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NEW ORLEANS RACING. In speaking of the first few days of racing at New Orleans the Picayune of December 1 has this to say: "Although only three of the hundred days of the winter .meeting at t he Fjr Grounds hvi bona rnn. the public has already learned one thing, and that is that the game this winter will be easier to beat than ever. This conclusion is arrived at from the fact that up to date nine of tho eighteen choices have been returned winners. This, too, in spite of the fact that there are mora horses hero this winter than ever before. The class of horses is much better than in previous seasons and are more liable to run to form. Shrewd players have found, however, that it is not wise to buck up against a certain coterie who are plunging with money not all their own on horses of their own selection. At a meeting of this kind these plunges are dangerous. Experience has taught that where combinations of any kind either betting or laying are formed, they become too powerful for the good of the turf, and in many instances the nastiost kind of turf scandals have been traced to their doors. "This idea of making a business of racing should be discouraged. It does the turf no good. Certainly it robs it of all savor of sport. Then again, tho temptation to try and cinch things is too great. For instance, take a race that figures to be a two-horse affair; that is, one that, bar accident, looks to lay between two horses. Whats to prevent these people from going to one of the owners and agreeing ! to place 00, or even ,000, on his horse? That kind of a wager looks mighty big to an owner who is compelled to race in the winter months in order to keep the wolf from the door. Naturally he is anxious to win, and whats to prevent him from going to the owner of the other horse, which looks like the contender, and declaring him in with his part of the winnings? Such things have been done, and will continue to be done as long as these sure thing men are around. Some of the bolder of these promoters have been known to go to owners and give them a ticket on a horse other than their own in which they have had a starter. This, however, is a dangerous practice, and the shrewder allow the owners to do tho business among themselves. Of course, the writer does not mean to infer that all owners would stoop to resort to such practicoB, but at a meeting such as this, where bo many different interests are concentrated.there is bound to be some among their number who would scuttle a ship if they got the chance. "Every fair-minded man having the true interests of the sport at heart would like to see these concerns abolishod. There is nothing like taking the bull by the horns instead of waiting for him to gore you to death. If these promoters wore discouraged it would mean a big benefit to racing, and the prevention of a lot of scandal which is sure to come. "Another thing that is menacing the racing game, and one that will give it a black eye, is these get-rich-quick concerns. They are bound to go to the wall, and if given enough rope their promoters are NEW ORLEANS RACING. Continued from First Page. sure to hang themselves. When the crash come the howlers will lay the blame at the door of the race track proprietors. Naturally they will be soured against racing and they will stop at nothing to put in a knock against the gamo. The result of their howls may possibly load to adverse legislation in some states, and for their own protection, if not for the good of the turf, the membsrs of the Western Jockey Club should endeavor to find some means of driving these men out of business."
