The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-12-20
REPUBLIC SPECIAL.

Louisville otter an existence OF more than
quarter OF century comes the passing
of the Turf Exchange and its transforma-
tion into Il retail clearinghouse.
For ten years the poolroom business has
been on the decline in Louisville and in
the last five years has degraded into that
form of gambling. where bets az small as
% cents could be placed. Once in awhile
II goOd-sized bet was made. and about four
times year men would com. here to
make killing on good thing to be
run at Sheepshead Bay Oakland or New
Orleans.
As the business declined, public opposi-
ton to 1t increased. and finally the Court
of Appeals decided that the rooms were
a nuisance and could be suppressed. And
so Charley Bollinser. Johnny Fay and
Henry Wehmhoff decided to close the Turf
Exchange.
Bob Gray 3 expected soon 10 discontinue
the Mecca, ard Ed Alvey 20 ccse up the
| Kingston. These two latter poolrooms are
modern. but tie Turf Exchange has Il
long and varied career and is known to
the turf world from Brighton Beach TO
| the Golden Cate.
| The Turf Exchange occup;es "a lot Ill nv
lo, rect on Third street. between Main
ana Market In the antebellum days It
wa. motel and known Walkers Ex-
| cEanEe. 1t was In the heart OF the resi-
| dence portion Of the city IN nose days
| Grant, Lee and Lincoln all wrote their
hinieS on its register.
us pair"om vas the scene of many
coHlhig-out parties. and its cafe the resort
OF many merry aftcr-tneater parties
me great room. glass covered. row used
d a. as1 Det ~, ring wa once conservatory
N 1913 Inc motel was closed and the place
became swell gamblIng-house and pool
room.
ne!e Hourished Major A. NJ. Waddell.
Major Edward Hughes. Joe 7. Burt. Bob
Cathcarf. Major Banks. Dick Watts and
other noted figures in Tie sporting world.
Oniy one Is now alive. joe Burt. tottering
now runs n brokers' office in Louisville.
SELLING; AUCTION POOLS
A. ". r., 49,.
selling pools on the races became famous.
Each ntph. nh. or.r;. 49, -. 90,
crowds assemb,ed tbsr,. t,nr,,, w lya a'
were M, IN nxis.s e., I'm, s ,:s
t:reedsro 49,, a,'.i y, III .noSs uass.
knew not only their own horses nut the |
ability and condition of others.
cr .on ,ast peihg ~ Ehe heart OF the |
country. 1t might be expected that shrewd
men would assemble to make bets on the |
next days races. and the prices at which |
the horses sold in the pooling formed an
day st''e"' 'noeA az 10 the pr'Oaoil't'es next
But this business gradually declined The
patronage fell of. Other men. the race
pooiroom. the original owneTs h havine be-
come rich and retired, clearly seeing the
drift of affairs. There was practically no
overnight betting, and the auction nools
were fictitious. '''
Correspondents for reputable papers
who had nightly telegraphed the pooling
were compiled. refused to handle .be, rp as
they were not genuine and the anciion
pool passed into history. its place beinr
|
set Of gamblers ofrere,i for the tahin, hS
another.
In the old days of the Turf Exchange
some great Sumo rrere won and los, there |
Besides the auction pnols teIemraph re.
ports were received from the tracks. Not
only were there prominent players on
the ground, but many persons over the
money for them. This. too. declined and
of late years there have been few large
bets unless convinced that the man had
money to lose, and no certain hooe of
winning.
FEARED "PIxED" RACES
They reared nxed races and other In
ventions Of the turf Of the present day.
Once I'm a while In the mast few wears
"kilIinss.. have heen made h,+ tho, hive
neeh conpaIauveiy small, though the
anxious 10 poIster up totter-
aRserate she am Mon a wsass ga nd 70 e4
Re eau the business in has been confined
The heoas ae tho ,noi-oo,,.. conference ,,s, =.
bayd hafnre VI occe,,,nu ~, W vas Usual ,s,n;,
as go IN The aid do. * coz u as n .,s,,
IiO ca uo,,id he acce,steS u,i,p",,, anu ,e,,eh
as Tho he ring 81 On we and n sv nA i,sr
,S chaarSmi,,. r. tho Horse ,.",, on" pau Ju'.
Many thea tricsi men wer FL ,,n,r, Tho
"a frnns ~ the nnoirnon,s T., ,,a III ,. ,ue
Sat Goodwin never came ~ 7 I H"
hat he did not snend his ar,ernoons thepe
Iniess Ne had MATINEE And mil ten
;ears ago he might have been Tonnd after
niini9ht M the fpro Ievont IN The ronms
nstafra R,fIs Hint tia fannns oems
Ter NJ New Orleans WOW and Lost sssr~e
sums of money there ana an aid :.Ri,iv..
Villa n,son NJ Mobile 10Th ~ rhor, ,,aS.
rea,sent trips to inS,isviiie u "A''i i''"ue
Speakins of corhe,t and ss,,,,y,, re-
aIjs SuIiivan's io,Irnev +o New Orleons for
hat eventfui battle eleven Years ago Sui
wan STONED in Iouisvi,,a for severai dsv.
md won in the Turf ExchanSe in excess Of
3 Goo. That was about ths only time he
Yer won. and r. seemed 10 nrnu,e
'iona M IN him FOR he jo.+ al, ho ND
ION and more nben no wan, dnwn hofnre
he unknown Corbett st he Crescert r.ity
few days later. VIC
Stories are told or ,,,,I;or, u,o, and ,os,
- WIZ 1L.. i"He