Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-01
TRIED NOT TO WIN IT

WOoecTA HOISSLQAu, WHICH IQe GOIel cor
ridor long-shot talkfest was in progress
Tuesday evening. 'well. did Tried all
could to chisel myself out OF a neat piece
OF money, and didn't succeed In getting
away with It,
1T happened In Chicago few years
ago. Old Jimalong had been given to me
some time before as a good thing On the
day when the old horses name appeared In
the entries. however. It was iznpessible for
me to go to the track. for some reason or
other. So dug up friend and gave him
$1e0 to be stuffed Ia on Jimalong straight.
He laughed ut me.
!" Into the kick for this.' he said. stick
Ing the $1O0 note in the watch pocket of
his trousers as II he really meant to bury
1t for himself. Easiest piece OF yellow
pulp ever went south with
That'n be about all along that line.'
told him. II you plant that hundred and
fall to get 1t on for me you'll have to move
out to the prairie country and stay there
till make my final cash-in. Jimalong is
going to trudge home
You can have those trudgers,' he re-
piled. saw Jimalong at the track yes
terday. He looks like Manchurian horse
enough wool on him to stun fourteen
patent mattresses. And he's got four
knees the size of Uncle Sam plug hats, and
cough like a South Clark street walters
voice when he's trying to root something
home. And whole lot of other things.
AOu Scc WHERE Ills nunQr6Q OF yours Is
sunk. don't your pointing to the little
pocket where he'd put the hundred away.
Wen. I'm on my way-here's my car
Take any price, 1 called after him. and
he grinned back at me on his lope for the
car. but made no reply.
"A little while later I was called up on
the phone by a trainer l knew.
wanted to tell you the trainer said
over the wire. that it's nix on Jimalong
today. He amt meant. He's going to
also tag for the end book. They say the
tip on him is all over the works, and the
fatheads'n be slaughtering each other to
knock the price down-and then, maybe,
the next time out the old p1ug'u fetch
home the pelts, but not today and he
hung up the receiver before had a chance
to ask him to dig up my friend who had
the 500 to bet on Jimalong and to flag
him on making that bet for me.
1T was then about time for the races
to begin. I went out ON the street, and
every poo1room player I met showed the
Jimalong thing at me.
Its insky,' they all told me, and then
felt sure that my trainer friend had it
would be gnawed like shrimp bait by
school of hard-shell crabs, and Jimalong
would get into pocket or something and
finish up very also. So sent hurry
wire to my betting man at the track, tell
ing him Id heard Jimalong was going to
pedal for Sweeney. and to permit that hun
dred Of mine to sweter in his nankeens.
I'd hardly got back to my room before I
was tinkled up at the phone by another
trainer Of my acquaintance.
It's Christmas box by prepaid ex-
press. this one breathed pantingly through
the phone. You'd better hustle to one of
the rooms and eat the first price-it'll be
chopped to a frankfurter price before the
field lines up. They're going to cut the old
prize package loose. and their junk is down
in the poolrooms all over the country This
is something | know. Take it from me.
It's deep-dish cranberry tart, and it's
in and cooled out
THAT. Of course, put me on the limb
again, for figured that my recall telegram
on the Jima1ong bet was already In my
betting friends hands.
"'Say,' I howled at the trainer so that
could get 1t to him. I've stayed off, but
want you to stick a couple of hundred on
Jmalong to cop for me. will your
"A couple Of hundred?' the trainer re-
pal. If saw two hundred bucks walking
across the inffeld they'd have to carry me
to the BOBBY hatch. they sure would. You
know I'm cleaned. and about nine of the
bool1ies have bought pieces of gas pipe to
welt me with the first time they see me
because I'm into them on digit BETS
Il wanted to tell him then to hunt up a
club house commissioner whom knew and
to get the bet down with him in my name,
but the phone began to gurgle just then
and was cut on. So I hoped into cab
and got myself ambled around to pool
room where I was known. L got there just
the front door with axes. I was on hand
to see raid. that's all. and SO there was
nothing doing in the betting line at that
place. I still had about half an hour before
the Jimalong race, and SO took a chance
that second wire might reach my man
at the track. I wired him to disregard my
first telegram and to push through the
Jimalong bet as per original instructions.
AS 1 came away from the telegraph Office
ran into handbook man knew. and
thought I'd cinch the thing right there and
be sure Of having a piece of Jimalong.
g I think I'll twist on a splinter or two
on that old case of burning feet, Jimalong'
I told him. Let's have about a hundred
on 1t, straight, and me for the opening
price, and I tried to slip him the money
Behave that, you! the handbook man
said to me. backing away. What time did
you get out Of bed? Don't you know that
every handbook In Chicago IL SO overloaded
with the junk on Jimalong that II the old
piece Of glue cops we'll all have to enlist
in the Marine Corps In the morning to get
under cover? I've got hardly anything else
but Jimalong on my sheet and I'm not
selling another nickePs worth Of It.
Before he'd finished was in a cab and
on my way to q downtown poolroom where
I knew could get action. The prices were
up for the Umalong race wheDL1 painted in
there, and Jimalong's chalk was 80 to 1.
That cooled me out real quick.
" The jammy thing, eh, and 80 to against
1t on the second line OF bettingT had to
say to myself. I can see those bullseye !
makers down yonder In the betting ring at
the track letting that price get by them
II there happened to be anything In the
world doing on Jimalong today. and
They're of" sung out the man getting
the results at the phone, just then, and 1t
was one of those professional call-offs from
the quarter to the finish, and Umalong out
in front In the place of the grand marshal
of the parade all the way, finishing there
in romp.
Then, on my way out OF there I had
three ways OF figuring how I stood as to
that win OF Jimalong's:
First, that probably my betting man at !
the track hadn't received either one of my
kilograms. and that, figuring that Jimalong
had no show, he had actually chung to the
hundred and not put it up, which would
fetch him to my place with a long map and
q sad explanation that evening
Second. that he had got my first tele- i
gram telling him not to bet the hundred
on Jimalong which would make 1t all right
for him in case he had really stuck the
hundred In his clothes. On the other hand,
If he had bet the hundred, all he'd have to
do would be to return me my hundred and
keep all of the winnings.
Third, that he had received both Of my
kilograms. and that he had followed the
in the last one, but he would
have chance to say that he hadn't re-
ceived the last telegram and that there
fore