Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-01-24
THE TURF GAMBLERS
rRv II. y. Pringle, Washington, ID. q

(Rv II. N ETlIiSle, w dSuihS -
..The.re off," exclaim a thousand voices
as the starter presses an electric Dutto"'
A dozen horses. urged by whip and spu:'
spring under the tape and begin nun
Edred-seconds contest for which they nave
been trained many months and sent IL
express cars from frosty Maryland 10
tronical New Orleans. Thousands OF spec
,ators are standing on tiptoe in chairs pc
fore the quarter post is passed. Eyes
and field glasses are now trained on the
foremost horses passing the half mile
most. to identify them by the numbers on
the saddle-clothes or by the varied
patterned silks Of the crouching Jockeys.
Twenty seconds later horses are changing
positions at the last turn in the oval ana
now they come on the home stretch Tht
steeds are conscious contestants. some
running to victory without receiving
stroke while others are hopelessly in the
rear but blowing shower of blood with
each breath. or, perchance, with hsa-
ments SO strained that this is their last
race AS the horses near the judges
stand, cries of Come. Grumpy" Beat
! him, Beulah. ncoherent shouts and
snappings of fingers come from thou
sands and blend into one deafenng vocal
wave, with the crescendo at the moment
when the winners pass under the wire.
Victors and vanquished slowly return 20
the stand. where cheers. wreaths ana
purses of $500 to 5000 go to the former
and to the other low-toned criticisms and
execrations The jockeys are weighed
In" and grooms lead the faded horses 10
!
other set OF steeds are awaiting the
huglers call to Race No > Nearly l1oj
horses are in the stables; l.. go persons arc
in the grand-stand and concourse: il IS
the greatest spectacle in Dixie.
Why 10 these thousands. for IS consecu-
tive days. spend the afternoon and S2.h}
admission fee for exhibitions as similar
as two performances of the same drama?
Look round. the wrecks of play behold;
Estates diSmemberd, mortga geC, sold,
Their owners. now to ials confin'd,
Show equal poverty Of mind"
In the half hour before the second race.
enter the palm Garden under the
grandstand and observe the controlling
motive of all long racing meets. without
which the grandstand would be empty, the
gates closed and the jockey club bank
rupt. In this space, 140 feet wide and
265 feet long. thousands OF men are surg
ing to and fro between about 50 groups,
each OF which has as its nucleus book
maker with an immense roll Of bills in
hand, who accepts the bets Of all Corners.
A second man, whose badge reads. "Of-
clal Stakeholder serves as the book
makers secretary. Crowds at each end
of the Palm Garden" throng the huge
bars. Near ore Of these. book maker
ivy Hammerschlag is humming a
verse:
''The more they drink, the drunken they
get;
The drunher they get the more they bet;
The more they bet, the more We get -
| In one group Of gamblers Sol Lichten-
stein is announcing the betting odds of
each horse in that race, A man hands to
him "yellow-back." SAYING $50 to win
or Nisadoo.' The Stakeholder INSTANTLY
makes the entries on an envelope: the
bettor signs it; the book maker thrusts in
both Wagers; the stakeholder seals the
envelope and puts it in his wallet. to de-
, liver il Ia ter to the book-maller Or the
bettor. according as Nigad0o loses or
wins. As Nigadoo is a 90 to ..lorg shot"
sou Went into the envelope. Nigadoo lost
Some players can't afford to lose. q,
must have 500 today" exclaimed a clerk
to his lawyer friend. There is going To
be an audit at our Office and | have been
unsuccessful in playing the ponies.
The clerk is repaying the loan in monthly
installments. Turf betting is varied by
oral wagers, par-mutuels. pool-r3oms ann
J a n 1-hn l,,,t
raising sWindiing. larcenies, defalca-
tioh. disappearance and suicides are con-
slant factors The gong announces Race
NO and the crowd debouches from Inc
betting ring by a dozen grea; doors LEADING
toward the track.
! IN tlmes OF unprecedented transporta
ton difficulties many thousands of carc
are being used yearly to haul gamblers
ana race horses from track to track
prospective liberty bond BUYERS return
from the races reduced from the posit,op
OF lenders to that of borrowers. Their ami
mated gambling implements consume vast
QUANTITIES. Of grain, which raises nricac
ana increases want. When our co,,ntr,.
/ is calling for universal service IN nal,
win the war, the racing interests nromo+a
ldling and waste on vast scale A. ~,
/ a
tlme OF extreme national conseryatio,
s22c.oooooo in a single wear arc u.gara',
on the IS tracks for betting in Eor.,.
ana controlled by the turf
sd"ioi'iie trust at No. IS r. Forty-Fir.t
'''' We" 'ork City Every one OF these
race tracks for gambling is an efreetiv.
any OF the Kaiser but they will III no IN.
'efhed' II House Bill e52S, second session,
OF the 10Th Congress, is enacted. It nro-
h'oi's the publication or transmission =.
letting news on races. The "recoeniza,,
.As q me Jockey Club always clos.
when their gambling is s.onned ,,;.,.
may aid this bill BY writing r. "a ,a.s
Commerce committee of House or
senate or 10 their congressman in either