The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-09-25
IT WAS A FROST.
Auto Meet at Fair Grounds Sadly
Disappointing.
Local Enthusiasts Decline to
Take Any Part.
A GOOD SIZED CROWD.
About 200 People Paid to See
the Races.
MesSrs. Fisher and Gilmore
Didn't Break Any Records.

Nearly a thousand persons paid TWEEN
ty-five cents each for the mere priv
elege of getting into the fair grounds
yesterday afternoon. II was their ex-
pectation to see a series of good auto
mobile races, as it had been advertised
extensively that there was to be an au-
to1nobile meet of, proportions similar to
those which would nave developed on,
the last day OF the~state fair had not
unfavorable weather conditions inter
vened
What they saw for their money was a
farce as far as automobile races go and
there is such a question as to who was
responsible for this farce that the less
said about the matter the better for all
concerned.
A couple of professional chauffeurs,
J. T. Fisher. driver OF a Pope Toledo
car, and W. H. Gilmore, handler of Il
Ford racer, were in town a week ago
tc participate in the automobile races
on the last day of the fair. The weather
was such that these races could not be
held and the two men decided TO stay
over, so they say, with the understand
ing that an automobile meet would be
held yesterday so that an opportunity
would be given them to make their ex-
penses.
Tentative plans for this meet were
local automobiles, who are proud of
the speed of their cars, but in some way
these plans petered out, and the FRO
fessionals decided to go it alona as far
as the management OF the meet was
concerned, with the understanding that
local enthusiasts would lend their aid
and enter some of the races.
J. H. Whitman, an automobile agent
of Kansas City, had charge of the ar
rangements of the meet. He had plan
RI a RI he Ia fls,x
with a five mile race for light power
ruua bouts. Several local men had prom
ised to start in this but not one Of them
showed up; so this race had TO be de-
clared off.
Next on the programme was a three
mile novelty race for touring cars with
full equipment and carrying passengers.
The feature of this race was to be that
the cars should be stopped at the end
of each lap and the passengers alight
and enter the cars again before resum-
ing the journey, There were no entries
on hand for this but Ned Osborn loan
ed his touring Pope Toledo to Gilmore,
one of the professionals, and a novelty
party was secured to fill it. This pro-
vided one entry. but Z. race is not much
of an affair when there is only one
starter and as the crowd in the grand
stand was clamortng for a race of any
kind John Matthews, who was on the
grounds with his Smith touring car,
things his own way throughout the race.
Its distance was reduced to two miles
and Mr.. Matthews won by a whole half
mile. This was due to the fact that
some part of the mechanism in Mr..
OsSorn's car refused to work properly
and for the greater part of the journey
the best that Gilmore could do with it
was to keep it a going at a shail's pace.
Mr.. Osborn knew that his car was in
no shape to race but he was willing to
put it on the track to provide the crowd
present with some sort of excitement,
end that was considerably more than
many Topeka automonilists who were
present, were willing to do with their
cars which were in gooc condition
Next on the official programme was
i've mile match race between the
Pope-ToIedo and Ford cars, driven by
Fisher and Gilmore. It had been adj
vertised that S. NJ. Lyman was to en-
ter his Smith car, which had been strip
ped to racing form Cor the fair races
in this race, but Mr.. Lyman said that
the advertised entry OF his car was
without his permission and that he had
had no intentions OF starting in the
race.
Before this race started it was an
nounced to the grand stand that its
distance had been reduced to three
miles. Fisher and Gilmore started
their machines at a slow clip and kept
together for the entire distance. First
one would be ahead and then the other
out their desire to make the race an
bven one was SO DalRable that the