The sun., 1904-08-28
CATSKILL HORSERACES.
Entertainment or . Novel Kind Devised
This Summer In tho Mountains.

Entertainment or Q Novel KIND Deviseu
This Summer In the Mountains.
In the Catskills this season has appeared
o new game called horseracing. The
jockeys are women.
First a jockey club is formed by the men,
who proceed to select stewards and other
officers. No handicapper Is needed, be-
cause no handicap is given to the racers.
A starter is necessary, as well as judges,
timekeeeper and scorers.
Having elected officers the jockey club
receives applications for the privilege Of
making books Each bookmaker pays 25
cents for the privilege. The jockey club
racehorses to make six starters in six races
and is then ready for the applications Of the
jockeys. Each jockey draws from hat
the name Of the horse she is to ride.
Two days or less before the races each
bookmaker posts his odds on the horses
and future betting is done. The jockey
club provides each bookmaker with the
money he Is likely to need and prepares a
lot which Is placed In the hands Of the clerk
to sell to the sports who wish to make wagers
on their favorites.
The money for the betting is made Of
paper and is sold to the bettors at Is cents
per 500. The jockey club also buys six
pairs Of scissors for about 10 cents a pair.
On the day Of the race six pieces Of mus
twenty feet long are fastened about three
feet apart to frames at each end and drawn
taut. Three feet from one end bit of red
twine is drawn across the muslin strips.
This Is the post from which the start Is
made.
boxes or any other thing that will elevate
them, display THAR states with their prices
written thereon. Plenty of time is given
to the bettors to purchase coin of the realm
and to place 1t on their fsvorites. With the
starter at one end Of the lines OF tape and
all being ready, the jockeys take their
Back of the starting line each Jockey
cuts with her scissors into the middle Of the
particular line Of tape at which she has
been placed by lot and waits the word to
start. Each jockey Is to cut through the
middle Of the tape with her scissors from
the start to the finish without running Oh.
II her scissors leave the tape she is dis
qualified and so cannot win.
There are few simple games which give
so much excitement, either In the prelfmi-
Men, to support their daughters, sisters,
wives or sweethearts, will buy money freely
and bet fabulous sums Of paper. Each bettor
is allowed to root for his choice.
The more excitement there is the better,
for the jockeys are sure to become excited
and make all manner of breaks in their
efforts to reach the finish first. One jockey
got 20 ratified that she turned right around
and cut for the start instead of for the finish
after she was more than half way over the
course and was leading by several feet.
With the dues collected from the members
OF the jockey club and the money taken
by the bookmakers in the future betting, II
necessary, prizes are purchased for presen-
tation to the first three jockeys to finish in
each race. From what remains after the
races are over the members of the club are
reimbursed, thus making their expenditures
the same as those Of the other men-just
what they have paid for money to bet on
their choices In the race.
The game is capable Of variations. Of
course, and sonnet lines it Is played with only
thirty entries, the last race being between
the winners OF the other five. This Is cheaper,
since il necessitates the purchase OF only
three prizes, the losers in the heats getting
nothing but the fun out OF the game.
The game may be for charity, to raise
money for q ride to some interesting point,
or for any other object. By one game re-
Gently q lad Of IS who needed the services
Of an expert oculist was sent to New York
for treatment which he would havo been
unable to obtain without some such assist
anCe.