SPORTING

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 9, Issue 527, 30 April 1920, Page 3

SPORTING

NAT GOULD AS A TIPSTER. The late Nat Gould at one time worked on the Sydney sporting paper with "Smileii" Hales. According 10 the latter, each wrote such a bad hand that the comps. were sometimes at a loss to know whether some of the copy was "Smiler's" report of a glove fight, or a chapter of "Verax's" latest story. In his book, "My Life of Adventure," Hales—one of the breeziest of raconteurs—says:— "No teetotallers were employed on the composing staff of ee' during the time Nat Gouror and I were writing for>itgJames Bourke, the manager, said that no sober man could set our stuff. Nat Gould is only known to fame in England as a novelist; he was, however, i\m giieatest tipster the Australian \mW' lie ever knew, and actually made a newspaper a great success by his marvellous gift for placing winners; yet every time he and I went to the races on a betting excursion we usually came home bankrupt. He would not back his own judgment with his own money, though he was a wizard; he would take a tip on the course from a knowing blade, and the result was that he always had to borrow the money to get home. You could prick him with a pin and find a winner thirae days before the race, but on the day he was as bad as I was, and I could bi;eak a, bank." One of the numerous, good stories in Hales' book deals with -tike author's experience as editor o>*an upcountry South