Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-09
HOW Prize IS WON
Drawing for Calcutta Derby
SWeepstake Is Unique.
CARRIES A BIG WINNING
Possible to Capture 1926, 900 on Bet
of Only 1926
OLD CAB Is IN MUSEUM
Hanson Used as Specimen of a
Nearly Extinct London
Industry.
CARRIES A BIG WINNING
OLD CAB is IN MUSEUM

Industry.
LONDON. June 1.-The most remark
able as we'll as the most valuable horse
racing prize in the world Is the famous
Calcutta derby sweepstakes. the drawing
for which takes place today at the Cal
2tItta Turf Club. For the stake OF 81. -
one may possibly win $4,000.
\ visitor today to the big clubhouse OF
the Calcutta turtles might, with luck.
witness strange sight Here. in a big
room. little knot OF men will be gath
sred. the committee OF the club. headed
by the president. representatives of q
leading firm of auditors in Calcutta. and a
number of clerks carrying bags filled with
IVORY counters and a mass Of little card
BOARD squares.
The squares are examined first The
auditor has a list containing the names of
AL the horses nominated for the derby
and upon the pieces of cardboard are
written these names One OF the auditor s
men picks up the little slips one by one
and calls out the names until all have
been checked and the auditor knows for
certain that there Is one slip to every
nomination. Then the counters are ex-
Aained. the numbers on them being
rhecked off against the numbers contained
Tn The Big Sweepstake ledgerS or the club
huge books nearly two feet In iengthj, in
which is a register of all tickets sold.
When satisfied that everytn ng Is n
order the auditor sees the cardboard
slips placed in small barrel on one
side of the room, while the ivory coun-
tiers are placed in a barrel the size of a
hogsnead against the other wall. Each
of these barrels IS fitted with handle
on the side. and rests on two pins n
expires sly prepared sockets. At signal
from the pres dent, two members of the
committee approach each a barrel and
turn the hanule vigorously, In much the
same way that man would turn the
handle of a knife-cleaning machine, until
counters and cardboard squares are all
thoroughly shuftied.
Method of Drawing Sweepstakes.
In the top of each barrel there is a
hole cut, large enough to admit the
hand and arm of a man. The cover which
is kept on this while the shaking s being
done. is removed one committeeman
putting his hand into one barrel and
Withdrawing the name of a horse, whine
the other, on his side, will draw out a
single number. These are handed to the
president, and at once entered up in a
spec. ally kept book. Again a few turns
Of the handle. and again the two men
draw each fresh challenge to fortune,
and so on. throughout the day, until the
whole Of the two to three hundred
horses named have been withdrawn, to-
sether with a corresponding NUMBER of
counters.
This Ia how the Calcutta sweep is drawn,
and one of these counters Will represent
sum OF, 1t may be. f60,U0V to the
fortunate man who has purchased has
right to counter with an outlay of lbs
I'd. The amount of the first prize varies,
of course. from year to year. according
10 the number of tickets sold. The first
prize used to be about $4,000. but has
dr. I1rrt fr1-r ~ ~ lace
year to 460.0O. The Individual who
draws the horse which ultimately runs
second VIII get half that sum. while
the man who gets No. 3 in the big
race will get a quarter. A similar amount
will be divided among those who draw
horses which run In the race. and you
get some idea Of the magn tude of the
sweep when you realize that IL there
are thirteen numbers In a race a man
who draws the name of runner which
is not in the first three may win cleo.
Actually. the money subscribed is di-
vded in this proportion: Winner of
Derby, 40 per cent: second ,.Orse. 20
per cent: third horse, 10 per cent: start
ers. 10 per cent between them; nom ma
tons, ID per cent between them, and
Calcutta Turf Club 10 per cent.
What this means is that In ordinary
years the mere drawing of a nominated
horse VII entitle man to something
well over ESQ. while the amount taken
by the club during the past few years
year, which sum s. applied to M eting
the heavy expenses incurred to the
prov son of prizes for the Calcutta WIN
Ter meeting and to the general expenses
Of the race course.
Started Forty Years Ago.
This great sweep was started first by
i firm of accountants at Umballa. and
was called then the Simkin Lerby sweep.
CSimkin. by the way. is the Anglo-Indian
slang for champagne, but SO popular did
the sweep become that the firm of ac-
countants responsible for 1t gradually
.ane TO be known as Simkin q Coz. 1t
started apparently more than forty
years ago. but about 1877 some doubts
were raised as to the legality of such
lottery beng conducted by private
firm. and. as a consequence. the Bengal
Club took 1t on. The Bengal Club was
not sporting club proper, and In 1886
the conduct of the whole business was
handed over to the Calcutta Turf Club.
In those days the sweep was not nearly
so big as II is now. the FIRST prize until late
III The eighties being sometimes less than
Loco. From the date OF the clubs con-
troll, however, ii has grown steadily, until
last year IL had assumed such proper
tons that staff OF something like thirty
clerks Is regularly engaged for SIX weeks
before the closing of entr es to deal with
the applications received and the ailo-
cation of tickets. The cost OF cket
j. ten rupees. or los ana, assuming
a., first Or " To be f65.0UO that means
that the total amount of money
Ceived was Gl62. go representing 2i3, $50
tickets.
Until last year all that was necessary
TO d. - secure ticket was to write
1p 10 the secretary of the club at Cal
cGtta; OUT, apparently. the government
raised some objections to this method,
and. accordingly, the secretary received
instructions this year 10 issue tickets
only To members. Under the new rule.
therefore, any one who wants a ticket
las 10 get into touch with a member
and purchase the ticket through him.
The club. in the future. will refuse to
recognize such tickets as being the
property OF any one save the member
whose name is on the application, but.
81 course. many members have bought
scores OF tickets for their friends,
though the club will. in the event of a
ticket allotted to such friend securing
prize. pay the money over TO the
-aember. reserving. however. the right
10 withhold any prize.
Syndieates Make Good Winnings.
When the prizes began TO assume such
mammoth dimensions they naturally
began 10 attract the attention of syn
aicates. who We're anxious TO purchase
the tickets of certain horses after they
were drawn. and, by working In con-
junction with bookmakers In the O q
country were able to make a very good
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