The Washington herald., 1907-04-01
ALL BETTORS ALIKE
Rich Man and Poor Man
Equals at Benning.
WOMEN MAKE MIND wAGERs
Abolition of ssComnissioners'' from
Grand stand Prevents Fair Sex In
vesting Their Money Unless Obiig-
ing Escorts Are at Hand-BOOkieS
Busy as Ever, but Less Comfortable.
Rich man. poor nan. beggar man, thief;
Doctor. lawyer. merchant. chief


Doctor, lawyer, merchant, chief.
So sang the wheels of the street car as
It pounded and ratified over the track
Saturday afternoon, bearing its swarm
of strangely assorted humanity, bound
for Benning and THE Races" Wedged m
amid that indiscriminate throng that
clung to the car ike wild bees upon q
tree limb, the words OF that old Jingle
of childhood rang incessantly in ones
ears, rhythmic cadence to the beat of
the wheels upon the rails.
Rich man. poor man." here to the
right and left sat these extremes. inn
personated by a prospereus-looking, inn
maculately dressed man, giving every
evidence of having had to take the street
car through accident and not by choice or
necessity. and shabbily attired young
fellow, apparently a lower grade govern
ment clerk or bO0kkeeper. one smoked
a fragrant Havana. the other. an aro-
matte "chero0t." One read his sporting
sheet casually and leisurely. the other
glanced fevershly through the columns
devoted to racing information. stopping
occasionally 10 make note with his
pencil. Both We're planning TO stake their
money on the races, but one was bent
on an afternoon of pleasure, while TO the
other race-going was evidently a serious
proposition. involving the possibilities of
new spring clothes for self and perhaps
wife and babies. or nonpayment Of rent
and eviction.
-BeEEaF Man or Theft"
''Beggar man, thief Why not these
two ragged, dirty. looking
creatures, eiinging 20 the side Of the car
and eagerly discussing the chances of
Akbar in the hrst race.
''Dere's nuttin' to it." says one Look
what he done de oder day De dope
oughter send i'm to de post de fayoright,
but de pikers is goin' ter fall strong fer
dat skate Paaike (Panique), an der'n be
er chanst ter get as good as S ter / on
Akbar"
lie oughter 10 be a tousand ter ore.
Look who he's in wild" responds the
other. disdainfully. outside Of Panike
dere's Parkeville, Buttons, an Jack Nc
Keon. ANY one er dem can run rings
aroun dat dog Akbar. Me strong fer
Parkeville acrost de board an back
ag'ln."
II is to be hoped for his sake that he
went strong for Parkeyille." Those that
did had no cause for complaint.
Doctor, lawyer There they sat. both
well-known practitioners Of Washington.
and discussing tie dope" as earnestly and
professionally as either had ever ampu-
tated "A limb or pleaded a case al the bar
D. a.
I bated pro and con, and the chances OF
one horse after another taken up and dis
posed 0f, with dissertations now ard then
upon the recent wonderful record OF
Jockey -. and the suspicious, ecccn-
trio ride that such and such horse re-
ceived at the hands of Jockey -- few
days since.
"Merchant, Chief" Also.
Merchant. chief'-here were several
of the first named species. varying their
race gossip with a discussion of the
stock market and trade conditions. To
make the picture complete there were
two chiefs of bureaus of government de-
partments chatting together about tho
prospects Of Black Dagagiaa, Pen Cole
Quadrille, or Campaigner, using the
horses names with an air Of familiarity
that betrayed more than passing
knowledge of the sport Of kings" and its
many intricacies.
This then is the motley throng that
alighted from car after ear outside The
great fenced park near the District line.
and flowed in a steady stream along the
boardwalk to clubhouse. paddock, grand
stand, and field gates, and into the bie
enclosure. As they passed along the walk
horde of vociferous dispensers of the
products of the fertile brains OF profcs-
sionaI tipsters besieged the racegoers.
Here dey are; ali de winners. picked
for you by de great handicapped. .
all for er dollar; get in line: get I'm line. -
is the burden of the cry of these leather
lunged haWkers, whose wares are eagerly
snapped up by the unintiated, who actu-
ally believe that there is such "A thing as
correct advance information on the run
ming of a horse race.
Inside the park the greatest crowd of
the season swarmed over the lawn and
stands As it drew on toward time for
the opening event of the afternoon the
male contingent left the stands and filled
the grounds beneath where. marked by
little whirlpo0ls of humanity, stood the
'disposse essed' and stool-less boolna kers
plying their ancient art with as much
vim vigor. and success as of old, but
under slightly more uncomfortable con
ditions.