The sun., 1903-09-27

Even when they hear the folks around
them shouting that their horse IL well in
the lead they can't turn their heads in
the direction OF the race. Only when their
morse has crossed the line In front do they
heave a nervous sigh and say something
hoarse about having knowed that that
,un 'ud win all the time but II their horse
loses they even decline to look at the finish
night in front Of them, but bend their gaze
upon their programmes and begin. to dope
out the next race.
Plenty OF men, fellows who bet good
money, too, on their picks, not only re-
fuse to watch the races in which they have
bets down, but actually remain under the
shelter Of the betting shed while the races
are on. While the horses are at the post
these nervous individuals and eccentric
rooters remain in the deserted betting
shed. whence even the sheetwriters and
cashiers have fed to watch the outcome
from their high stools. and bite their nails
or tug at their mustaohes. while the mob
on the stand and the swaying crowd on
the lawn are roaring themselves hoarse
over the shifting position of the horses.
WHO wins? they inquire weakly
and with an effort. because their tongues
are parched. Of the sourrying sheetwriters
and cashiers. the 6rst of the crowdto hustle
back to the betting ring after the race,
and when they are told they look pleased
or solemn. according to the way the in
formation suits them and fits their book.
Some OF them linger at the bar while
the races are being run, not especially
because they want to drink, but SO as to
give themselves a sort Of excuse for not
Watching the running of the races.
The horses were speeding into the
stretch during the sixth race last Saturday
afternoon when q fat faced chap who
strain, spite of his obvious efforts to keep
himself in. strolled up to the Gravesend
bar. tossed nickel alongside one Of the
beer kegs, and said to the barkeep:
Give us q beer.
just then there was q final deafening
shout from the stand above, and the van
guard Of the hurrying bookmakers' en-
ployees skated into the ring.
Who gets it, boz the. fat-faced fellow
called after one Of them.
Irene Lindsay, In ghost dance. was
the reply Of the h,istGng booknaleT' u
man. as he bounded toward his stool.
"The fat jowled chap gasped in a re-
lieved sort Of way, grinned chalkily and
moistened his lips.
Say, Bud he remarked to the bar
keep, who was about to draw him the crock
Of plebeian suds, switch. Y'can make that
q quart O wine
at wasn't hard to dope it out that that
underneath the grandstand racegoer had
landed on the winner.
Another nervous bunch Of eccentric root
ers are the people that we call the riders
Thovy Aov n int inth frop ho
beginning Of the race to the end Of it, but
they just sit in the grand st and and ride their
picks for all they're worth, clucking and
git-apping and launching back and forth
in their seats just as II they were on the
back OF the horse they want to see win.
when their horse hooks it up for close
finish with one Of the contending leaders.
they almost nudge themselves out Of their
seats, they're so busy trying to lift their
horse home, jockey-wise. and there's not q
doubt in life that these people actually
imagine that their seat riding helps their
horse home. They look pretty nearly -
exhausted as the jocks themselves by the
time the horses flash past the stand. and they
never give up riding their picks until the
jump beyond the wire.
Hundreds OF the rooters, even the shout
ing kind. involuntarily turn their heads
away from the picture when two OF the
leading horses approach tho wire neck and
neck for a nose finish. They can't stand
the heart break Of the track view when their
horse is in such a tight place and stands
such chance Of being licked by the other
one, and they only refix their gaze upon the
track when the number men are putting
up the numbers giving the winners.
"A woman Of this type gave an ecstatio
shrek, after having been absolutely silent
saw the board Of the winner in the hands of
the number man after an important two
year-old race recently.
Sixteen! she almost walled in her
happiness. Then win!
1T amt sixteen. lady, said man along
side OF her It's six.
a'Oh' she sighed. and it was about as
heard on a race track lately.
Just at that instant the number man
dropped the board with the figure 8, and
slapped into place. at the top, the board
with the figure l6 that his assistant handed
to him. The nervous woman had already
given it up, and resumed consideration Of
her PTosF;amme s;.isen. after all. m,,am said the
man beside her. They made mistake
number 8 runs second
"She let out another Oh but it was the
last word that she spoke on the stand
that afternoon, for she tainted as soon
as she got it out. and the women got
around ner ana n6lpNO ner 10 tI0 TetlTlnR
room The e-got-it-and-now-1-
haven't strain had been too much for her
endurance In her overstrained condition.
Then there's the bunch Of quiet and timid
rooters who, lacking the courage to watch
the outcome OF the races themselves. gather
around the bookmakers' stools on the lawn
for the purpose Of listening to the bookies'
comments while the races are in progress
The layers stand on their stools with their
field glasses glued to their eyes, and they are
such experienced men at the game that
most Of them can tell which horse is going
to cop by the time the field reaches the
stretch.
4There's one bookmaker. in particular.
whom have never heard fail to call the
winner by the time the horses reached the
stretch, no matter how far behind the horse
named by him might be at that stage Of the
Journey. The bookie has genius for tell
ing by the way the leaders and the horses
in the second division are going which OF
them has got the most left for the final
dash for the wire, and there is always
mob Of the nervelees ones huddled around
the leps Of his stool when tho races are being
run.
-The timid ones count on thus knowing
with something almost approaching GER
tainty the name Of the winner long before
the horses swirl past the field stand. When
this particular bookmaker claps his field
glasses into their case, as he always does
when the horses reach the head Of the
stretch and turn into it, he says in short.
ierky way, 'So-and-So wins, no matter
II the horse he names is way behind in the
ho uro nd at nd -rowJ