Putnam patriot. [volume] (Putnam, Conn.) 1872-1962, 1928-08-23

Saratoga Springs, N. ", Aug. H.
Now that Governor Smith. the state
police and the Federal officers have
overshadowed, for the moment, the
usual August monarch Of Saratogn's
activities, one may stop for a moment
and look this old place over with a
more or less analytical eye. Time was
when practically all Of Saratoga's pub
licity came from King Horse. August
list To Labor Day, the annual racing
season has given to the Springs col
umns Of newspaper lore, tucked away
back in the sporting sheets with here
and there in the society news q bit Of
gossip about the crowned heads Of the
racing world.
This year all IN changed. Governor
Smith is running for President. An
other Smith is prosecuting attorney,
and the Smith pair together have man
aged TO raise little Cain with Sara
toRa's season. Thereby hangs the tale
of not little wrath. How IL all hap
pened IS somewhat in this manner:
Along about mid.July OF every year,
every little Saratoga housekeeper be-
gins preparing for the August visit
or. She cleans the house from attic to
cellar and IN the last week Of the
month every householder who has
found an August tenant moves out Of
Saratoga bag and baggage. with a
large check tucked away in the family
Golfer. As they leave. the racing peo-
pie crowd in, coming from every part
of the nation. The somnolent Main
Street, with its gigantic hotels, relics
Of the days when Saratoga was really
a fashionable watering place, becomes
q crowded thoroughfare OF postcard
vendors, souvenir merchants and
sheapjohn shops. Motors crowd the
streets far and near. Prior to the ac-
tivity Of the Smith family, there were
tand there still arei other activities
Gambling Of all sorts and descriptions
has long been one Of the reasons why
Saratoga has been for years the mecca
of the sporting. A for the demon
rum, the Canadian border IL within
sufficiently easy distance to provide
bootlegger and bartender alike with an
enviable merchandise.
At the Race Track
Life in Saratoga, despite the activi.
ties of the town where the tailoris
house for the moment Is occupied by a
millionaire and the plumbers mansion
Is the August residence Of multi
millionaire, centers about the track.
Saratoga has just cause for being
proud Of the track. 1t is one of the
finest in the world It's clubhouse in
eludes delightful restaurant. hun
dreds of private boxes. and huge
grandstand The center field is n Wis
ion Of excellent landscape gardening.
The stables house thousands Of horses
and between races, fashion and sport
meet and mingle in the huge paddock.
Here, during August. at three o.
clock every afternoon the races begin.
Fortunes are made and fortunes are
lost at Saratoga despite the fact that
betting is prohibited. The "bookie"
still makes his books. the tout still
gives his tips. Law has not greatly
affected SaratoRa's gambling activities
In 80 far as "the ponies" are concern
ed.
The racing over, everyone goes back /
20 the town. There is much entertain I
ing in the houses that line the we'll (
shaded streets. In the hotels there are I
band concerts and dancing. Scattered /
around the country are various clubs
where the food is excellent and. when
the Smiths are not too active, the
gambling is conducted on the best and
most praiseworthy lines. Saratoga, In
fact, during the month. becomes gay.
cosmopolitan, spendthrift. Out OF IL
NIL the Saratogans benefit from every
commercial angle.
Recently Governor Smith communi- 4
Gated TO the world at large that he was
shocked 10 hear that there were evil 4
denccs Of gambling at Saratoga. Gov
ernor Smith had 60 be nominated for
President 70 receive the shock. Until .
this year he has annually occupied the I
prominent box reserved for "The Gov 4
ernor Of the State Of New York" Gov.
ernor Smith knows a book maker when
he sees one, and only the voter who
knows Governor Smith by the printed
word alone win believe that the Gov
ernor felt anything but annoyance