Railroaders' Nostalgia > Mad Dog Chronicle #310 Old (RR) War Story: Past posting a bookie.

Ok, it is a rainy day and I haven't written a MDC in awhile,  Lately I have been reposting older Chronicles on Facebook.   The next one will be about my Superintendent, on the Western Division, W M Jones telling old railroad war stories.  Here is one of his funniest stories.

I must first state that I do not gamble and I have no experience with horse raceing   Also that doing what WMJ said that he did could easily supply you with a pair of cement overshoes.

According to Jones,  he and another LA Division trainmaster went into a bookie joint in Hollywood at lunch time.  While waiting to place a wager Jones, who new morse code since he had started his career on the SP as a telegraph operator, heard the sound of a telegraph sending in information on current race results.  He also observed that the bookie was still accepting bets on the outcome of that race.  Jones and his buddy stepped outside and discussed this discovery.  They concluded that this was too good to pass up.  But, we will never to be able to use this book again Jones allowed.

Back in they went again as the next race begins.  Once again the bookie, who obviously  can not understand morse code, is still keeping his book open after the race is over.  Jones and his partner place all their available cash on the winning horse at very favorable odds and of course score big.  End of story.... And lived to tell about it if you can believe WMJ.......???

12//9/16   mdo



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 12/09/16 12:04 by mdo.

Sounds like a story from The Sting. Favorites don't pay out as well as long shots. Hope Jones's horse was a long shot



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/09/16 17:58 by WAF.

Great tale Mike, and of course we're all waiting for more of your insights
and the stories that you have told us. And like the majority of us TO'ers
it let's us relive some truly interesting history. My feelings are that what I've
learned from these "bits and pieces" will never come back, and I feel
fortunate that I have a source such as you.

Larry Dodgion
Wilsonville, OR

Geez do ya mean we gotta go on that Facething ???   Laughin

Always enjoy reading you tales.  Been awhile since the last one and I miss them

I live in Louisville, Ky, home of the Kentucky Derby.  Out of towners often ask who to bet on in the Derby.  My general rule is the bet the favorite to place (as in win, place, and show) because if the favorite wins, you might get $2.50 back on a $2.00 bet.  Often, the favorite will pay more if it places, comes in second.  

Then I tell them that the advice is worth about as much as they paid for it.  So far, I've been pretty lucky on picking a decent payoff, but I don't use my own advice to bet.

John

 

Probably not many of us on this website knew "Sweet Old Bill". He must have been a different guy before he became the Western Div Supt. I know he had a sense of humor but he kept it fairly well hidden in the old days at Oakland. The times he never gambled were when he got the call from the General Office and had to head over the bridge to San Francisco, presumably to explain things. He would grab Budget Officer Bill Wearne, briefcase in hand, and they would head out the door with serious looks on their faces. WMJ was always prepared for the numbers questions and was taking no chances.