Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-30
ON THE LOSERS CAR
Tales of Hard Luck ALI the
Talk.
RACE TRACK VOTARIES
THEY COULD NOT GUESS THE
WINNERS.
An Occasional Winner Arouses Green
Eyed Envy by Destinations Dis
play Of Winnings.
RACE TRACK VOTARIES

ence between the throngs bound for the
Benning races and the crowds returning to
the city from the track few hours later.
On the way out all hands exhibit sort of
subdued, expectant cheerfulness. The men
lean over the seats and talk quietly and
confidentially and with fine air Of mystery
of the good things with regard to which
they alone have contrived to gain "infor-
nation" The women are very much dis
posed to whispering conversation. About
every one Of the women has list. usually
penciled by some exceedingly knowing
racing friend, of the horses that are posi-
lively going to win-'unless they fall
down"-and the confidence of the women in
these picks is SO absolute that they only
smile in a superior way when they hear
around them discussions as to the possible
chances Of other contenders. Hope puts a
glow INTO the countenances of them all
the men ''rooting" for "rubber-banded rolls
Of the velyety yellow boys" the women
Wistfully looking forward to winnings for
warm weather millinery and toggery.
The first trolley cars and the first train
that leave after the races are over inva-
riably carry the largest cargo of gloom, for
they convey back to town the unfortunateS
who. having failed to cash on the final
race of the day, want to leave the track
gate behind them as soon as possible. Many
of those who rush for the first trolley cars
and the first in-train have gone broke"
long before the running of the final event,
and have been subjected to the misery of
seeing their selection" win the last race
without having any financial interest in the
outcome. study of the faces, manners
and talk Of the passengers first to get away
from the track reveals in a pretty con-
vincing way that good losers" are few and
far between. Acrimonious discussions fill
the air above the tumult of the rushing
cars, and reckless accusations of Crook
edness' are heard from many mouths. The
track jargon of the regulars" most of
whom visiting Benning, are from New
York-as anybody with half an ear could
detect from minutes listening to their
talk = predominates in these 'post-mor-
tens on the first in-trains. The Washing
tonians. most Of whom are simply "hoNday
visitors" at the tracks, take their losses
coolly and philosophically. few Of them hav.
ing taken the days outing with any actual
expectation of winning money. But the
waiiings of the regulars are incessant.
Some of the Queries Heard.
How die make out?" is the most fire.
quent query Of the regulars, and on the
early or losers cars the almost inevitable
reply is "Nothin' doin,'' or Spanked for
me wad," or Rolled for the bundle" or
Didn't get in line onct," or Couldn't root
one of 'em into the CON-" or something
equally hopeless.
Explanations as to how they happened to
lose are rife among these depressed ''regu-
lars, most Of whom seem to talk for the
sole sake of getting away from an inward
the afternoon.
me FIR tn Stag dump" disgustedly NUT
tiers fellow with very violent pink
checked shirt Il won't do 1 comes down
t. spread me hull bale on Alma Girl t. cop
tn jumpin' race-see her woik tn other
mornin like a stampeeded rabbit. I sees
Alma Girls name mong tn entries las
night, an l sets me teet' an swears that
she gifts all O. mine t'day. l keeps off all tn
other races. an jes' sets back an waits fr
her. Then I sees that she's % t. 1 In tn
bettin', and l gifts cagey. Nix FIR NINE, 1
says t. meself. They amt nothin' trans
be no . t 1-her people I'D be a-playin'
her. oh, I'm hull lot foxy, yes, no. The
mis'able little snib shoots along then an
wins in a parade at % t IL seen some 80
to l at that-an' me not on. I ought t. be
playin London-bridge-is-fal ling-down FIR
mine, that's what. It's got so that a long
shot lifts me like bat-eared tomcat that's
bein' plugged at wit an air-gun. TIL ponies
has got me noive, that's what ails me-"
His companion doesn't look very sympa-
thetic over this recital, having woes of his
own.
You amt got nothin' on me wen it comes
t bein' dope an a lob he says dismally.
Il win forty-five tn foist race, an then
make a hike t. git away from tn track an
grab a trolley. But git t rubberin' at tn
prices on tn secon ON me way troo tn
bettin' ring-an' that'll be bout all-yes,
two Jumps, please, an some crackers an
Edam cheese. Didn't git near 'nough t.
cashier after that t hit him wit a base ball,
an it's me t. shoot off tn blue signal rock
cts FIR tn supper dough Wen | gifts back t.
town.
Saw Some Crooked Riding.
ION. no." sarcastically calculates sallow
man hanging onto the rear platform Of a
trolley car, they're not running for the
books out there, are they? Oh. no, the
boys that are riding out there are not
practicing with the clubs and dumbbells
SOS they can get away with the strong-arm
last race snatch the favorite right in front
of the judges stand? Just took a-hold Of
him with his right fin and yanked him
around so he swerved within two yards of
the wire, and at that the winner only
stuck out his tongue and COPIED the dough
and those judges and stewards and the
rest of the dummies just a-sitting there and
looking at the job like bunch of paper
weight Josses. Wouldn't it make you need
an Iron tonic? And when a horse wins out
there, they don't give 1t to him. Bon Mot
won the last race from Athelroy by a good
half length was playing Bon Mot, and
ought to know-and they stuck Athelroy's
number up anyway. Never saw anything
SO raw on a race track-if those Judges
didn't play Athelroy, then they played bean
bag, and they might just as well play bean
bag for all the good they do
Plenty of specimens of the man who al
ways misses playing the long shot are
present in the losers cars.
81 got to looking up Mezzo's record" one
Of them says, before the prices went up.
and he looked just about right to me-not
on anything he's done. y'see, but I had a
hunchy feeling about him. WELL I went
put to the lot to think it over, and tossed
up nickel to see whether I'd play Mezzo
or Prancer, the favorite. Prancer won the
toss, and then this Mezzo shoots out and
cops something easy at a price that 'ud
have put me on the Southern exposure side
for the rest of the season. If that nickel
had only come down tails instead Of
heads. I'd be driving a furniture van full
Of money across the Eastern branch bridge
by this time