Los Angeles herald., 1907-02-04
STRANDED ARE TRACK
FOLLOWERS In SOUTH

, thing. But say-it is real charity, and
il any Of the fellows do we'll after hik-
ing away from here in the spring, you
can bet the old soup thrower won't be
overlooked any"
One of the curious sights to the New
Workers is that of "Billy" Gavan, the
| old-time Gravesend horse owner and
bookmaker (he was a power years ago
on the Maspeth, l.. l., electric light
course), hawking tips on Canal street
to the crowds taking cars for the race
track
"Biddy" Cornish, who made $250.000
in the get-rich-uuick boom, is here this
winter, as he was three winters ago
when he held out in a suite at the st.
Charles. "Biddy" is a modest rubber
for $35 month I'm Nose Goldsmith's
stable out at the fair grounds.
Then none of the sports from Wash
ington, -. c., or Baltimore, Md, here
on the ground but find smile wreath
ing up their faces as they contemplate
the vicssitudes of little Freddie"
Scharff.
"Fredie" is a dapper little man who
a year ago was satisfied and happy at
$25 a week in the treasury department
at the capital.
Parlays $40 Note
one day at Pimlico he parlayed a $40
note into a small fortune. Nothing
would do but scharff tries bookmaking
a few days later at Benning with the
newly acquired bank roll
His luck stayed with him and soon
he had more money than he ever dared
to dream about A speedy resignation
from the department and he was ready
for the flush high tide of sporting en-
thusiasm for New orleans.
He came to town clad in the latest
cuts and the most daring tweeds, with
an entire crew in tow, each one of
whom was not in any way less pros
porous so far as from outside appear
anCes count than the lucky boss him
self Soon he had drawn in at the fair
grounds.
What the sharpshooters from the
paddock didn't take of his bankroll the
thieving clerks purloined. The kid
topped patent leather shoes disappeared
along with the sporting stone from the
cravat. Scharfr was beaten and broke.
But I'm not dead by a long ways,
said he one day, and he spoke the
truth.
Freddie" is just now selling specu-
lators' tickets in front of the French
opera and waiting for the time when
he can run up $40 note into a COM
potency again.
This idea of stretching a shoestring
gambler, and one might say the very
heart thrOb of the speculative system
of the turf. Thousands go on for days
and years, and will continue to do so
until their death, yearning and dream
ing for the moment when luck will give
them a fortune for which they won't
have to work.
Lie in Potters Field
To talk about the fallacy of the thing /
to these dyedin-the wool race playing
regulars who come down here to New
Orleans every winter is just SO much
wasted words and time. Once a race
gambler. always one, is the thing.
"Famishing Flynn" is the chief char |
acter among the New Orleans race
track tramps. 1t is related of him that
he is the son of wealthy New Eng
land shoe manufacturer and that he
left home with pockets full of money
and possessed of the dignity of q mil
lionaire.
The races got him. His final dollars
brought him from San Francisco, Cal,
here to this city, where his financial
light snuffed out. Before becoming a
member of the professional colony of
dead hard buns, he walked around
the sporting resorts in a pair of old
tennis shoes, the most forlorn being
you ever saw.
1t was tough lesson. 1t missed the
mark, though. for Flynn is still hoping
for the ''three-time parlay." Many
come, but few are winners to the New
Orleans winter grind. Many stranger
is laid to rest in Potter's field and the
suicide list grows apace every winter
down here-all eloquent of the trage-
dies of the foolish notion of getting
something for nothing by way of the
race track route.