The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1896-08-13
WHAT OTHERS THINK.
A view Of the Race Track Crowd BY
Outsiders


In our Tuesdays issue we gave a
short sketch of what ouT home people
thought Of the location of the race
tracks in Kenosha county. Not every
body in the state seems to view the
matter in the same light. Here IS
what the Eoeuing Wisconsin, of Mil
waukee, has to say of them in the
Tuesday evening issue:
g The report that the Hankins crowd
of Chicago has secured control of the
tract of land at state line, eight miles
south of Kenosha, for the purpose Of
building race track and conducting
running meetings there, does not meet
with favor among the better class OF
horsemen. 1t is a well-known fact
that the same parties have been driven
out of Chicago and Indiana and now
are endeavoring to establish race
track on the same lines in Wisconsin.
Had the methods of these parties been
square there is no doubt that the meet
ings would still be conducted in Chlca-
90, but the reputation the tracks bore
was enough to drive the better class
forever from their gates. 1t was no.
torious fact that the races run at Roby
we're crooked in almost every instance
and the same can be said of Garfield
park. When these horsemen were
/ driven out of Chicago they settled at
Roby and the authorities there would
not stand the skin game being perpe
trated on the public and swooped down
upon them. A law was then passed in
the Indiana legislature legalizing rae
ling for forty five days during the year
at intervals of fifteen days for each
meeting The Chicago gang endeav
ored to get around this by establishing
a circuit of tracks in Indiana, one at
Sheffield, Lakeside and Thorne. In
this manner they intended to start at
one, and. by the time the last meeting
was run at the third track, the forty
five days would be up. Then they in
tended to start at the first track again
and repeat the performance. The In
diana authorities, however, put a stop
to these proceedings by securing an in-
/ junction against them and it has been
upheld by the Supreme court OF the
state. Now these same parties are en-
deavoring to break into Wisconsin and
run the game on the same plan as at
Robv, Lakeside and elsewhere. There
is no getting around the fact that the
track at state line is simply a make
shift, the promoters expecting in the
meantime to secure the passage OF rae
ing laws in Illinois. 1t can in no way
i benefit Wisconsin, as it will bring the
toughest element of Chicago to the
borders of the Badger state. The
meetings will fail to attract high class
of horses, for the reason that men Of
good reputation in the horse world will
not allow their strings to go where a
lot of dogs are running. The scum of
the turf will be there, and there is no
doubt the tin horn gamblers will make
it their headquarters while it lasts. 1t
will not interfere, to any extent with
the meeting at State park, as the repu-
tation of the men who are back of the
i enterprise here is too we'll known to de-
tract in any way from this city. One
of the best-known bookmakers at State
park, in speaking Of the movement to
build a track near Kenosha said: i do
not think the project will meet with
success for the reason that bookmakers
will not care to take chances at the
game as it will be run there. The
l nj oh oil ho
been such as to disgust nearly every
bookmaker who ever showed his face
at those tracks. There were a fewraces
run there that you could say were
strictly on the level. For my part l
will remain where the racing is con
Quoted On its merits and | am sure the
majority of bookmakers here will agree
with me in this. The horsemen, too
will remain here. The only class can
| figure upon to race there will be the
dogs, and if people want to go against
that kind Of a game, why they have no
one to blame but themselves
/ In it's Wednesday evening issue it
reverts to the subject again as follows:
The following dispatch was received
from Kenosha today: John Condor,
representing the Roby, Ind: race
tracks, purchased eighty acres more of
the land of the Henry Meyer fam in
addition to the forty acres purchased
yesterday. The deed to the property
was recorded with the register of deeds
today. Surveyors have been marking
out the grounds, and right behind
them today large force of men were
put at work The company claims it
will have 200 buildings up by August
%, and that the first race will be
brought off not later than September
l." 1t is dollars to peanuts that the
track, if built, will draw the toughest
, crowd to Wisconsin that ever crossed
the border.
The Waukegan Register says: