The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-01-19

successful after all his expensive pur-.
Il chases had turned out failures.
i The successes Of Mr.. Keene and MIR.
Croker with colts OF their own ralsir 8
should induce some OF our amateur
farmers to invest In n few choicely
bred mares, for this Is certainly the
K surest and cheapest way to attempt
tile somewhat difficult feat OF owning
/ o. champion. They certainly could not
engage in this Industry at a better
| timu, for at recent sales many mares
| in whose veins flowed the choicest
| strains or blood to be found the world
over failed to even elicit n reasonable
/ bid, while the few which changed
owners were not sold but sacrificed.
i The Midwest.
4 In tile Midwest the racing outlook
| still remains cloudy. For the past
!, two seasons all courses. In the vicinity
or Chicago have been closed. and prop J.
lably Will remain so next summer. II
| this Is the case, thousands OF the in
Inhabitants Of the Western metropolis
| will again be debnrred from the really
| innocent pleasure an afternoon on q
] race-cour might afford them. while
! tens of thousands Of those visitors from
the immense territory subsidiary to
! Chicago, who used to visit that city
to see the equine champions OF the
world compete, Will spend elsewhere
the funds they annually lay aside for
recreation. These funds in the aggre-
gate amount to an immense sum, but
possibly Chicago merchants gain more
satisfaction from the impression that
their city Is showing an example to-
the country ut large than they used
to derive from the profitable trade rae
Ing undoubtedly brought to their city
when the local meetings were pros
porous. This impression, however, is
q false one, for, despite the recent cru
SADIE against race track gambling, it
Is still just us easy to make bet in
Chicago as 1t is in the little city of
Toledo, where poolrooms run wide
open. If this is not the case. how can
the vendors Of valuable information
afford the great expense they incur
in advertising the gold bricks they
hand their dupes? From. any stand
point the man who offers a bet Is par
ticeps ,criminis with the taker; so why
do not the brilliant young lawyers
who are working SO hard to furnish
evidence for grand juries stop this
fruitful source of information and find
out the names Of the very foolish per-
sons who enable these tipsters to pay
their advertising bills?
Again, IL there is no betting in Chi
cago, why do the afternoon papers |
write column after column in usually
vain attempts to select winners, while
IN order to help out the poor book
makers they even have the audacity to |
print In large type, "Tlle one best
bet?
Really such question are pilerilc.
Every sensible man who Is acquainted
with the. subject knows that betting
will continue despite the efforts OF |
grand juries and callow prosecuting
attorneys. They also know that those
who bet OF: races at a distance are /
gamblers pure and simple, who take
not the slightest interest In the horse
per Sc nor contribute a cent towards
his keep, as do those who visit race
courses. The same Is the case with |
the bookmakers who prey on these
infatuated fools to such an extent tina.
they can afford to laugh at heavy fines,
even though large per cent. of their
ostensible profits must be absorbed by
the cappers who make 1t so easy FOR
their victims to put down bet. 2.
The only excuse for hampering racsl
ing around Chicago is that 1t induces
such foolish small fry as patronize the
hand books tosbet more than they, can
afford. In consequence forcing them
to starve their families or rob their
employers. This excuse Is not a valid
one. High class racing for reasona BILE,
periods would afford no attraction 70
these people, especially ii the admts-
sion fees equaled those charged by
courses.
Chicago IS not Illinois, in the same
respect as Paris is not France. Like
New York, it is the centre of wide
territory. Like New York. it has
nothing to gain by Affiliations with
weaker centres, as far. ut least, as
initial steps. Promoters Of the neces-
turf matters are concerned. There
fore, like New York, it should form its
own jockey club, conforming, OF course.
to the established rules OF racing, but
to recognize the pretensions
of any less dignified institutions than
its New York conferee and the power
full racing directors who rule across
the seas
= All that is requisite to form a club
that should be free from the persecu-
tions of petty politicians would be for
prominent business men to take the
serves at least tolerance If not support.
Sary ca librn should he wi1linc q IN come