Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-30
TWO PLUNGERS WHO
DIDN'T QUIT IN TIME
By Clarence L. Cullen.

Tllly Emerson. that gay-souled burnt-cork
man of the flown time who used to sing
81 Feel Just as Happy as a Big sun Flow
err for our daddies. had another sohs' "
thing of his own composition, whch ne III
toned somewhat less merrily toward the emu
of his career as a MINSTREL III was o'i''
III Gould Only Pick the winner.
was a certain pathetic quaVer III Tue 'llN
and aIl-in Emerson's voice Wheh nc ""ns
,ha. III, Of his own writing. He himself
,; ,,usbad fortune that, for minstrei
man was something all but IMMENSE
against the game that is sardohlcailS hho"i
as the sport of kings. on tour Oh Aus'ie
liza IN the heydey of his minstrei Career,
Emerson had become Interested III soiu
,,,i,i,g with such keen luck that within
few years he picked up. as the ho"iiie
,tr,se runs. something more than haif OIL
million of dollars. and 1t wasn't IN stag
mnrev either He brought this extremely
tidy bundle back to the states. retireo vi
course. from the burnt-corK pusineSa 80
proceeded to play the ponies, BUY u'' IL; .
nick the winners. That's why, When ms
Australian coin had all been snusiy pun
away in the capacious satchels OF the doom
les Emerson, rather broken GU l,n.,
though he wasn't old In years hau 70 $3.50
to minstrelsy, and it was upon tnis ietui -.
that he sang. with genuine appiicatio ~
himself which only his friends understo s
ar could Only Pick the Winner rev
wears more and the once celebrated Ehef
So uraitb and wreck of what had once
baen a man. was croaking the ballaos thas
had given him his fame in the BACK room - VI
a Cincinnati groggery-croaklne them '.o,ns
drinks tossed to him by careless young
cb,ns who didn't know who he was ana
wouldn't have cared much had Ihey hno"n
Then the Happy as Big Suhilo"er mo-
passed. certainly as conspicuous an ek .1 p
OF a man who had been Jusgernauted by
w. snort of kings as could be found any
where. ,,.
can YOU pick the winner? Can you beat
'err Can anybody!
ZEN for lust a little while Anyhow. ohly
started out here to write down rev uhlih-
po-tart little things that occurred TO ME
while at a race track the other dty.
Two years ago this past summer there
appnared on the New York tracks cool
sort of a chap from Chicago, with an irish
name. who presently began to attract
great deal of attention from bettors ana
bookmakers in the big rings. Ihis COOL
seeming fellow had nervy way vi plas
ing EN- and yet. when his system was
examined IL seemed to look as II he gave
himself the best end of it right along. he
MAYED fayoriteS Ito show TO run lihiu,
that is to say for the benefit OF those WIZ
are not familiar with the game. lie heNel
n
second-''on the limb was good enough Ior
his money. and he plunged on that basis,
often taking so poor prlce as 10 D. ne
didn't bet on all of the favorites, nor, M
deed on half of them: there were Gays
when he didn't bet at all. He Just looked
'em over and when a fayorite came alohs
that he was genuinely keen on he went up
aud down the big line and made Whopping
bets on that favorite 10 ciomp nome as soou
as third in the race. -
Now, this is a pretty nice-iookins thlhg Oh
paper and in the case of this chicago chap
X worked, for quite Bit in pracuce just
ms good as it will work any time with PAD
and pencil. He got what the gains call a
break The thing nudged his way. Inc
favoritcs stood up. MOST OF the laEoiIt 1
he played as matter OF tact actuaiiy
won. instead of running merely third But
he didn't repne because he hadn pet on
them to win. The short price on the cihct
ling was what he was looking for. ana, as
said he got what he was after Tor so iohs
a time that the bookies began to wish that
he would go anyway from there; s so"
that Chicago chap bet s.iO.OVo against Slo
Os, one afternoon that Bedouin would run
third Bndouin being the faverite at 10 >,
to ) for the place and l TO 10 snow;
Badouin won in a most absurd fonp. ana
the Young man from Chicago was pulling
dow goodies like that right along. People
began to follow his system. rev OF theh
getting anything at it, however, because
they wanted to apply 1t to every race ana
few systems apply to every race
This cool chap had bank roll or some
thing ike 100000 at the end of his first
New York season. While he WASH an
ostentatlous chap, he nevertheless rode 10
ard from the tracks In a gas-giG of the size
Of an ocean-going tug. and he had SUITE
at Sherry's in New York that an artist might
have been proud of. His ralment was OF
ar immaculateness not to be exaggerated
a3d of perfect taste withal and, taking II
by and large It was the primrose path and
the asphodel meadows for that young Chi
cagoan viewed from any and all angles.
X
didn't make the New York tracks as
often as usual last summer but when the
racing season down on Long Island began
this year one OF the first men l ran into was
the cool Ch!cagoan. 1t was pretty warm
day and he didn't look so cool. In fact, he
was rushing around the ring in his ShiIi
sleeves. and his shirt wasn't anything t.
brag of at that. The sweat of honest toll
was making little rivulets down his heated
cOunteuauCe, and the more he mopped with
his moist wisp OF handkerchief the warmer
he looked. l had known him very well. in
Chicago years ago as well as in New YORK
la his zenith and SO L gave him the SUI
prised hello.
Getting so much of your coin down now
adayS that you have to take off your coat
for the work eh?'' | said to him, really
knowing nothing of what had transplren
with him last year.
behave that" he said promptly. I'm
working"
Working" said l. amazed. "At WHAT
why" said he. didn't you know L an
outside man for Billy Blanks book
Ard that's what he was-and is-an out
side man; the price getter. that is to say
or wardslnan, general runner. for book
maker; hopper around the ring to see that
his employers prices are right, to tiEd ou
what horses are being played. and So on
It's hard work, too. You've noticed EN- a
the tracks-the fellows at whom the Pnker
tons in the ring are perpetually yelling
"Hey. youse, stop that runnin'!"
| asked him, matter of course. how
II had happened.
oh. they took me- he replied. placdly
enough. considering the bump he had got.
"Oh. you fell down on your system
see said |.
Not on your life did I crawfish on m!
system" said he. but they shot me anC
II full of holes, that's all. l couldn't ge
ZEN To run right for me all season. Los
eight straight whoppers, favorites all fin
fishing out OF the money. Well. yes, the
j tried to climb back biz by playing few
OF 'em to win-and when it was all owe
Billy Thankfully. by the way had mos
OF my roll and he's got it yet-gave me
fob as his outside man. That's all, an
he formed himself into a flying wedge o
one 20 burst through crowd of pikers VIII
were keeping the stronger players ava
from his employers slate.
That's little Renaissance No l, herewit
u-tth lea suggestion