236 CANADIAN TURF RECOLLECTIONS 



They shipped him via the Great Western Railroad, and, 

 arriving at the Suspension Bridge, hearing that entries 

 for the Toronto ice races closed that night, they forthwith 

 telegraphed their entry and took the horse off the cars 

 at Hamilton. In the meantime they telegraphed for one 

 or two backers and prepared on their arrival in Toronto 

 to play scoop game on the Canucks. 



Quimby and Forbes were the pool-sellers, and Jim Car- 

 son's saloon was their headquarters. The day previous 

 to the race a tall, lank Connecticut man, who drawled five 

 minutes for every three minutes talking indulged in, had 

 a private interview with Carson and proposed that he 

 should do the betting for the party. Carson, no way loth 

 to stand in on a good thing, jumped at the chance and 

 straightway a couple of thousand dollars were handed 

 over for betting purposes. During the afternoon he got 

 in a little good work, and soon it was whispered around 

 that Bolly Lewis was a sure thing and that Carson had 

 the straight tip. The knowing ones who just got the news 

 also dipped in, and when the pool-box was opened at 

 eight o'clock there was a big rush made to get on the 

 favorite. The keen competition for first choice soon 

 sent the odds ballooning and the call before nine o'clock 

 was as follows : 



Bolly Lewis $40, Princess $25, Mazeppa $5, field $7. 

 At these figures Carson and his followers stood to the 

 front and bought the choice, apparently satisfied with the 

 chances, in fact, looking upon it as so much money 

 picked up. Up to the hour of closing the box a large 

 amount of money was staked and again in the morning 

 the boys returned to the charge and set the ball rolling in 

 the same direction. The sport was advertised to com- 

 mence at 2.30 p.m., and at that hour a crowd of people 

 numbering some thousands, was gathered on the ice. The 

 .45 trot was a fine struggle, and the victory of Douglas 

 was only scored after one of the most gallant efforts ever 

 witnessed in a race. Each horse finished under the whip 

 and the verdict in each heat only secured by a head. When 

 the horses in the free-for-all were rung up an excited 



