Omaha daily bee., 1919-01-26
Pop" Geers in Disguise!
Uses Pipe Camouflage
Noted Turf Driver AbandonS
InSeparabIe Cigar While He
is Training Stable on
Memphis Track.
By H. X. WHITTED.

Mystery is lurking around the
track at Memphis, Tenn, these days;
deep, mysteryNwhich 10 one seems
able to solve. The accompanying
photograph will give the reason: Pop
Geers has taken to smoking a pipe.
Many theories have been advanced
as to why he has forsaken cigars,
but "The Grand Old Man" smiles
and refuses to enlighten the curious.
Working or loafing, his cigar
was always with him, and some en-
terprising turf writers have gone SO
far as to intimate that he slept with
one in his mouth Many of his
hardest races have been won with
a cigar clamped solidly in his teeth
Birthday Yesterday.
Mr. Geers passed his Doth birth
day yesterday, January Is. While
perhaps not the Oldest driver in the
country, he is by far the oldest
driver on the Grand Circuit and in
1ications now are that he will be on
aand when the bell rings at North
Randall next year. with as good it
not better stable than he had the
past season. Probably no driver in
he country has been in more
smashes than he, and early in 1917
The news that he had been killed
when his mount ran into track har-
row at Columbus, caused the turf
world to mourn his death for a day
or so, until the news was repudiated.
Only those who are personally &C
uuainted with THE Grand Old Man"
can understand just how that name
came to be given to him, but once
YOU have shaken his hand and looked
nto his weather-beaten face, it is
,asy to understand.
No Meeting Here.
Race fans who have been looking
forward to a harness meeting or
series of meetings in Omaha this
year are dommed to disappointment,
for the Omaha Driving club has an
nounced that no attempt will be
made to put on a meeting this sum-
mer. Three years ago, when the
club was revived, great things were
promised. An early June meeting
was held that year, and another in
the Great Western circuit later in
the summer. Last year an early
meeting was held, but no late meet
ing was attempted. With Lincoln
out of the Iowa-Nebraska-South
Dakota circuit, it was hoped that
Omaha and the Capitol City could
get together and form some sort of
circuit, taking in possibly Nebraska
City, Beatrice and Grand Island, but
evidently Omaha people do no grow
enthusiastic over the light harness
horses, for meetings here in the
past have lost the promoters money.
Western Trotter to Pittsburgh.
A South Dakota bred trotter that
may get a chance on the Grand cir
cut. next year is May Bell, 2:l4H,
recently purchased by ]. R. McCune
of Pittsburgh. The reported price
is $4,000, and she has been placed
in the hands OF Mr.. McCune's train
or, who will prepare her for the 1919
campaign.
Walter Cox IS dreaming of the time
when he will win all the big futurity
events with colt from Mabel
Trask, 2:0lM, and Lou Princeton,
for he says he is going to mate
Mabel with this stallion as soon as
her racing days are>over. She is by
Peter the Great, the greatest speed
sire OF all time, and her dam is Miss
Nutonia by Nutwood Wilkes "a half
brother OF Maud 81 out of lana by
Alcyone by Makbrino Chief. Nut
wood proved to be the most prolific
sire of the Alexander Abdallah tribe,
while Alcyone, who died at the age
OF 10 years, established the stoutest
line tracing to the George Wilkes
tribe.
Mt. Clemens Ice Meeting.
Despite the fact that warm wealth
err and lack OF snow interefered with
the ice races at Mt. Clemens, Mich,
this year, enough horses were on
hand to make fairly interesting rae
ing. Last year conditions were Just
the opposite; so much snow fell that
ii. took two weeks to clear the track
and get it i'll shape. This year the
management had to resort to
sprinklers to obtain enough ice to
race on and the warm weather pre-
seeding the dates caused number
Of men to drop out at the last
minute. Unfavorable conditions last
November caused a number Of the
early closing events to be called off.
There is talk Of staging another
meeting the week of February 3, but
nothing definite has been decided.