Part 3 of 3

FortErie Race Track Part 3 of 3 Earl Plato
The headline read, “PIONEER BOOKIES FLOURISHED.” Harry Hawkins, long time Fort Erie resident, now deceased, recalled those early days at Fort Erie Race Track circa 1900. He said that in the pioneer days of the track there were no “pari-mutuel” machines. “The old handbook was run by Chambers and Walker,” Harry said. “Used to be 40 or 50 hand bookies in the ring. Big difference in the betting then, if you bet a horse at 25 to 1 and he was backed down to 10 to 1 and he came in, you got him at 25 to 1. The machines put an end to that. Same odds for everyone,” In the old days the bookmaker couldn’t lose. One horse would be 2 to1, another - the favourite - 6 to1. If the bookies got too much money on the better horse they’d put the money upon the other one. They had to, to make money. In other words Harry said.” … the bookies could manipulate the odds to their advantage.” Harry produced another treasure. It was a silk souvenir programme for Friday, June 22nd. 1900. It was framed for protection. “E.P.Taylor offered me a good price for this, But I wouldn’t sell it for any price.” One last question to Harry Hawkins was: As a lifelong turf follower Mr, Hawkins, do you have any advice for the race track bettor?” We read that the tall, lean expert laughed, “If you go to the races for sport that’s okay, but if you go to make money you’re a sucker. It’s been said before and I’ll say it again. You can win on a race but you can’t win on the races!” Thanks Harry.
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Look at our race track today. Enormous parking lots with shuttle buses to pick you up and drop you off at the entrance, Transportation for both horses and patrons has changed drastically since 1897. In those early days horses and patrons were transported to the track by a ‘race’ train. Today the horses arrive in modern streamlined vans and the patrons arrive in flashy new cars or by modern buses. Toronto patrons back then would board the Grand Truck Railway out of Toronto arriving here at the Bridgeburg station about 11 am. Many of the passengers would dine at the Barnea House just across from the station. Note: The old north end C.N.R. station house is gone but the Barnea House is still in operation. You now had three ways to get to the track we are told. You could rent an outfit with a horse and drive yourself or have someone drive you there. That was quite expensive. A second way was to join others on a surrey with a fringe on top. This was considerably less money. The third way and least costly was to take Merriweather’s bus which was a huge wagon drawn by a team of “gleaming black horses.” Note: Remember this was before the ‘internal combustion machines’- cars that is!
The average attendance in those days was between 2,500 and 3,000 patrons. We learned in those first twenty years that approximately 90% of these people were Americans. What? No Peace Bridge until 1927. Hey, I think I know. Our International Bridge carried the Michigan Central trains from Black Rock, New York to Bridgeburg on a regular basis. Don’t forget the ferry boats from across the river to Fort Erie South. It was a mile walk or so up Bertie Street . I am sure here were horse
carriages there too. Cost? Do you know? Any anecdotes you want to share e-mail me plato1@cogeco.ca or phone 905-894-2417.