity, and his
riend Gates won 100000. Since then
!e has won nearly all Of his bets-.all