The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-09-04
TWO VIEWS OF A PLUNGER.
ONE IN A PAWNSHOP, THE OTHER
~ AN AUTOMOBILE.
Story OF an Alligator bag Bought From
Man Hard Up I'm San FranciscO-A
Sequel on the Racetrack Mt Sleeps
: head Day-Tfp OF Grateful Man.


Sequel on the Racetrack Mt Sleeps
l. head Bay-Tfp OF Grateful Man
I've heard lot about the ups anddown
OF the regulars who make business of fol
| lowing the horses" said jewelry sales
| man whose territory embraces the Pacif
| Coast, but / never had such a close, first
hand view as had at San Francisco NOR
than year ago and at Sheepshead Bay onl,
! the other day.
| The story had its beginning at San Fran
cisco year ago last March. One rainy
! gloomy evening during the month dropped
| into Kearney street pawnshop to price
some valises that were displayed In the
window.
Il was looking over the stock when tai
| chap who looked considerably up against
1t came into the pawnshop. Despite the
raw weather, he wore no overcoat, and his
clothes looked shabby and thin for the sea.
son. His collar was frayed and his cravat
appeared to have had lot>of wear.
He needed a shave badly. His shoes
were broken at the sides He was a good
looking, well built man; but he had gaunt
underfed appearance. and there was a
certain desperate cast in his eye that at
traoted my attention as soon as he entered
the pawnshop.
But the fact about him that chiefly
attracted my eye was that he carried a
very fine Gladstone alligator bag-just
the article that l was looking for. 1t had
hardly been used at all. as | could easily
see, and l judged II to be worth at
least $50.
When its owner placed it on the pawn
shop counter was surprised to observe
nm ma If tKN.. \
was tidily stamped set of initials, three
initials.
ri take ten on that said the gaunt
chap TO the pawnbroker.
THE pawnbroker shook bis head with the
aggravatlng smile OF some men who follow
his business
Five he said. That's all we ever loan
on valises.'
Just look this one over said the man
WITHOUT an overcoat, and see if it calls for
."oh, can see that it's good bag, all
right said the pawnbroker, but we can't
get anything for bags. They're drug,
like fiddles. Besides. your initials are
stamped on it. That spoils it for me- The
and there's no erasing stencilled letters.
Five is all
THE man with the bag looked for a
moment as If he would have liked to jump
over the counter and grab the pawnbroker
by the throat. But he swallowed gulp
or two OF pretty visible wrath, and could
self
He was perhaps thinking of the big
amount OF interest money he had paid out
to pawnbrokers in his time and it made
him sore. But, as say, he kept his anger
broker to little talk
1t was as good talk OF that sort as !
ever heard-the talk of an educated man
pretty nigh down and out.
He had been with the horses In San
Francisco all winter, 1t seemed. The horses
body who stays with EN- long enough.
He wanted to get East for the beginning
OF the Eastern racing season. But he was
all in, and he needed front to enable him
to go out and get the price of the ride over
the mountains to the Atlantic seaboard.
de couldn't do much with Q five spot. !
But with ten dollar note he could go
down the bay and get enough tog stun /
@ put up some kind Of an exterior.
That was the way it stood with him. !
was no manner Of doubt
as to that. Would the pawnbroker let him |
have the sawbuck?
No, the pawnbroker wouldn't.
There's no use in talking about it,
'aid the ,three-balls dealer. I'm staked
listened to all or half of EN- I'd have to
90 out of business. Five for the grip, and
no more
The gaunt man with the grip picked
Z Upland he was pretty ashy about the
MOUTH too-and walked out without another
word. ] followed him out. That grip
ne was carrying seemed to have been made
o order for me, initials and all, and, be-
sides that, wasn't unwilling to help the
nan i he cared to be helped my way.
III give you $50 outright for that bag
said to him, hating him in the misty
lrizzle
He turned around and looked me over
or a minute, and then he passed over
he bag.
AN right pal, he said,' and thanks
Il handed him over a twenty-dollar bill
lie took the money with a nod and dis
around corner. ] carried the
'ag to my hotel and have been enjoy
ne the use of 1t ever since.
w ell, at Sheepshead Bay the other after
oon i was being pushed and hauled down
he line of bookmakers, helplessly try |
lg to get a peek at the prices against the
orses in the Twin City Handicap 30 as
D get a little piking holiday bet down,
hen tall chap. dressed to the Mines
robably the most tastefully dressed man
n the grounds-swung through the crowd
nd began to bet $500 at clip with every
ookmaker he could reach on the horse
The bookmakers accepted his bets with
ut the MONEY! he had merely to hold \
D his fingers to indicate the amount he
anted to bet, and the sheet writers capped
le figures down without the interchange
any money-the method, in short, where
Y only the recognized plungers make
leir bets
Il recognized the tall man instantly as g
e fellow from whom i had bought the a
ladstone bag in the drizzle outside the ,
IN Francisco pawnshop year and d
III ago ,
: As he strobe by me l Couldn't refrain
ON giving him a bit of nudge and Y
ying to him:
Useful and ornamental travelling ar I
lie, that bag Of yours i
a puzzled sort Of way, and then his face a
reaI into smile and he held out his "
nd v
Why, you're the decent chap that passed I,
the twenty for that grip out in frisco n
emit your he said. That was the biggest h
enty l ever saw before or since. I've ;,
yer known broke minute since Won
ssed it over, and with good uatured nod c.
swung down along the line of book
ikers.
After he had got some distance away II
viewer he hurried back to where / was e,
lnding. He bent close to me, and said Al
a matter of fact tone: A.
Caughnawaga's people think a lot OF O
n for this race-if you're playing them. | h
At is and he was away again. ~
NIX VIC ra., t,,, Il ~