The San Francisco call., 1910-11-25

in the most deliciously expressive jar
gon.
Tt was a record breaking crowd at
the track yesterday, it was said, and IL
was surprising to see how many or
those present were women. So many
stories have been written of women at
the racetrack and so many tragedies
recounted that one rather expects to
see fate doing its worst on every side.
On the contrarya ii takes rather
thoughtful state of mind and some
amount Of psychological research TO
find any very serious woes there. There
are emotional tears, of course. over the
! loss of a few dollars, and a days i'll
luck means always a downcast heart
to all save the most experienced gam
blers, 1T is said.
In the fifth race a woman next TO
me, middle aged. rather plainly
dressed. who had evidently washed her
own inexpensive lingerie waist. had
bet some money on a horse named
Sepulveda, ridden by a boy named
Archibald.
1t is hardly fair to give horses such
names as Sepulveda. by the way. 1t
is too hard to pronounce and calling
out the name seems one of the pleas
antest things about the race TO many
of the people Some of them did their
best with Sepulveda, but really it was
serious curb on the joy OF that event
and he lost after all.
This woman next me didn't try. She
appealed to the rider. She began in
whisper when the horses were about
half mile away.
Archie" she said. And then again.
''Oh, Archie" and at regular intervals
came these familiar entreaties, grow
ing louder as the horses drew nearer
the goal. She began TO snap her
fingers and shiver, the monotonous
rn - 81 4Y.fr.
her almost into a frenzy.
Two horses were running faster than
Sepulveda that time and she collapsed
in her seat, sobbing. with her teeth
chattering. 1t only lasted a minute.
however, and she began 70 count her
money and talk to a eolored woman
near her about the next thing that
looked good" She probably needed
the money. but it was no matter Of life
and death with her and not particu
larly touching.
Most of the women there were in
such 'dressy" effects that one felt sure
the gambling was a mere matter OF
amusement. Such willow plumes. such
velvet gowns, such furs. sable. chin
chilla and the rest, such silk stockings
and such tons of false braids and puffs
who could waste sympathy over
merely losing money?
AS to the moral aspect, many OF
played the game of life on the get
rich quick" at any price plan that
horserace or two was not worth con-
sidering, save as a part of the whole.
There were two things that were
really pathetic feel that / must do
finding something melancholy at the
track-and the first of these were
those women who went alone and
looked out of place
I saw at least dozen OF them. thin,
young women. just beginning to find
their first wrinkles-thin in the backs
of their necks, which is nearly always
a. sign of a lonely, circumspect sort of
an existence. Their faces looked Is
If they had repressed every emotion
and lived on breakfast foods for years.
School teachers of the less prosper
Gus sort, book keepers or stenogra-
piers they seemed, and so lonely that
they had to do something for excite
| ment. They bet a little in more OF
less alarmed way and studied the form
sheets-if that is what you call the
things that give life histories of the
horses and riders-out of all proper
tion to their betting. They were not
sports" in any sense of the word. All
they could do was lose a little money
and their self-respect.
The other sad sight was a little
girl of about 10, who was being trained
by her large, berouged. redhatted moth
er TO know the racingsgame in all its
details.
"He can't carry that weight. can he?"
she asked about one favorite. And
don't believe this is his distance. six
and a half furlongs was his best per-
formance, wasn't it mother? And this
is only five"
1t positively gave me the shivers. be-
cause the child evidently knew whereof
4
on Spellbound in one race, and she
"rooted"-or whatever you call 1t In
"racetrackese"-at the top of her lungs.
The child was as ardent. but she
showed il differently. Her little face
paled until it was almost CHASTITY, her
eyes filled with tears and she kept
forming with silent lips the name.
Spellbound won, and then the little lass
| turned a rosy red, shouted for Joy and
conducted herself as any natural child
should when pleased--but il was a /
sickening sort of a thing.
It was more diverting up among a
group of men and women. black and
white. betting sociably together.
Il got my money on Bubbling Water.
but I know 1 am a fool" said one
woman whose willow plumes made her
a noticeable figure. II hadn't ought to
bet ever on a holiday. know hadn't
1t takes me to lose every cent on
sucker day, all rlgnr. Cut out hOIl-
days ought to be my MOTTO.
We'll, only put my money on her
because a friend of mine is a great
friend of theirs. and she come over and
said TO put every cent on her; so I did,
said another woman.
Il just played her for place" said
a serious blonde young man in the
fuzziest beaver hat to be found. she
looks good all right, but this track is
bad for her today
Despite these representations there
were many thousands of dollars on
Bubbling Water and the grandstand
rocked and reverberated with roars of
encoura cement as she came down the
track All In vain. however. BubbIing
Water went the way of Hannah Louise
and not many -cashed in.
A quaint, sofr voiced co1ored man
told Of a secret longing TO play horse
called Bessie c, which desire was
promptly frowned .doon by the dark
brown lady who accompanied him.
That hawse amt got the chance of
anything" she said. Why. she don's
look good to nobody"
Yes" said he softly. Il know, but