Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-03
LOOKS GLOOMY FOR
THE SPORT OF KINGS
Racing Rapidly Losing Its Popu-
Iarity in the United
States.

the game known as the sport or kings,
racing is rapidly losing out in the United
States. The country has at least awakened
TO the deadIness OF the game. The solid
men OF many widely-separated American
communities have at length percsived the
fact that racing Is really close second 70
whisky in the decentralization which it
wreaks upon those who permit themselves
to become fascinated by the rythuic music
OF the runners hoofbeats.
st LOuis's strongly-intrenched racing
clique was the first 10 feel the goad of pub
lie disapprovaL Gov Joe Folk was the
man who set to work to put the skds under
that sinister crowd, with the cooperation
Of all of the ST. Louis newspapers, without
regard 10 politics. Joe Folk went after the
shady gang operating the st. Louis tracks,
and he got them. They put up a fight
snarled like leopards. wound up by openly
defying the power Of Folk to put them out
OF busness-whiCh was exactly what Folk
was waiting for. He wanted to get them
on record as open and defiant lawbreakers.
When they assumed that attitude the rest
of 1t was easy. There hasn't been a thor
oughbred's hoofbeat heard on a st. Louis
race track since last May, and men who
know well what they talking about do
not hesitate 10 predict that racing will
never be re-estabished in the great city
smuggling by the father of waters
Carter Harrison's Victory.
Chicago was next Carter Harrison did
the trick out there.
Harrison tackled the betting end of the
game first. He knew. of course, that with
out betting racing could not exist. He tied
up the betting rings. The Bookmakers'
Association employed swell lawyers, sonor-
sounding injunctiOns were gotten out.
and all that sort of thing. But injunctions
never did mean whole lot to Carter Har-
rison when he was doing things. One day
betting ring with Instructions that every
man seen taking a bet making one
should be forthwith pinched and clapped
INTO a cell. The race-track folks roared
then. not with glee, but In believing wrath
But they were helpless The great Ameri-
can Derby day drew nigh. This race had
always attracted it's tens of thousands to
Washington Park. But week before the
race was to be run the fact was perfectly
patent to everybody in Chicago that there
would be no chance to get bet down on
the big race on Derby day. The race was
called OFF, Washington Park was closed
never to reopen its gates. for the track
property was Immediately cut up to be sold
for building lots. And there has been no
racing In Chicago since.
Arkansas got after the game as carried
on at Hot Springs. The track projectors
were allowed to run their poor-class skates
ar Hot Springs last winter upon condition
that they'd never come back again. and
even the pool rooms OF Hot Springs had to
put the shutters up in response TO laws
deviltry caused by racing
Tennessee. an ancient seat of racing next
swung into line. Laws deliberately devised
to so hamper racing IN that state as to vir-
tually stop II altogether were passed The
racing bunch, however. had sufficient pull
and were OPPORTUNITY aided by the condition
or Tennessee politics. to hold their spring
meetings this year. But Tennessee folks
who know what is going on down In that
beautiful section OF the world shake their
heads when asked II IT is likely that there
VIII be any more racing in their state
The Revolt in New Orleans
Marvel of marvels. New Orleans a VERT
able capital OF the thoroughbred game for
nearly eighty years. Joined the anti-racing
circle last winter. The race track projec-
tors themselves were responsible for this.
Two rival cliques got to gnawing at each
other. and two tracks were run in New
Orleans throughout the winter. Not only
that. but the reckless chance-takers NEVER
iobably having heard the legend of the
goose or the golden eggs few in the face
of decent public opinion in New Orleans
by starting a Sunday track-a most wretch
ed. squalid affair. but nevertheless a race
track-at Algiers. near New Orleans. That
settled it. The legislators at Baton Rouge
began to get busy in response TO a tre-
Wendous demand from the solid folks. No
bill got through. because the matter was
taken up too late but it's going to be taken
up again long before the tracks are sched-
uted to open their gates in New Orleans
nexI winter, and there is plenty of prob
ability that that schedule viii never go into
effect The best element OF New Orleans Is
on record as cOndemring New Orleans rae
ing. ard il has got to go.
Even old kentuCy, ancient stronghold OF
the thoroughbred il is. seat and center
Of the race horse rearing industry. has
Vers lately been showing some restlessness
over the confessed evils of the racing game
as Il is carried on I'm the Bluegrass state
as we'll everywhere else. Mutterings are
ieard down there that Kentucy has had
pretty nearly enough racing. 1t is per-
feCtly within the bounds of probability that
racing will he eliminated from kentuckys
roster OF expensive amusements at no very
distant day.
Most reliable inside information from Cali
fornia indicates that there Is small ikeli
mood that racing Will ever be the big thing
around San Francisco that 1t was before
the earthquake They're going to begin to
Top off some of the racing branches out
there. Just as they're already framing UP
methods to keep down the saloon element
in the new city that Is even now rebuilding,
and IL any deductions can be drawn from
the most obvious signs OF the times the
California racing game began to totter to
its eventual complete fall on the morning
that the great earthquake came.
Bills Aimed at Benning.
And. finally, the people behind the Wash
ington race track at Benning have got their
ear pressed close to the ground They have
heard rumblings. and well might they listen
for further seismic disturbances. There are
bills before Congress. sure to become acts
sooner or later contemplating the erasing
Of Benning as a race track from the map
OF the Districts envtrons. The projectors
% the Benning track appreciate this fuii
we'll They are giving Bennng two years
to endure. three years at the outside
Certain facts incline others to the belief
that Benring is doomed to extinction at
considerably earlier date
The situation of the bloated racing clique
in New York is parlous. TO say the least
Racing had the closest kind of a shave OF
Il in the New York legislature at Its last
session. The racing folk had to employ
tremendous lot OF lobbying talent. not to
mention more substantial and negotiable
matters all distributed vast scale. TO
save themselves from being snuffed out
and only got by by the narrowest OF mar
gins. at that, with every likelihood that
the campaign against the tracks VIII be
promptly renewed at the next session OF
the legislature. considerable section or
the New York press is after the racing
game as ii is exploited around Greater New
York The race track people had to make
all sorts of concessions to save themselves
from the highly-supported attack of the
legislature.
And So here is the United States. until
short time ago the second, IL not the