Omaha daily bee., 1902-04-28
AMATEUR DRIVERS UNITE
Horse Owners of Three Cities Organize
Gentlemau's Racing Club.
DATES FOR FIRST TWO MEETS CHOSEN
Horses VIII BE Tested in HaIf-MiIe
Heats on saturday Afternoons
During the Coming
summer.

A meeting was held last evening at the
Willard hotel for the purpose of organizing
an association to be composed of the anna
teur road drivers Of Omaha, South Omaha
and Council Bluffs.
Awaiting the arrival of several gentlemen
the company spent an enjoyable half hour
in talking over the prospects for the sum
mer and reviewing the results Of past
years.
The meeting was called to order by A. S.
Thomas, secretary OF the Omaha Trotting
club, the association in charge Of the pro-
fesslonal June race meeting. L. G. Gro
foot was nominated chairman of the meet
ing and A. c. Thomas secretary.
A motion by Harry Dunn that the chair
man appoint three, one from each city rep
resented. as a committee to devise bylaws
and to give the association a name was
adopted. Mr.. CrOfOot appointed Nat Brown
of Omaha, A. w. Wyman of Council Bluffs
and DR.. S, E. Cosford of South Omaha.
1t was decided to hold the first amateur
meeting on the afternoon Of May 10 at the
half mile track. The date Of the second
meeting was decided as May "a. The first
and second meetings are to be half-mlle
dashes, probably two classes for PAGERS
and two for t~rotters. On Decoration day
amateur races will be held. conditions to
be half-mile heats, best two In three. In
order to keep these strictly amateur races,
no admission fee can be charged and only
amateurs may drive. After Decoration day
the meetings will occur every second Sat-
urday.
The question Of classifying the horses
was given to a committee OF three appoint
ed by the chair, W. A. Watson of Omaha,
Harry Z. Tagg of South Omaha and w. II.
Town Of Council Bluffs. This committee
will be known as the racing stewards.
The question of vehicles came UP, and
while the matter comes under the jurisdie-
tion Of the bylaws committee, It was
thought best to find the consensus of opin-
ion. A vote by roll was taken, the result
being ~ to 2 in favor OF using racing carts.
The reason for this was that there are
enough racing carts in Omaha to give every
amateur a vehicle Of approximately the
same weight.
A. L. Thomas addressed the meeting on a
plan OF the trotting club to give four races
for the amateurs at the June meeting and
asked those interested whether the prizes
should be for money or not. In case the
prizes were for money, a horse so racing
would cease to be an amateur racer. The
horsemen decided to remain amateur and
voted unanimously that the prizes be some
thing other than money.
1t was decided that the qualifications Of
membership be the payment of IS for a sea-
son ticket, the money to prepay the ex-
penses OF keeping the track in condition.
A. L. Thomas. speaking for the Trotting
club, offered the amateurs the use Of the
track every Saturday afternoon Of an ANA
teur meeting free of charge, also giving
each member the privilege Of working his
horse over the track at any time,
The following were present and enrolled
as members: DR.. s, z. Cosford OF South
Omaha; Harry Dunn, C. c. Kendell. II. J..
Root A. C. Thomas. W. A. Maekey. W. II.
Dudley Council Bluns; A. W. Wyman,
Council Blufs; w. A. Watson, John Bishop,
Nat Brown, L. r. Crofoot. Tom Dennlson,
7. c. Byrne and r. A. Thompson.
The meeting adjourned till Saturday
evening at the same place.
Washburn College Defeats YaRkton.
| YANKToN, 8. D., AprIl ~2I.-(speeiai Tel