Lexington, Kentucky
February 20, 1945.

Dr. Allen,

 

You made first page on this article. Now I feel like the a
little boy who just discovered there "ain't no Santa Claus." I 2
Will never have any confidence in the accuracy of the Lexington “
Herald's reporters. Any one who lives in Lexington and does not
know that no hand book phone is ever listed in the directory, is
just plein ignorant. Most hand books have two phones, I have 2
Called 5750 thousands of times for information about race horses, Ph
basketball games, election odds, baseball, and football games, and 2
any one who called that number could have redeived the same infor- &
mation, I did. I imagine this reporter, who ever he is, has called
that number himself or some other number, it all depends on who you
patronize. Ask them about the following "places. These are just a.
few off the larger ones right down in town.

Keith's, upstairs over 129 E. Main Street, another well known
bar. William Keith operates a hand book, crap game and black jack.
I might add there are no races going on now, so that is out. Most
just operate the crap game and black jack and some have yorre games

going on.

M. B, Reinstein News Agency, 138 W. Short Street, up stairs. :
The news agency is in the center part of the building. The hand 3
book in the front room, facing Short Steeet. In the rear is the

central telegraph room for all hand books. ‘They have a direet wire

to that address in Chicago, you gave them once. A telegraph operator

takes it down as it comes over the wire and calls it to another one

who sits across the table from him, who has a telephone operator's

mouth phece hung around his neck and this is connected with all the

wires to the various hand books in town, You can get a better idea

how, the race is being run over this system, than the average person

can get if they were at the track. They give you the first three

horses at the quarter, half, three quarters, stretch and the finish,

It is very interesting, ar you like horse racing.

Tubby Byars and Cotton Berry, phone 1914, over the lobby of
the Ben Ali Theatre, 119 E. Main Street. One of the largest poker
games in town is operated here. If they get a sucker with a roll of
money on him, they will put as. many as four or five house men in the
game, what chance has a man got with them??

 

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