The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-09-17
WILL MAKES2,OOO
This Years Race Meet a Winner
Financially.
Pay or the Heritage Of Last
Years Debts.
TT WAS A CLEAN SHOW
Gamblers and JOIntists Took an
Enforced Vacation.
Weather Conditions Interfered
IT WAS A CLEAN SHOW
Weather Conditions Interfered
With Record Race Time.

I
days race meeting at the fair grounds
under the auspices of the Kansas State
Exposition company was brought to
close. From the standpoint Of the
racing it was the most successful meet
ing in many respects that has ever
been held In this state. Many of the
best horses in the west and southwest
appeared in their respective classes
and furnished some exceptional racing
though no unusual time was made. but
this was due in the main to adverse
wind conditions. From a financial
standpoint the meeting was more sue
cessful than any similar one. or fair,
which has been held on the. grounds
for a number Of years. It Is likely that
the association will clear about two
thousand dollars on the meeting and
! this will be applied to the payment of
the debts contracted by the association
1 In running the fair last year. There
were some debts of the association for
the fair two years ago and the total
amount of these debts before the
meeting just closed was started was
about $4,000. It may be that in the
final accounting the amount cleared this
year will be sufficient to pay of all OF
! the debts. but the present indica-
/ tons are that the profits viii not be
more than $4,000, perhaps not quite
that sum.
There was one particular in which
the meeting will stand out pre-eminent
| over the meetings and fairs of the past
years, and that is in its orderly conduct
and the absolute freeness of the
grounds from Objectionable features of
every sort
When the exposition company was
| reorganized after the fair Of last sea-
son and R. T. @Kreipe was chosen as
secretary in the place of Charles H
Samson, a great howl went up from
variety Of sources that the booze ele-
ment" in the city had finally secured
control of the exposition company and
that the fair or race meeting this fail
would be sort of a carnival of crime,
where joints might flourish openly and
/ gambling games Of all sorts were to be
| allowed.
At the time these criticisms were
made Mr.. Kreipe had no comment to
make and his silence was interpreted
i in some quarters as being a confirnla-
! ten Of the criticisms. Even the joint
I lists and the gamblers got ideas in
their heads that they were to be per-
mitted to do as they pleased on the
! fair grounds and never was gang of
men more surprised than they, when
the preliminaries for the meeting
were being arranged a few months
ago by Mr.. Kreipe. When 1t came
time to get concessions for stands on
! the grounds Mr. Kreipe laid down a
1 law which he stuck to and which he
/ mad enforced TO the letter. ne mere
| " laughed when men made overtureS
to him to run joints on tho grounds,
replying that nothing of the kind was
to be tolerated. He told those who
secured concessions for restaurants
and pop and lemonade stands that If
any Of them attempted to sell liquor
OF any kind, even hop tea, they would
not only lose their concessions but
they would be arrested and prosecut-
! ed for violating the state prohibitory
law And Mr.. Kreipe said that his
1 Instructions in these particulars would
/ be enforced rigidly by the strong arm
of the law, and he secured the ser
vices of Sheriff Bert Lucas and tWen-
/ ty OF his deputies to see that his
/ orders were obeyed.
Sheriff Lucas and his men were
particularly vigilant in enforcing the
rules laid down by Mr.. Kreipe and the
result was there was not semblance
/ of a joint on the grounds during the
entire meeting, and it was absolutely
! impossible to purchase any liquors on
| the grounds unless it was nip. from
a bottle carried by a boot Logging
/ acquaintance, and there was not much
4 of this going on. In other years when
/ bluffs have been made about keeping
the fair grounds dry, there was no
trouble in getting a bottle of beer at
any time from t'sWipes," in the
stables, who had sort of joints in the
/ shape of tubs filled with ice and beer
! hl0 away IN the sra Dies. But there
was not even this going on at the fair
grounds last week.
1 1t is safe to say that the prohibitory
/ law was better enforced on the fair
/ grounds last week than in any other
4 spot in Kansas and the credit for the en-
forcement goes to Sheriff Lucas and his
deputies and Mr.. Kriepe. who gave them
the instructions to see that the law was
/ enforced.
And as to gambling, there was not an
IL *
/ grounds. In past years he space under
the grandstand has been filled with
| spindle, pin and other games. where the
prizes were ostensibly cigars which were
/ bought back for cash, and which made
/ the games purely gambling ones, and
they were always Of the sure thing varic.
~. Except for a cigar and peanut and
I pop stand, this space under the grand
stand was vacant this year, and there
was not q gambling game of any kind
on the grounds unless it was a friendly
! game OF craps INDUCED in by the
''swipes' in the stables.
Mr.. Kreipe had ell sorts of offers for
/ concessions from men running pin, spin
! ole and other sorts of games. from which
/ he could have secured a tidy sum- but
/ he turned them all down. A crowd Of
| men who run these games follow the
| horses from one meeting to the other
and arrived IN Topeka. expecting to ply
their trade as usual, but their visit to
TINS city was IN the nature OF a Rdca-
ton for them for they had no chance &c
/ open up.
The day before the meeting started
| one of these men approached Mr.. Krelpe
for a concession. saying he ran an in
nocent little game where it was psssibls
to win all kinds Of cigars. MIR. Kreipe
told him that nothing OF the sort would
be permitted on ffe grounds.
Well what the - kind of busl-
ness are You going to run here this
, weelz2" asked the man.
We're going to run a race meeting
and 1t Is going to be free from obiec-
i tionable features replied Mr. Kreipe
and that is inst the sort of a meeting
" ich was pulled of.
During the course Of the meeting
twenty races were decided. four
/ IL. -.