TOTALISATORS AND SWEEPS. vS 



say, five pounds, the totalisator is a very handy 

 medium. For owners who bet heavily I think the old 

 plan of wagering with bookmakers is the best. 



Ten years ago the totalisator was worked in a very 



primitive manner ; but when Mr. Harris put up his 



patent at Eagle Farm there was a decided change for 



the better. Instead of the old blocks from which 



tickets had to bo torn, much in the manner as dates 



are torn ofiF an almanack block, a brand new machine 



was erected. This machine, or rather machines, were 



in a long w^ooden building, erected between the 



paddock and the outside, and a dividing fence 



between. In the paddock pound tickets were taken. 



On the outside lOs. tickets could be obtained. 



A staff of men were inside the building issuing tickets. 



A number board was placed outside the machine. It 



was a square front, and on it the names of the starters 



were placed, with their numbers on the card. At the 



head of the board was a place for showing the total 



amount of money put on all the horses in the race. 



This total, divided by the number on any particular 



horse, gave the exact dividend that would be returned 



if the horse won. 



In this manner an investor could tell what horse 

 was favourite, and also the horse that would pay the 

 largest dividend. I have known men take a ticket 

 on each starter in a race, and come out a winner. 



When a ticket is taken on a certain horse, a bell 



