The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-02-11
BIG ODDS PAID
ON STRANGE BET
Sour Old Rookmaker Takes Last Dol
lar From Woman in
Distress.
WRITES OUT TICKET TO WIN
SHE is SURPRISED TO CASH IN
AT 1000 TO I.

"The biggest odds ever paid at race
track?" repeated the old booknaker.
"Let me see. There is a little story
connected with the biggest odds ever
saw that should make interesting read
ing.
1T was in the early eighties and I
was working for Percy Cross at a track
near Baltimore. Cross was a very sue
cessful man, but he usually took a live
interest in everything about his bust
ness and was always around when
there was something doing.
Just as I was going into the grounds
one day I ran across a little woman
whose features were quite familiar.
moments reflection and I recalled that
she was the wife of one of NV col
leagues who mad been working for
Cross for a long time.
She looked distressed and 1 stepped
over to her to inquire what troubled
her. She told me that her husband was
very i'll and that she had no money!.
She then asked me if Cross would help
her. Cross was known to be one of the
hardest-hearted and most close-fisted
men in the business, and I told her so.
/ then dug down into my pocket and
pulled cut the last dollar I had and
reached il over to her.
DOOklldkST - OlUH0H
ct was a little early in the day, and
as there was nothing doing I just sat
around and consumed some cigarettes.
After a while the ring commenced to
hum. It was 4 Zig day and the players
were sending it on their choices hard.
In the first race they stung Cross, and
he was as Wild as an insane tiger. He
got it again IN the next race, and to
even look at him was more than any of
US had nerve to do.
'As the crowd was cashing IN, Mr..
Blanks wife was passing close to our
booth.
Who IS that woman prowling
around here?' inquired Cross, with
savage gr0wl..
That's Blanks wife I volunteered.
We'll, why amt Blank attending to his
bus ness?' inquired the old lion.
IT told him. 'HumDh!' he replied.
why amt his wife nursing him. I told
him that she was looking for assist
ance.
.'The incident temporarily closed. The
old man was paying out cash for tick
cts, an occupation that he did not like
very well. To my dismay I saw the lit
tie woman edging up to the box. knew
the mood the old man was in and tried
to office her away. But she come right
along. and approaching the old man,
handed uD her dollar. stating that she
wanted to bet on Dolores.
"Now Dolores didn't have n chance
The old man grOWIed at the dollar, but
took it. L started out to make out a
ticket at 30 to I. when Cross pulled the
pencil oft Of my hand, shuff1ed after a
ticket and scrubbed something on it.
Winner 1000 to I.
THE race started. and I believe one
Of the few prayers I ever offered went
on that Dolores. But Dolores wasn't in
it and Topped in about thirty-fYe
lengths back OF the others
It was plying poor Blanks WIFE,
when she approached the block. I was
just about TO turn her away by stating
that Dolores had not won, when the
old man said, Hold, young 'un.' Is
that the way you attend to business?
Whoever told you to turn any one away
from here before looking at the tick
ets?'
u stammered something about Do
loCeS. The old man told me to read the
ticket. [ had much trouble unwrapping
it, as she had it all folded up in q
handkerchief.
cone glance at the ticket prompted
another, and still another, and my eyes
opened to the size of q saucer when l
beheld in plain figures:
THE WINNER. 900 to l.
u grasped at the old man, but he was
S0ne. I said, DO you know what that
calls fOr?' 10 Blanks wife. She re-
piled. NO, sir; I never bet before.
out of the cash box 7 picked ten
crisp $100 bills and stuck them into her
hand. besides the original silver dollar.
She gave a little cry of JOY and burst
into tears. / got Il little speck of dust in
my own eye just then and I saw the
old man digging his horny knuckles
into his optics.
After that we all voted the old man
a rather gOOd sort way down deep"