davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-08-03
WHIsTLED COMMENTS.
From the Washington Star

1t was verging on midnight, and on
one of the green venue cars. The
hatchet-faced lady was rigging her
portly, bald-headed husband and he
was Intellectually trying to squar him
self.
The hatchet-faced lady obviously be-
longed to that type of her sex who be-
lieve they're only talking in a low UNI
dertone when, as a matter of fact, their
every word is audible, clearly and dis
tinctly, for a distance of twenty-four
feet.
The car was only partly filled, but all
of the passengers could easily hear
what she was saying.
1t appeared that the couple a been
to a theater and had gone to an oyster
house after the show. There, it seemed,
he hatchet-faced lady fancied that she
had detected her portly, ~bald-headed
husband in the act of gazing too ami
RECALLING herself after her arduous
stage eXertionS.
a moon-faced messenger boy, seated
up in a front corner Of the car, seemed
to DE gazing vacantly out of the car
windows during h progress of the
heart-to-heart talk between the lady
with the tomahawk countenance and
her cowed husband.
But the messenger boy wasn't SO va
cant as he looked.
You miserable, sneaking, contempt
ible thing, you!" said the r%eproachful
wife of the fat mans bosom. chow
dared you screw up your beady eyes at
that Observation-Disclosures"
you're Up Against the Real Thing
Now whistled the moon-faced messen-
ger boy up in the corner, looking
dreamily out of the car window.
But, my dear, l idn't do anything
of the sort" painted the b~ald-headed
husband. You are entirely mistaken.
Do you really suppose that I'D
"Yo' Can't Square Yo'self With Me.
Yo' Moke,' plaintively whistled the
messenger boy. shifting in his seat and
gazing interestedly at his worn shoes.
Don't o try to tell me such nom
sense" broke in the hatchet-faced
woman in a tone that she probably
considered as low as the soulful moan
of the murmurscme sea. Didn't | see
YOU With my own eyes? Didn't L"
She Was Happy Till She Met YOU
whistled the messenger by, pulling
from his pocket a dogs cared copy of
Denver Dan, the Deadwood Dyna-
inter-" and opening it up as if to read.
But. my DEAR" persisted the fat
husband. how could I possibly do
sucn an absurd thing when you know
that ID
Because I Love vou.'' came shrilly
from between the screwcd-up lips Of
the messenger boy. who seemed to be
absorbed in his literature.
You are capable Of doing anything!'
hissed the lFatchet-faced woman. But
this is the last time t!.at you'll eyer"
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-08-03

Carlos Wilson, a famous collector.
who had 1000 volumes and 5000 por-
traits II rare prints relating to Ma
poleon. has died in Boston. His collec-
ton is the finest in America, If not In
the world.
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-08-03

DR.. Isadore Dyer, the noted New
Orleans specialist in leprosy, y there.
are hundreds of people afflicted With
that disease at large in America.
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-08-03

of course, you friend Grapther is rath-
fast?"
We'll, he isn't as slow as he looks"
mo. nor IS slow as he pays his debts.n
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-08-03

THAT settles that exit. Then no doubt
the lady went out the way she came.
| understand that this other passage
leads only to the professors room.
There is no exit that .~~ay?"
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-08-03

mo, sir, it is impossible. Before I
got down the stair. I'd have seen any
n in the passage. Besides, the door
never oHened, or l would have heard
The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-08-03

mo. I hardly think that it would help
me" said he. II should prefer to go
quietly down to our garden, and urn
the whole matter over in nv head. There
is something to be said for the theory Of
suicide which you have put forward. We
The Washington times., 1906-07-01

vised 20 agree with later Information
received from the "clockers." who
have been watching the trials Of the
horses at the track in the early dawn.
They also report anything that may
have been told them or which they
may have overheard which they thlnb
will interest their employer.
Rookmaking-as the laying Of odds
on horseracing is usually called-is an
exact science. thorough knowledge
of intricate speed. track. percentage
and handicap tables-and a hundred
other correlated things beside-and the
ability TO assimilate and apply such
knowledge Is even more necessary to
a bookmaker than a large amount Of
capital.
This especial knowledge OF and skill
in applying this branch OF higher
mathematics Is as absolutely essen
tial 10 the bookmakers success as
other branches Of the same science
are to the civil engineer or 10 the as
tronomer who desires TO make a name
for himself. The scientist can spend
hours or days making his calculations
and arriving at the result The book
maker must have his knowledge at
hand for Immediate use-be saturated
with it-so that no can apply il on the
instant. for he risks all or part OF his
fortune many times day on the cor
rectness and speed with which he
solves the problems that confront him.
The Washington times., 1906-07-01

burgh is a dried-up man OF less than
fifty. who has been working al this
abstruse mathematical science for the
last quarter Of a century and Is con-
sidered the worlds greatest authority
in his Hne.
The list is again revised shortly
after the bookmaker gets 70 the track.
this time because certain horses have
been Withdrawn by their owners. By
this time the number OF starters in
sou'e OF the races has been reduced
30 per cent. Some boolSmakers com
pare notes with their friends who are
brother professionals; others keep
their own counsel as 10 their odds
until the moment they are posted
There will not be found 10 be much
variation in the odds offered how
ever. even at the first moment, for
tho bOokmakCTs all use practically
the same methods for arriving a the
results. II there are any material
differences after the betting begins.
however their .-loOkoutsT keep them
advised and II is just as Optional with
them whether they increase or de-
crease the odds on a certain horse
10 meet the competition OF other book
The Washington times., 1906-07-01

perb. but that il no more resemblei hiI
wife than IL did the Empress of China
Chartran merely bowed, laid dowI
his brush. and then. taking out his pen
knife. deliberately slashed Jhe picturt
into ribbons before the eyes OF his as
tonisEed visitor and showed him the
door The sequel 20 the story CANT
out later when il became known tha-
the millionaire husband had visited The
studio for the express purpose Of get
ting the ertist 10 make A reduction IL
his price.
But perhaps the most dramatic case
OF an artist destroying his own worl
occurred IN New York. when GutzoE
Borgium, the well-znown sculptor. ros,
early on the morning Of October and
made his wav to the Belmont cH@Ee
Of the Cathedral Of St Johu the Divine
on MorniuESice Heights. and broke tc
pieces his two statues. colossal in theiI
proportions. representing Jhe Angel OF
the Aununciati0n and the Angel Of Res
urrecticn.
The cause Of this remarkable act was
due TO the sculptor having been Sc
vereIy criticised for cnnceIving and OK.
eCuting these statues as beautiful
women. When seen afterward by the
excited reporters he said mat ne felt
like a murderer. bu- that IL was tht
cnly thing Es could 30 under the cir
cumstanHeS. -Ir. Bp GUM took away
with him the Leads # the two angel.
and one foot which he intends to keel
as souvenirs
The Washington times., 1906-07-01
figuring out the Chances.

He takes the list Of entries for the
next GAYS races ard examines them
carefully. The weight the 5ocl.ey. tha
distance. the number Of starters. and.
in fact. everything that is set down
on the printed sheet is studied Then
he literally figures out the chance
Of winning that each horse in each
race has. This Is where the science OF
mathematics and percenta ges. the doc
trine of chances. the probability OF
the unexpected and the thousand and
one things that he mas learned by ex-
perience or finds recorded In his little
book come into play.
The weight that each horse is to carry
s'the first consideration. Every horse
In every handicap race has to carry
the weight that presumably will make
him equal 10 every other horse in the
race. This Imposition of weights is
based on \past performances end. IS
called "handicapping IT is done by
Walter NOSEuTEn. the official handI-
capper Of the JOCKEY Club Mr. Vos-
The Washington times., 1906-07-01

Inese little books. devoid oI uiustra-
tiOn or ornament Of any kind and
printed on Indifferent paper sell for
= apiece. In proportion 70 their size
they are among the most expensive
works published, even in these days OF
editions de luxe.
The popular idea Of the professional
bOokmaker is as erroneous as popular
IDEAS about people much in the public
eve usually are His IS a serious bust
ness. The biggest oues-in point OF
c1pital-dO not wear much tewelrv
They do not spend all their time out
side the betting ring sneaking about
the stables trying 10 cajole the owners
to fix races or In drinking in1umer-
able bottles OF wine. Their business is
as carefully organized and as minute
" looked after in al its details as
that OF any great merchants. Their
payroll during the racing season Is
about tho same as that Of CONNER
Ciql enterprise employing a score OF
clerks
When the bookma ker leaves the
track after the last race in the after
noon is run his work for the dav Is
not ended. Indeed the work laps over
from one day 70 the next. so IL Is
never done Dinner over he gets the
latest reports from his field staff at
the track. sometimes IN person. some
times by phone. Then. II he feels like
it. he circulates among his other nro-
fessional brethren in upper Broadway
and listens 20 the gossip lie goes
home at an early hOur-not TO sleep
but to work again
The Washington times., 1906-07-01
A Few Pain Facts That Will Enable the
Reader to Understand Why the Men Who
Take His Money at the Track Are Pros
pering at a Game That Annually Extracts
From the American Public Nearly Sixty
Million Dollars ~ ~ " " "

been under punishment, Vosburgh
would undoJ btedly make a mental note
and treat the horse accordingly In the
next handicap in which IL IS entered.
The perfect handicap has never been
attained except in. theory The nearest
9ppUotqch 10 II in practice was not
long ago when three horses that we're
entered in one race had the odds Of
TWO 10 one laid against each. They
finished 50 close together that a ,blan-
ket would have covered the three.
The theory of handicap is hat all the
horses should finish on line.
Therefore II the bookmaker sees that
a certain horse Is carrying a greater
or less weight in the next days event
than he had previously carried, he
knows that Mr.. Nosburgh has mathe-
maticallv proved that he should carry
the weight IN question 10 equalize his
standing as compared with the other
horses. The bookmaker generally takes
Mr.. Vosburgh's opinion on this matter
a sound unless he has what he thinks
Is reliable information concerning the
The Washington times., 1906-07-01
Famous Artists Who Have
Destroyed Their Own Pictures

= = IS perhaps but natural that men
and women of genius should de-
a sire that the best of their works
only should live after them and
for this reason many a celebrated ar
tIst has destroyed his own pictures.
says Tit-Bits. When Hogarth was al
most at the height Of his fame he
painted an interiOr. which was some
what severely criticised by a friend
The artist acknowledged the business
OF the criticism, and when his frank
friend had left the studio he took a
sharp knife and deliberately cut the
canvas in two and then threw the
pieces into the coal scuttle. There they
were fourd the following day by one
Of the maids. who took the pieces home
Some time afterward the story Of the
ruin piSture reaches the cas- If a
relative Of HOgarth who thereupou
went 70 tic maid and asked her To sell
him the IieCes. she agreed TO do So
but wher she @ent a.. look for them
cne-Laf Eld vanished search was
.Hade and Inquiries Instituted. bu- win
no result. and the relatives hal 10 ne
content with half the picture which is
now in ihe possession Of Hogan ~ s
descendants in Aberdeen.
HcEarth was but one Of many artists
who have IN Il fit of discomfort de-
stroyed their own works Jules Flam-
meron. in an interesting article on the
life of the late sculptor. CTerone. tells
how the great artist had beer working
for many weeks On an ideal group SYM
6olizing the birth Of spring when he
suddenly became convinced that his
treatment Of tho subject was wrong.
and with one blow Of his cIenched hand
he reduced the graceful crOun to a
mere mass Of inert clay"
Chartran. the famous French portrait
painter. once destroyed n picture for
which he was 20 receive $1,000. The
portrait was that Of al American
woman famous for her beauty When
the picture was nearing completion the
husband of the woman called at NJ
Cbartrans studio in Paris and request
81 To be shown the portrait. After
looking Al IL for y moments re de-
clareC ttat il WIS very beeut ful
painting and that the col0ring rs su-
The Washington times., 1906-07-01

The bookmaker's position IN this race
wovld be as follows:
II Rye won he would pay out N.ool.
leaving \ profit Of ti4e.
If Keator won he would pay out
l.oo3. leaving n profit OF si2i.
II Narnie Hodge won he would pay
out 81 0G0. leaving a profit OF $50.
II Emergency won he would pay out
s.. .00i. leav7ng n profit OF sitS.
II Water Tank won ne would pay out
S922. leavieg n profit OF SIS.
II Sovereign won he would pay out
Sl.0oS leaving n profit OF Sl42.
The hookmaker Is careful not to
r-rake what IS called Dutch book"
He must be able 90 determine instantly
the amount he has taken in and the
amount he will be compelled 20 pay
out should a certain horse win. Al
though he may change the odds
against horses a dozen times In twenty
minutes. he must each time mentally
calculate whether he IS making a win
ming or a losing book. by adding the
percentages indicated by the odds; II
the result is over 100. II is a winning
book: II Il Is less than 100 II is a los
ing one Whatever the percentage Is
---"- fH0 e. the hcokmaker's percentage
The Washington times., 1906-07-01
Studies the Charts.

/ might be well To mention here that
il is theory among some professional
bettorz that Il man plays nothing but
Mr.. Voshurgh's hsndicaps and bets on
the horse carrying the high weight he
VIII get the winner oftener than in any
other way
The bo0kmaker's next step is 20 cal
culate the chances that each horse has
Of winning. This is done, first. by
closely studying the carefully indexe5
racing charts which give the details Of
every race in which the horse has -un.
not only I'm the present season. but also
as far back as the first time the horse
faced the starter. The horses history
is the e., accurate as a BerUHon record.
II the bookm Ier did not have his lit
t'e book with its wunderf,, tables Of
Tercoc ace this history would be Of but
small value TO him. But this little
hook and its tables measure in figures
the horses ability 10 so A rsven dis
tance and carry the calculations out
TO dec'maIs.
First comes the speed table. which
shows the handicap value Of each
length at the finish. From this table
is estimated the relative speed OF the
second. third. or other horse in a
race
This table. as well as those which
Immediately follow it-comparative
track speed. with calculations in time
and pounds; the table OF beaten al
lowances. giving all values in pounds:
and the table of track condition speed
and average slow time. with the
handicap percentage Of each condi-
tion given IN pounds-are Of great
value in arriving at the general re-
The Washington times., 1906-07-01

horse by just such methods as are en-
rloyed hv the careful scientist This
is a side Of the race business which iz
not much IN evidence and about which
the great majority of bettors know
rr"CtIcaUr nothing.
Arc The bool5ics bound to VIM II
thcv -er.u-t how long would thov
stav ia hrei7esso II they did not win
would they bo ohIc 10 come back To
tho tracks yc7r after year. taking
~ a~e~s of hundreds. even Thousands.
- dollars? A0I vet with the facts
et~~'0~ thorn i1 the f9ce there a-e
trcve~o3s of mon and wore7 IN
RwcrfC0 WHO play tho races. not &C
casirr"Tv. huf as q regular t1fn~
So~-o 81 tFo01 1ro'-o an occasional
"t1'i1r'' and tho ''roD7 U'7ich snriu-s
ct,rual '1 tho hu-a0 b~oast~ does tho
rest T'o-o are probably upward Of
> million uo~eoos u'ayrAr tho racoS
moe o. less steo1il, IN this country
right no.. aud vet ~ fs n moral Ger
tnintv that al of trer1 viii ruIt los
e-s sooner or later In the cities
where There GRO no tracks open at
this tiu,o 90 tfn v-r~r tro~e are TO be
found numerous hand books in W.
tire followers Of tho races. as they
IKE to call themselves. can put down
thcir bets CvSry day. And it is these
band books which catch the inveter-
81" hettors. There arc plenty or mon
snl women who 20 ont TO the track
and play the races while they are
actually within reach and who let it
go at that. FCs the. crowd that fol-
lows the horses here and there. either
In person or bv hand books. that be-
comes the baG troopers.
The Washington times., 1906-07-01
DOG ANSWERS TELEPHONE.

An up-to-date dog is one that an
sv.ers the telephone. The senior part.
nor CT an influential London firm hai
JaTSRt MS dog not only TO guard the
Office during his absence. bur also 70
report AIS welI' durin~ the time the
premises are closed AT week cnds. one
of the cld-taShiOued telephones. which
does not require that the receiver
should be taken Of its holder. Is a,zeS
dp in the office. and under this the dos
stSu}s. His master rings AZ, the o7ics
and t',en calls until the attention II ths
dog Is aroused. when the canir., care-
taket ba-iSs Loudly 20 show thar all IA
well With him and with tho onice.
The Washington times., 1906-07-01
An Explanation Of the Mathematical Process
Whereby the Bookndker With Cool Cal
CulatiOR Can Fix His Odds So That the
Percentage is Always Over One Hundred,
Which Gives Him a Winning Book, and
Willing Victims a Chance to Contribute.

money. In reality Il is the bettors
who IN the end have the fixing sf the
odds. The public actually makes the
price against the horses. The prices
the bookmaker puts up--despite the
immense toll and careful eaieula-
tions BY which they are arrived at
are merely test prices after ADJUST as
the mariner takes soundincs as he Is
entering some dangerous or uncharted
anchorage. The ODDS rise and fall with
the flow Of the tide OF the public's
money When the betting Tags and
the pressure OF the yiblic'S money 10
taken OF OF any horse the price will
rise. But that Is another OF the
bookmaker's ways OF winning The
public generally makes the wrong
prices ard the public generally loses
The bool-maizer comes back 10 his
place on the stool IN the betting ring
year after year. but the majority Of
the bettors Of a tweive-month have
fallen BY the wayside.
The Washington times., 1906-07-01
= =
List Reused Many Times.

But that is merely the first step.
After the mathematical chances OF
c-cb horse TO win have been calcu-
lated. the boOkmaker begins to con-
slider the various items OF track in
formation that his staff has gathered
or that be himself Eas heard and Is
inclined 10 give crederce to. This in
formation relates to the prepared
ness Of each horse in the race. in nc.
coruahce with this Information the
oookmaker reviscs his list. putting one
horse ahead or behind another as. his
best 1uug -Dent Dictates.
Ia tie MO. ming The list is again re-
The Washington times., 1906-07-01
Tcke Millions EUern Yenf.

A. q conserve tive estimate the BOOK
ne ekers take something like SG0. .0f0 90
fro~1 The public every year. It's
biz sum Il would stac-er oven
Rockefeller or Andrew Carnegie TO
lose II in q year. but the public gives
Il up regularly and thcn goes back to
give away Some more. Comparatively
few OF the bettors cYn say why it is
that the boolfnakers get away with
tris huge sum, vet tire answer is easy.
Tfe bookie undcrstands the racing
game ana the laying OF odds so tlrat
tie percentage Is always in his Favor.
lie isn't 0-'cn 20 deception Ere-
quenty ne has been nuIced CAREFULLY
Inspecting a horses sides after "a hard
r. - in which there had been a whip
J. ne aE-sa- i no Wel1s were fOHnd on
tie horse that TO the pu5hc eye. had
The Washington times., 1906-07-01

the bettor would win a corresponding
amount.
Sometimes the eagle eve OF a betting
man VIII discover a difference in odds
between several bookmakers 50 that
three ho-s,s cln Re played to win and
profit c1n be realized for the bettor
no matter which gets home first.
The Washington times., 1906-07-01
Rookie s Staff

The hoolSmaker's staff when he goes
into the rnS consists Of the following
clerical help. whose average daily
wages are a. Indicated; Cashier. 80,
sheet writer. 81: and one or more
'loOkCuts. =; these latter also act
as betting commissioners The fol-
lowing diagram Of how a sheet is
made VII be OF interest.
The Washington times., 1906-07-01
Knows His Book bu Heart.

Outside OF tables OF logarithms there
are. few volumes that contain more
figures to the page than the thin,
four by six inch. leather-bound work
of half "A hundred pages which the
bookmaker has TO know as thoroughly
as a divinity student does his Rihle
The Washington times., 1906-07-01
falls Down on Dutch Book. "

Ey a Dutch book" is meant one
where the prices laid figure on a per-
ceataSe basis a total Of less than 10a
For instance:
Rye. ..-..---- SIS equals SIS per cent
Keator.-. ---.--... Sc equals 2s. 81 per cent
Mamie Eo1ge----- ~ equals 2o.a0 per cent
Total percentage. ...--....-.-- s4O2
In this case all three horses could be
PLAYED and the hcokmaker would lose
$S.9S on every 500 ne took in. while
The Washington times., 1906-07-01
RettorS Fix the Odds.

The following table Of percentages is
odds are based. The bookmaRer has 20
be so familiar with il that he can tell
what percentage any odds is as quick
The Washington times., 1906-07-01

horses physical condition that makes
him believe otherwise. For horses,
Ike humans. have their days OF high
spirits and their days OF depression.
The Washington times., 1906-07-01

makers as "a - Niece. o..- merchant
viii meet the cut prices on ;ae same
goods that another makes. But The
keynote Of every action now is quick
ness
The Washington times., 1906-07-01

book 20 the cent. the bookmaker
would have a profit Of Sl412 on every
500 he took in-no matter which horse
won.
The results in this race would make
but little difference 10 the booknaker.
tho amounts laid being as follows:
The Washington times., 1906-07-01

Is especially vulgar uuI
merely that is widely used. There are
good sports who use it IN all sincerity,
but there are also four fiushers who
find It very convenient when their bluff
Is called
Il always bet or a sure thing is
perhaps n phrase almost as uncommon
as the other IS common There Is just
one class of men in the country who
can use this phrase with justice. the
booKies. And the bocEies do bet ''on'
sure thing" They are just as sure
of their winnings as the scientist is Of
his statement that the pressure Of the
air is fifteen pounds to the square inch.
that earth is a sphere, or any other
thing like It. The deductions of the
b6olIies are reached every day, and
the consequent odds offered on each
The Washington times., 1906-07-01

The figures in the first column, un-
der each horses name. indicate the
amount or odds. lad by the book
- alrer. those tu the second column
shows the amount taken in. wlile the
third column shows tre anCuut Of the
two aGded together The race wa won
by Rye tho odds AID booxm aker s per-
centage being as follows:
The Washington times., 1906-07-01

Apparently the bookmaker sets the
odds al which the bettors risk their
The Washington times., 1906-07-01

Iotlf ptIVVII'1tHV ---.-------. II4.Z
- -
KuSt Make q "RouEd Book.
The total percentage shows that II
If were poss. bic 10 make a round
The Washington times., 1906-07-01

NEVER bet on sure thing
is one Of the commOnest
phrases heard in America,
land OF betting people. 1t IS
not implied that TIE phrase
The Washington times., 1906-07-01
Y *

az profit That depends. however. on
his book being round"