The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-02-25
.C0CK|NG MAIN
DELIGHTS SPORTS
Gamblers Wagercd the Long
Green With Lavish Hand on
the Chickens.
NO TIGHT WADs IN CROWD
Some OF the Richest Men in the
Country at the Pit
side.

NEW ORLEANS, LA, February "a
Perhaps not again during the present
generation will there rendezvous such a
large camp of sportsmen, famous the
world over, as that which Is now laying
siege to this city. 1t is a suro enough
bang-up gathering of celebrities we have
with US. They drifted In during MardI
Gras, and will now stay on pretty much
until after the running OF tho Crescent
City Derby next month, and until the
times comes to elbow to Benning's, at
Washington, D. c. After some eighty
two days Of racing and gambling on
the horses the sports found n source of
relaxation in some high stake cock
lighting during the last ten days. Tho
main served to bring out a full repre-
sentation OF the sporting colony, for
about the pits!de at some time or other
during the period of the main were to
be seen many of the noted personages
of the prize ring, the paddock, the Cot
ton Exchange and Wall Street.
The main was probably the greatest
ever fought in this country or abroad,
for oyer $50 battles were contested be-
tween the best birds Texas, Georgia.
Virginia, Mississippi, California and
even Cuba and the West Indies could
produce. No such betting on rooster
fights Is on record as that which CEN
tired about the main of twenty-five birds
n side between the Texas Rangers"
and the Mississippi Red Eyes" The
former birds were backed and pitted
by Johnnie Maddigan's licutenants.
The pitting was clean and sharp, just
eighteen of the Texas cocks being dead
and sixteen of the Mississippis being
dead at the roundup.
John w. Gates at Pit.
Interesting spectators of the milling
We're John W. Gates, Cap Bradley
the multi-millionaire faro bank expert:
ex-Champion Jack McAuliffe jesse
Lewisohn. Diamond Jim" Brady, owner
OF the $4,000 Accountant; Plunger
Bob" Tucker, Dave Gideon, p. j.
Rainey, OF De Mund fame; Archie
thinner, Fred Bcrlew. Jockey Dave"
Ncol, frankie O'Ncill, Joe" 'Ullman
and a whole army OF bookmakers, high
bettors. trainers and sports OF lesser
degree.
Fully 1900 men crowded into the
dingy amphitheatre at 50 head. The
pit Is located out in Southport, La,
a suburban resort where the hale full
swing ideas OF the days Of 40 still
prevail. For instance. on any day
within a block or SO OF tho cock fight
Is a gigantic keno game Win a. TOu-
lctte andrno-llnit poker game In flour
fishing order On Sunday the sports
come trooping down from the city in
car loads.
"Keno' On the Side.
When there is little doing in the
cock fighting line then this old time
keno layout gets q strong run of pat
ronage. AS to be expected with the
star main Of the year in progress. the
keno got very small play this last
week or so. AS much as $4,000
changed hands on the result Of a sin
gle battle. AZ the cocks were weighed
out the motley throng would rise up
and hurl financial challenges pretty
much after the way the frenzied spec
ulators barter in the Chicago wheat
pit. Messrs. Berlew O'Neill, Of
New York. fought some high-class
chickens. They won fight after fight,
and cleaned up considerable money.
Bookrnaker Jack Sheehan backed the
Berlew cocks for large sums all
through the naming What with rae
ing every day in the week, including
Sunday. and cock-fghting and keno
thrown in. the New Orleans sporting
man surely is able to get action" this
winter On coming away from a long
session with the birds, John w. Gates
was asked to which he liked better.
horse racing or chicken lighting. He
said: "Well. those chickens are on the
level. anyway. They're always trying"