The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1905-06-22


peeiiug sucker aud separate him
frofh hls money. no more cioae
corporations ia which Measrs
George W Dickinson. Capt Game
and Senator Van de Vanter on one
side. and a handful Of interruptions
btukien on the other, viii laugh AZ
Ell laws u decency. and help take
thousands ~ dollars away from the
cts.
The foliowlng letter. written by
\ prominent California horaemau,
vha il II present attending the
Meadows races. u too good to blue
psneit' or expurEate. The writer e
evidently n man thoronfhlY az
aaainted with race track ethics. and
bis communication viii prove Of un-
uaual interest 60 readers Of The
Star who are following the crusade
against the notorious Meadows
THAT TRACK HOLD Up"
Editor Star by way OF showing
not only uy personal enforcement
OF your fight against tho .Syndieais
system OF bookmAking AZ the
Mradowa. but that Of many other
horse owners. who like myself. dare
not openly protest under the penalty
Of bsing ruled off the track. will
SAY 10 TIE everlasting dlsefeiit OF
the state Of Washington that there
u not another race track IN the
United States where such sand bag
methods would be tolerated for q
minute
II il hard al the very best 10
silence criticism against racing IN
general. even when II IN conducted
on the square. "a II IL in California
but when men who pride themselves
Upon being prominent citizens.
thereby adding credit % tho Aaaoeia-
ton. indulge IN the work % fieec=
inr the public. a. they have ~ the
Meadows. 4 IL not strange that n
once popular sport should be follow
81 by antisrscinK laws which are
10 be found UPON the statute books
Of nearly every state In the union.
WHEN rich track owners instead
~ protesting their patrons. the pub
lie. against possible iohbery on the
part q either the horse owner OF
the hookmakFf--art compel
both the bookmaker and the horne
owner TO beaome parties 20 = steal.
q Il time for even horse men 10
quit.
Contrast the conduct Of the
Meadows management with that Of
the California Jockey club. at the
head Of which are found such msn
a. Thomas Williams. Jr.. and Col.
ID NJ Burns
Dia any one ever hear 81 Tum
Williams or Dan Burns telllnE a
horse owner not 20 win because Il
would hurt the hookmakerf
Not on your ilfal
but then they are in what il
called the gentlemen class" OF
race track owners They are both
too rich and respectable 60 indulge
in petty larceny.
They do not believe In the use Of
a aiunE shot or a sand bag.
They are in favor 81 a square
deal. even IN a game OF chance.
And right here I might say. that
Col nan Burns aud Tom Williams.
Nho are the recognized heads OF rae
fnR In the United States. owe IL 10
Themselves aud TO the racing
world. 20 see that the King county
tfaek Il Immediately placed In the
outlaw class where Il belongs
The people demand either square
racing or no racing al all And
there can be no such a thing as
eguare racing so long as the track
owners control the books.
Under the rule In California and
tH other places. the bokmakefs pay
$50 race. or 1920 a day for the
privilege Of conducting their hual-
htss. being entirely independent OF
the track owners and free 20 offer
such odds as they please. thus Civ
Ing the public something for lie
money.
but at tho Meadows. the race
track owners take 60 per cent OF
the winnings Of the hu0kmakers
Instead Of the regular daily tax. thus
compelling horse owners 10 run
their horses. not according 20 form.
but IN the interests Of the bookmak-
ers. instead OF against them as is
the case elsewhere
I'm California. horse owner IL
ruled off n he does not try TO win
at the Meadows u looks aa II he iB
ruled Off II be does. That Ia the
difference between a race track
conducted In the lStai1 OF the pa=
irons Of the sport. and one lie the
Meadows. which Is conducted in the
Interest Of the boks which Il owns
The msn who can win At the
Meadows In the face OF such a con-
binatlon as this could not only beat
4 brace faro" game. but actually
drill hole In a burglar proof safe