PAST AND PRESENT LAYERS 



delights in paying — in nineteen cases out of twenty 

 this is done — with the best grace possible. From an 

 experience in many lands I am quite sure that the 

 cheerful " parter " is the man to obtain the most 

 patronage. 



When looking round some of the smaller men who 

 still cling to Tattersalls' enclosure it is remarkable 

 how they can keep going with the small business they 

 have, the lack of capital and the heavy expenses, but 

 somehow they find backers. A few years ago, when on 

 the Express, I had eighty pounds to draw for a week's 

 setthng from a small Tattersalls' layer. On the 

 Monday morning the cheque was not there, but by the 

 first post on that day came a letter from a man, 

 evidently of good position and financial status, asking 

 for advice. Did I " really think that So-and-so was 

 honourable and straightforward ? " He mentioned 

 the name of the very man who owed me the money. 

 My correspondent told me that he had supported this 

 bookmaker several times, but he could scarcely believe 

 that the luck was so persistent that it all went in 

 laying against horses. He added that he awaited my 

 letter before financing the man any further. Here 

 was a difficult situation. In a position of responsibility 

 in connection with a leading daily paper I had to be 

 very circumspect before committing myself to definite 

 opinions on such delicate topics as this. It was 

 inevitable that the thinking cap would have to be put 

 on. To any man who works for his living, and who sits 

 up late and burns midnight oil writing for proprietors, 

 a sum like eighty pounds is money ; it greases the 

 wheels and keeps one going in the little comforts of life, 

 without which one is a very dull fellow and void of 

 inspiration. My cheque had not come. A favourable 

 letter from me would possibly help the financed one 



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