Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-09
WHEN WOMEN WAGER

Even dsgruntled. hard-losing men on
racetrack grand stand are fain to acknowl-
edge that most OF the women's complaints
/, as to the bookmakers' runners or commits
sioners in the grand stand are unreasonable.
The grand stand commissioners. 1t Is true
| enough. do occasionally shave" the prices.
but not so often as they are accused OF
| doing 1t by their women patrons. And one
has only to watch the operations OF the
| grand stand runners during an afternoon to
! become convinced that they are really the
most patient and self-contained unfortu-
mates on earth. The extraordinary difficult
| ties under which they work are bound to be-
| come manifest to any fair-minded person,
even to such are looking for opportunities
| to kick or to knock" In the first place,
not one woman in ten 'piking,' as they
1 call 1t, on a race track grand stand and
| making bets with the runners. has the faint
| est idea of prices
| What's the price against Paul Clifford
! your" said woman in the Benning stand
the other afternoon, addressing hurried
runner.
! Hes a / to shot, lady" replied the
Well I'll bet you dollar on Paul Cliff
ford. then" said the woman, trying to hand
the man frazzled 81 bill
But 1 can't take that, lady; the horse Is
| l to shot," explained the runner, pa
| tiently.
| Cant take It? I'd just like to know why
| Clifford wins then win So. don't 1. If bet
| doilar?'
mo. lady," said the runner, hopping his
| brow. Paul Clifford Is at odds on, you
| see. You'd have to put up s. to win 81, see?
He's topheavy favorite, you know, and
not 3-to-1 shot, as you have it,"
What! Put UP three dollars to win one?'
exclaimed the woman, decidedly miffed.
why. should just like to see myself! The
| impudence! Did you ever in your born
days! Three dollars to win one little meas
ley dollar!' And she capped her 81 bill
| back into her handbag and looked daggers
| at the runner, who made haste to get away.
1t seems to be a matter of enormous diff
| fculty for a woman to understand that the
| prices on tap against the horses in a race
are constantly shifting. They seem to be-
| come possessed with the notion that the
horses price, once made. is bound to re-
| main fixed and stationary, and the runners
| are never through with their troubles in
| trying to convince the women to the con-
trary.
Why" wrathily remarked woman
when the horses in a maiden race were on
| their way to the post, she aimed an ac-
| cusatory finger at a grand-stand commits
| sioner, you only gave me 5, 2 and even
| against Gen. Steward, and this ladys hus-
| band, who has just returned from the bet
| ting ring, tells me that Gen. Steward is
now r. 5 and 2"
| THAT may well be. lady" replied the
runner. I'm fact, know it Is the case.
saw even good as 10. and against
| General Steward, just before came up this
time But you took the short price, being
eager to get the early betting, and can't
| help that, can I?'
But if General Stewards price is now
| three times what you gave me, how can
| you call that right?" demanded the wo-
| man.
| well" the runner attempted to explain
| the man I'm working for won't change it
| for me, you know, lady. I can't hustle
| down there and tell him that there's a
! lady in the stand who put dollar each
| way on General Steward when the price
! was 8. and even, and say that now that
| the price has gone up to 10, and she
| wants the bet changed on the sheet so that
| she'll get the benefit of the closing Odds
He'd fire me in minute if 1 made any
such crazy proposition. The prices against
| race horses are changing all the time lady
you ought to understand that If you had
waited until the closing betting you'd have
got 10. U and against your horse. I'll give
| 1t to you. now, for another bet, for the
matter of that, If you want it."
Deed I'm not going to bet any more
why the idea! snapped the woman. Three
| dollars is plenty to bet on one race Just
you change my program, understand so
that the price will be 10. 6 and 3D.
| And If General Steward wins I'd have
to make up the extra SIG out of my own
| pocket cans see that lady," patiently re-
piled the runner
II don't care whose pocket it comes out
| or. petuiantly exclaimed the woman. 80
The runner quietly took her program
from her at this point, and deliberately
| crossed of the 5. and even bet on Cen
eral steward. Then he erased the bet
| from his own book and handed the woman
| back her 49,
I'm sorry you're not satisfied. but well
Just cali it or" said the commissioner.
And he hurried on his way while the
woman glared after him.
| When General Steward walked in" as
the railoirds say, that womans face was
study. and every time the runner passed
| anywhere near where she sat during the
remainder of the afternoon she addressed
| some snarling remark to her companion
that was intended for the runners ears
| NO matter how Obligingly the grand
! stand commissioner yields to the sugge9-
| lions or the imperative demands of his
women patrons, he is generally bound to
come in for an aftermath of trouble.
Whats Early Ewes price now?" in
quired an elderly woman Of one of the
most patient runners on the Benning
There's little to 5. but it's mostly
to against that mare. lady," replied the
| know"
We'll, now, listen.' said the woman. per-
suasively. 'ff you'll give me to against
Early Eve, why. I'll bet you $40 on her."
as If she would thus be doing the runner
and his employing bookmaker an enormous
| closing price.
'Oh. WELL can't get 1t down in the book,
but I'll take a chance and lay the price
myself. lady. to oblige you." said the rum
nef. And he marked her program opposite
Larry Ewes name. IS to So"
Early Eve was so far from being a GER
tainty that she was beaten off in the race,
running a dsgraceful third
That's what call the meanest kind of
| cheating!' snapped the elderly woman, who
| had got all the best OF the price. to the rum
| ner when he appeared in the stand to pay
Oft the women who had bet on the winner
You knew perfectly well all the time that
| Early Eve wasn't going to win and that's
why you were willing. why you just fell
over yourself, in fact. to give me 1 to 9
| against her. never heard of such cheat
ing in all my born days. deed didn't!'
| niech rcp3vp