The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1905-08-17


layer Of odds, who usually goes on with
. satchel full OF money. would be like the
veritabie ash out Of water.
According to n sport who has followed
racing the greater part or his life the
bcokmaker who II provided with n good
crew has occasion to pat himself on the
back. for. a. a good many OF the layers
are constantly ~complaining. hrst-ciass
crews are scarcer than losing 1 10 10 shots.
Speaking TO a Star reporter, he said:
"'only n few OF the beat known members
OF the Metropolitan Turf association have
retained their crews In steady employment
for years at n stretch. Most Of them are
obliged TO hunt around for good men TO
nll out vacancies In their crews at the be-
ginning OF every racing season. and sor.H
are In constant hot water throughout the
entire racing season owing 20 the unstesd-
ineEs Of one or more members OF their
crews.
1T n not at all a matter OF competency
for all bookmakers' crews have to be COM
petent for the performances OF even q days
work IN the ring. IL ID q matter OF stsadi-
ness. The good crew IN the steady crew.
n In composed Of men who 20 TO bed Mt
night. instead % remaining up to play In
faro and poker fes,as and 20 indulge In
the liquid accomplishments thereof, and
turn up at the track for business with
clear heads and steady hands.
Perhaps In no legitimate business In alb
soiute ciear-headedness more essential on
the part OF all hands than In the business
OF handling the public's money In the bet
ting ring OF a race track The trouble
with many Of the crews In that they can't
break away from their addiction 10 the
game. and there In no successfui method
known OF pls aging tho game both ends
from the middle, coming and going, As
most gamblers admit.
Most Of the men who work for the
bookmakers are those who eventually lost
out after playing the horses Tor years
from the outside. Finding the virus OF the
game 30 strong within them that they
were united for less exciting employ
ments, they sought their chance TO re-
main on the tracks by obtaining work a.
bookmakers' helpers.
mot a few OF them are ex-piungers. A
sheet writer for one Of the big layers II
. man who not many years q was In the
habit OF betting HOO n often more TO a
race. lie hasn't bet q penny since he went
broks and took his Job a. . sheet writer.
and he n accounted one OF the best men
Of his rating In the ring.
The bookmakers' crew consists or q
sheet writer. q cashier. one or two ward
men or outside men. n occasionally q
commissioner, although the commissioner
IN not strictly a member OF the crew. n
Oull the lANytk On Nnt tahkNeh <@sN $50
pioy special commissioner The men are
wen paid for their work. Sheet wrtters
earn from as 60 tsS q day. cashiers from
80 TO t1S, and outside men about the
same as the cashiers. Most layers en-
pioying commissioner make special ar
Engagements with them. sometimes ad-
Justcd on the basis OF n small percentage
OF winnings.
The most important member OF the
Aa.E.-aLars. a. che ahNas writer T0
be a t~op-notch ut this work he has TO
keep hts head clear AZ n whistle from the
beginning OF the racing season TO the
wind-up. he 10 the man who registers
the bets.
Visitors at the race tracks marvel at
the adeptness OF the sheet writer. n
trained and steady sheet writer has the
quickness Of eye OF a weaver. the hearing
OF an Indian and an almost incredible dex-
terity In handling n pencil. When thofe
are q hundred more or less excitement
crazcd men swaying around a layers stool
and the bookmaker IL taking the money
with both hands and calling on the horses
names ard the badge numbers In n per-
feet vollcy OF words. the trained sheet
writer, amid all the frenzy OF yelling and
protesting and ~jostiing. Il az cool as tno
proverblai cucumber.
lie rarely makes a mistake. although
his penciled entries Of amounts and num-
bers may mount up into the thousands
In the course OF an afternoon.
with tho bets coming In like n Biscay
tide his work Is difficult enough even
when there are only four or i've horses
carded TO start I'm a race. When the event
upon which the madmen OF the ring are
betting comprises eighteen or twenty
starters IL IL simply astonishing that he
does not 20 TO pieces under the strain.
In such a top-heavy event only n few or
the starters are played as n rule. or
course, but n few bets are nearly always
registered under tho names OF all the
horses. and IL Is the task OF searching
for the names OF these animals on his
sheet that makes the sheet writer's work
80 heavy.
"He sits perched on a high stool. the
pad upon which his big betting sheet IL
spread resting on his knees. He scat
tiers the names OF the horses entered In
n race around his sheet. The names OF
thise likely TO be the best played are
at the top. and the others In more In
conspicuous positions.
The sheet Ia ruled for the entry OF tho
amount bet and the badge number In
the cases OF regulars who patronixe the
book constantly the badge numbers are
waived. and the bet goes down as that OF
Phil or Harry or Jim. as the name OF
the regular may happen TO be.
III the bet be q 'marker'-that Is TO
say, one In which tho layer has received
no money. but simply the spoken word.
the settling up TO come aftcrward-the
sheet writer indicates that fact Ia regis
terinR the amount OF the wager. The
sheet writer. constantly glancing up from
his sheet al the marker bets OF the
regulars come in. has so excellent n mem
DRY for the faces OF all OF the regulars
patronixing the book that he has their
names jotted down almost by the time
the bookmaker has finished calling on
tho character OF the bet.
1T IL In getting down the badge num-
bers OF the occasional visitors at the race
tracks that the sheet writer has his
troubles. The habituai racegocr. when
he names his horse 20 the bookmaker and
forks over his money. will stand stock
stnI. no matter What the extent OF the
cro1dIng and clbowing going on around
him. and call on his badge number In n
loud and distinct voice.
Most OF the habitual track visitors
have mad oLe or more sorrowful expert
ences over non-coliectible winning bets
owing to their failure TO do this. and they
take no chances. But the occasional Wis
itors, who are generally In a state OF
great Illustration. and many OF whom are
more or less unfamiliar with the system
OF betting. do not do IL.