Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-05-02

de Grace canvasback is the last word
IN ducks
Twice a year. however when tn.
, races are on. ducks. fish and his,or,.
retire temporarily into the BACKGROUND
The railroads rum daily speci:ls dirnc,
TO the track from Baltimore, Wash
inston and PHILADELPHIA. The main
trunk auto road that connects Nor
York with Washington and the South
I Is crowded with scattering jitueys
bearing the crowds TO the paddock.
INC program is conducted with I'M
mcnsc dignity and order Persons on.
posed to racing have To base their Oh
)cctions TO the performance at Hayro
DC trace on principle rather than prac
ucc There is something OF the pictur
esdne element lacking, that dls;in.
Suished the old-tinc wide y,c
ing meets, and those that arc still hold
NJ The smaller and more obscure traclu
the pandcmoniur OF rival hook
makers, inc multitudnous takers, IN.
vendors OF tips" and sure things. Bet;
tinS at iavrc 10 Grace tl!s wear g.,
done exclusively through wlia1 is LEGAL
iy known as the machine" u has al,
| The sol"mh'ty OF playing the stock
, Exchange.
The machine occupies the big sr,ro
q hundred yards !u.g under ne s,and
brfd"rch by liz. OF grated u.irto,vs
IKE windows Of tcllcrs in a hank
ct!zcn Who desires to uack ria
crrtan OF Il rai.. cular horse ,r:t, .
study OF the odds, advances on one OF
III" windows aud buys I, "tIck,t'' for
any SUM from 81 10 $5r He NAV place
ms money on the horse :or "strai.ht."
pl'tce' or "show"-that is. n. may be,
ON his choice for Il winner. o. for nne
oi sh- first two horses 10 pasq undnr
ne " 9, or one OF til. fist three In
the former ease. OF course lie t,i;,s
.nc ,ohSer chance and stands to win
'he larger SUM The pool is divided
proportionatcly among tho t,cIlnts nm
NE irSt tire" horScs. should = favor
tie win, the winnings arc .rlit ,mon,.
a h"iEc number OF tickets, while IL /,
iohS sHot crosses the line ahead tho
snare oi each bcttor VINO backed him Ia
pfcportionatciy larger. Thus the odds
automatically adjust themselves
1t Is claimed that this system does
away with the old abuses, and it Ger
tainly seems to contribute mnteriauv
10 the general ordcrlincss Of the nro-
cecdimgs. According TO some OF those
VINO have followed the Iiavre dc Gr,-.
meets Tor years. II IL not as popular
WITH the racing folk as was the old
regime, but objections arc not appar-
cnt. The money Is quite event.. dis
small tickets. typical pool will show
! 1000 81 tickets. LOCO at 50. 500 AL $40
and less than 100 a, $50.
! The crowd lends some color To / Z,
charge sometimes made that racing is
rich mans sport. The poor are COLI
! SplcuouS ny their absence. There is
good sprnlSling Of Society" but the
general attitude OF the spectators is
keen and busincsslilSc. Evcrybodv fol
! lows the proceedings with card and
pencil In hand, the women even more
| seriously and mcthodically than the
| men. The interest ccntcrs on the win
ncr rather than the race, and a game
; loser gets little or tho sympathy that
| he earns in almost every other spor:
| Even In tho 'nan-killng stecplechascs.
when the field crowds up TO jump
, and horses and men go down Tho
glasses in the stand arc turned on
! the horses that stay in the running
and not on the limp figures In gay
colorcd silks that lie still on the
ground.
After il is over the crowd pours
quietly into the waiting trains and
back to Havre dc Grace There is
| none of the disorder that characterized
! the scattering and subsequent ccin-
brations of a racing audience in the
old days of nnregeneracy. AS mem
Der OF the liavre de Grace police force
! put it, One OF these fellows that
| comes over from Il dry county TO bust
! loose Is more trouble than the whole
ounch. All they want to do is rnn
| their races ana he left alone
! From time to time q storm of dis
cussion arises over the whole question
| oil racing. It's advocates maintain thar
il is the best thing In the world f,.r
the breed of horses and the other side
| protests that it is bad for humanity
| however that may lie, there is little
ooupt mat IL Is good thing for Hayre
! de Grace.
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