The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1911-07-28
SMALL CHANGE TO
WIN A FORTUNE
BY BETTING
''Pittsburg PHIL Left Fortune q
s2,5oo,ooo which He Had Won,
But Davy johnson Left Nothing
But @aarkers.s
Out Of 200 Members Of q New YORK
Book Makers Club, Only Thirty
Are Wealthy.

What chance has q man 10 make
money by betting on horse races? This
question has been frequently asked.
The difference between successful
man and a losing one Is best illustrat-
ed by the amount Of money left by the
late George e. Smith C'Pittsburx
Phii'D and the late Davy Johnson.
The former left fortune OF $500 900.
the latter died owing nearly half q
million. Ard yet in q way both men
were successful turf plungers.
Pittaburg Phil was the most success
full man that ever attempted to get 4
fortune from the turf. During his A.
teen years of speculation he was
eclipsed at times by various plungere
such as M. +. Dwyer, Pierre LoriIlard.
Plunger Walton. John A. Drake, John
w. Gates and Davy Johnson, who
made bets ranging from $4,000 to 500
900 on horse. while 'sPhil'' was mod
estly placing his $1,000 or 5000.
There has been much hue and cry
OF late years by the enemies OF racing
against the bookmaker. That indiyid-
ual has been painted In black colors.
To him has been credited much Of the
evils ~ the turf--fixed races. and
manipulating or jockeys and trainers.
Some Of these stories are true, but
many OF them are pure fabrications.
Pittsburg Phil did not consider book
makers crooks and he matched his
4 wits against them.
! Pittsburg Phil told his friends that
the secret of his succecs In picking
winners was due to the fact that he
] did not own race horses during the
years when he accumulated his for
tune. In the last few years of his life
he bought string OF racers in order
i TO give his brother William employ
! ment as a trainer.
Don't own race horses II you wish
to pick winners" he told his friends.
III speak by the card. have won
many big bets on my horses. notably
! on King Cadmus But I lost the win
nings on many other horses In my
d stable. The trouble with man own
ing horses is, he can see onl yhis thor
oughbred entered In the race.
i With rayy Johnson the possession
Iof racers served to bring both good ana
lad lpc.;. His experience was much
like that of Pittsburg Phil-he wo1
:, many BIG bets on his racers, but ulti.
:, mately lost the money back on them.
i Unlike Pittsburg Phil. Johnson WA
not close student of form but al
/, pended more on inside informationf
4 OF the two men. Johnson was the
! greater plunger. II he won $4,000 one
day he would bet IL back the next.
Phil was more careful, and would not
bet just for the sake of betting.
! AS for the stories that the bookmak-
ers all die wealthy here is the truth
regarding them In nutshell: When
i the Metropolitan Turf association (the
bookmakers' club) was organized 4
had 200 members, men OF wealth and
| standing In sporting circles. The prir-
cipal feature OF this organization We
J the l'fc insurance which a memb&
carried Under the condition. when ,
member died the remaining members
were taxed s25 each. so that the widot
or heirs OF the deceased member wa
paid $4,000
IL Ia this insurance clause that MOI
holds the members of the Metropolitan
Turf association together. They need
that 5000 for their families. or the
200 members not more than 80 al
4 wealthy. The others are either livink
I on the ragged edges OF their fortunes
or are broke"