The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1907-06-19
| could hang around the office and

I could hang around the office and
"freeze" on to any likely looking
suckers" who appeared. His deal
ings were to be strictly on the square
that is, he would sell couple of
tips day and refund the buyers
money, as per agreement, II they did
not win. If l landed any of the
clients for q bunch of money / did
1t on the outside and my pal sympa-
thized with them, but told them he
only knew me as an occasional GUS
toner.
The business prospered beyond our
best hopes. Micky had all kinds of
luck in picking the winners and by
advertising we soon had an income of
nearly 5000 a day. In addition l
steered one of our clients into poker
game where he lost $500, and the
next day / caught a boy from San
Jose for $4,000, which he had just
received from his guardian on his
twenty-first birthday.
These killings. set us up In the
world, and we lived like millionaires.
| also had luck at the track, and in
the middle of December | had $751;
900 in safe deposit vault. That
was the heyday of our prosperity. 1t
was a common thing for us to have
nothing but tip for the waiter left
out of a 500 bill after we had had
dinner. But we didn't care nor even
think about it. It's easy to be prodi-
gal when you have $4,000 in a box
waiting to be spent and more coming
in every day.
But it wasn't long before the tide
turned. In the first place we struck
losing streak with our tips and the
$500 a day dropped off until we
scarcely paid office rent. Meanwhile
l was dropping big wads of coin at
the track. / couldn't seem to pick
them right. One day l lost s4500.
On another s2S00. My roll couldn't
stand that long, and on New Years
Day | took our last thousand over
to the track. I intended to bet on
two horses-Firestone, which l knew
was likely to prove the best two-year-
old on the Coast, and Proper, in the
New Years Handicap. A horseman
persuaded me to stay off Firestone,
which he said was not ready to race.
and at the last moment | switched
from Proper to Logistilla. The lat
ter was left at the post and Proper
won.
On the way back that night felt
natural. / was broke. I've been
broke ever since, and the way things
look now I am likely to stay that way.
for the easy marks are staying out Of
my path, if there are any in town.
Now, | am an old hand at all kinds
of gambling. | make my living by
knowing more about that sort of
thing than the man whose money
want, and yet l squander all I make
in going against games in which my
money isn't worth ten cents on the
dollar the moment sit in.
Years ago l was talking with John
Condor, the blind racetrack magnate
VI CHlCdSU. we Wtlc uioCuooih6
gambling and the chances a man has
to win.
"Well," said Condor, "there's only
one way to beat a gambling game.
Make the other fellow go against
your game. With me any time a
man didn't want to go against my
game there was no play"
Shrewd old John Condor hit the
nail on the head. AS long as the
suckers" play my game I get the
money The moment 1 begin to
gamble In any other game where an
other man has the percentage 1 lose
my money the same as any other
sucker" l know this and yet I go
right on losing my money. Why?
There's a conundrum. If l had s10,.
900 I'd give it all to know the an
swer.-San Francisco Chronicle.