Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-15
BOOKMAKERS CALLED

| tuaI boss of the bookmakers, who descend
upon Washington at the Benning meetings.
and he doesn't know what it means to put
the soft pedal on his superintendent bron-
chial energy.
During the recent meeting slender. erect,
well-set-up. elderly man, quite inconspicu-
| Gus as to dress. walked up to the place
| where this irascible bookmaker was stand
ing. The hookmaker at that moment was
engaged in shooting the one-dollar bettors
away from him.
| Hey, none O. this shoemaker's money!
he was barking at the humble chaps who
drifted along his way with one or two dol
lar bills. 'Git out O. tn way, you cigaroot
grafters. an make room FIR tn bettors!
Nothin' less'n a five-spot goes here!"
This Is the same bookmaker, by the way,
| who. at the New York tracks, keeps his
| stool surrounded by five or six cops to keep
| the small bettors away from his stool.
| The elderly, well-set-up man arrived at his
| stool Just as he had finished his speech
| about the tcfgaroot grafters."
] i wish to bet this on Montfort," he said,
and he handed the bookmaker a bill from
| his gioved hand. The bookmaker disdain-
fully glanced at the bill and rudely passed
| 1t back.
IA one-spet, hey?" he growled. well,
that's sailors bet, an amt takin' them
to your ship. sailor. an let tn bettors git
The elderly well-set-up man flushed and
looked puzzled.
MY mistake" he mGttered. II meant to
bet this" and he showed a $50 bill. which
he held in his other hand. However, as
that wouldn't be sailors bet, I'll not
bet at ALL" and he quietly withdrew from
the stool.
But before he reached the skirts Of the
crowd around the stool the bookmaker was
getting the merry and protracted boot from
the bunch.
you can bet your sweet life, you fat
head, that you turned down a sailors bet!"
the crowd Knocked the surly booknaker
He's one OF the biggest admirals Of the
fighting for, America before you ever put
on your first pair Of wooden shoes. you
big mouthed four-fushW
The other layers in the ring quickly got
on to 1t how the bawling bookmaker had
aimed some Of his venom at a sure-enough
admiral who takes a keen interest In horse
racing when the Benning meetings are on.
They guyed him 80 much over 1t that the
raging bookmaker fell to thinking.
An experience that came his way just
two days later completed his cure and
served to change his ring behavior. at least
while he was at Benning.
The high-fydng nephew and heir Of a
mufi-millionaire Mexican silver king was
at the track Although of pure Castilian
origin, this young Mexican's skin was ex-
ceedingiy dark and his inky hair snuggled
are always scores OF Afro-American bet
tors in the Benning ring, but this grouchy
bookmaker had drawn the color-line and
steadily refused to let the black bettors get
near him.
mo dinges!" was his cry, which came
close to causing riot at the track on a
couple of occasions. mo boog bets here!
Gimme the white change. but coon dun is
barred on this sheet! Make room for tn
bettors.
The young Mexican happened to move
toward the bawling bookmaker's place Just
after that individual had chased a bunch
Of black bettors. and the bookmaker took
the Mexican for the fag-end man Of the
black party.
Now. you heard me. didn't you. coonT'
the bookfe howled at the amazed Mexican,
as he waved his slate threateningly. This
L. Lily White book. None O. that chicken
liftin' coin here! Boog books down tn
line! Beat it!''
The young Mexican stood in front OF the
bookmaker transixed with establishment
and chagrin. He had received his education
at Harvard, and he had no difficulty what
ever in unraveling the bookmakers mean
1T will bet you twenty thousand dollars
on the favorite," said the Mexican, very
quietly, to the bookmaker.
Then it was the bookmaker's turn to look
amazed. He began to splutter:
"Wha-what! You-you-bet twenty,
Twenty thousand dollars on the IA
quietly. There's Mr.. Daingerfield the
secretary Of the Jockey Club. over the aisle.
You may. ask him If I am good for the
amount"
"Algy'' Daingerfield the Jockey Clubs
secretary. got into the situation just then.
This gentleman Is good for fifty times
twenty thousand. and then ten times that"
said Mr.. Dainserfield to the bookmaker.
Whats the trouble here. anyhow
The grouchy bockmaker had to crawl.
He stammers that he hadn't begun his big
store booknlaking for TIE season. yet that
he wasn't taking the big money: that he
wouldn't mind taking a thous md two
in a lump on the favorita. but that
But I am not betting chicken-l:fting
money, cal-ny Ohservedd tn" Mevican.
and he stroiled away with Mr. Daingerfield
TIE other layers We're put wisa to this
incident, too. and that evening" after
the races were over. they Joined hands
around the grouchy layer and danced the
-ring-round-resy with him IN the center.
That layers manners were at least tolera-
Die for the remainder of the meeting.
1t was at Benning that the late Virginia
Carroll took lesson that toned him down
so that afterwards his ring friends hardly
knew him. Many times Virginia Carroll
was in danger Of his life from men who,
not knowing the mans extraordinary addic-
ton to profanity. became rolled over his
abuse.
Several years before his death, Carroll
held down one Of the big store stools at
Benning: He depised the chicken-feed
KIM OIL IuOuey, anu the comparatively
small bets OF the Benning bettors aroused
him to tremendous violence Of expression
He would let out on man who offered
him dollar note with the ferocity of a
glass eating. sulphur-burning pirate skip
per, and he would all but foam at the
mouth in his fury over pikers bets.
On this occasion, a long, lean, lank
countryman from Virginia: with a two
dollar. bill. tightly clutched in his ham
like hand. numbered UP to CAROLS stool
and addressed him very civilly.
"Suh." he said to the bookmaker, "Ah'm
told you air called Vahginia Caiuhll. and
All like to deal with Vahginia folks All
want to bet you all this heah-two dollar
bill on"
Carroll was In vile humor that after
noon. He launched into a streak Of pro-
family all about pikers. The lank Vir-
gilman stifened under the abuse, and, when
Carroll had finished, he observed very
quietly:
"Mistuh. yo'~ain't no .vahginian. Yo' air
a did Yankee bummah, suh."
Carroll was as fearless as he was pro-
fame. and he started on the Virginian
again. Before he got fairly started, how
ever. the countryman reached out sinewy |
hand and grasped him by the lapels of his |
coat and yanked him from his stool as |
II he had been a stuffed mannikin.
tsMigtllh said the cOllptrvyuau oh