South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-09-17

Changes in today's racing program
were made this morning by /. W.
Lower The Oliver hotel stake race
for 2:24 trOtters, which was slated for
Thursday afternoon and postponed
until today on account of the rain. viii
be put on Saturday. The change was
made in order TO allow the track TO
get in the best of condition for the
last of the three races for purses OF
$1,000.
IN spite of the rain Thursday af-
ternoOn and evening. the track was in
good shape for tOday's races. At day
light hundreds of men were put to
work throwing over 500 gallons of
gasoline on the track TO dry it off for
the three races on the afternoons
prograr
The Interstate fair track is one of
the very few in the country which has
been dried with gasoline after a rain.
The suggestion was made by Burr
Stephenson last night, he having seen
this method used on track at Min
neapOlis. An order for a tank con-
tanning 610 gallons was given at once
70 one of the oil companies and the
work was started early in the morn
ing
Large Crowd Attracted.
Although this event-the gasoline
burning act-WaS not originally on the
program, it attracted a large crowd of
people who watched the novel method
OF drying the track. Besides the men
who threw the oil over the track there
was a second corps Of workers armed
with fire eXtlnguisherS to protect the
men and the fences around the track.
Men in charge ~ the drying process
this morning keHt a slow fire burning
on the home stretch until afternoon.
when harrOws and scrapers were to
be put to work to get the track level
again. For two hours before the
races started, teams and men worked
on the track and when the first event
was called, little signs Of the damage
done by yesterdays rains could be
seen.
As a starter for the afternoons pro-
gram, Starter Fleming called the sec
Ond heat of the 2:14 trOt. the first
heat of which was run yesterday a.
ternoOn. Early Dreams. owned and
driven by j. b. Halsall Of Greenfield,
Ind, won the opening heat yesterday
afternoon, but was given a race by
Tobe Ward, driven by Hawkins who
drove LaybuTn Fuller to victory in
heats in the NeWs-Times stake
race Tuesday 1t was battle be-
tween these two geldings again this
-.fternOOn.
Local Horses Entered.
Peggy ana Billy Mac. two local en-
tries, were among the favorites in the
2:27 pace for a purse of $400.
Only one of the three events that
would have been run off today had it
not rained Yesterday. was raced. This
was the 2:17 pace for a purse Of S40O. ]
It took the place of the Oliver hotel
stake.
Very little work was necessary to
put the back stretch in condition for
the afternoon. An hour after the
heavy rain yesterday afternoon that
part of the track was in condition for
racing. The fastest time in he heats |
this afternoon was made ON the back
although all Of the heats were
fast considering the conditions The
little work done on the back stretch |
this morning was the first that has
been put on it since the race meeting
started on Tuesday.
Today was Southern Michigan dan
at the fair and a large number OF /
people came down from Niles Benton |
st. Joseph and other cities OF |
that section. Besides the Wolverines |
the mar agement entertained all of the /
children Of the Orphans home. The /
children were given good places from /
which to view the races and were very
about the horses.
Clean Bill OF Health.
Inspection Of the fair grounds by /
the state board of health resulted i'm /
clean bill OF health for the manage /
ment. Representatives of the state |
board said the grounds were I'm better /
shape than most fairs
The awarding Of checks 20 winners