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i I SUMMING IT UP. Here is what Mr. S. B. Weem- told New Yorkers about the recent Washington Park-meeting after it was all over: "The remarkable success of the Washington Park meeting, which ended yesterday, will give racing an impetus in the western country that will extend even beyond the present season. Not only has the sport been of high class, but with the exception of the Barney Schreiber incident, it has been peculiarly free from unpleas-ant features. The attendances, both iu quality and numbers, have surprised even the most sanguine of local turfnen, I have previously commented on this latter feature of the meeting. It may be sufficient to add the statement of officials of the club that the gate receipts show an average attendance of more than 10.000 for the twenty-five days of the meeting. "That assertion may sound big to the eastern racegoing public, but I have no reason to doubt its accuracy. I do not recall any meeting; in the east that ever maintained a better average attendance. "The club officials and the club members are of course more than pleased with the results of the meeting. Secretary James Howard especially is highly elated. " "We have had altogether. I think, said Mr. Howard, the best meeting in the history of the Washington Park Club, and this, too, in spite of the fact that at the outset we had to encounter a great many difficulties. The meeting has encouraged those of the club members who have any interest in racing, and I think we will have no difficulty iu planning for a meeting next year on a much more liberil -cale as to added money in the slakes and purses. It is not likely, however, that our dates will be extended, nor will we have more thau one meeting. Our aim is to have high class racing and to maintain the sporting feature of racing. "As intimated, the present meeting waB planned under many difficulties. A reorganization of the club last spring brought into control a Board of Dire* -tors, some of which had little sympathy with racing. They considered it a doubtful business venture, and they looked with small favor upon the proposal to have a CONTINUED ON afiOOND PAOM. SUMMING IT UP. Continued from First Page. race meeting. Finally, however, they concluded to make the trial and wisely placed the entire management and responsibility of the meeting in the hands of Secretary Howard. Mr. Howard war hampered by a late announcement of stakes and a great deal of uncertainty as to the speculative angle. "This latter was indeed a serious matter, for Washington Park beiug within the city limits, there was no chance at all, or at least only a very remote one, that open bookmaking could be carried on. Finally, at the eleventh hour, it was decided to give the eastern system a trial, and the results have been eminently satisfactory. "The objectionable feature of bookmaking— the display of paraphernalia— has been avoided, and yet the public have had opportunity to speculate when they cared to do so. The successful trial of the eastern plan here has made many converts, and the opinion is expressed that the system is bound to be generally accepted in the west in the next year or so. "Secretary Howard is a believer in big added money in stakes and purses. He states that another year the American Derby and the other classic events at Washington Park will all have largely increased values. His ideal as to purses is the thousand dollar mark, none less, and if possible lie says no owner will run his horse at Washington Park next year for less than ,000. He believes that liberal added money makes good racing, and in this view he is unquestionably correct. "Members of the club, which is a great social organization in which more interest attaches to golf than racing, who were unfavorable to the proposed meeting in the spring, have been coming around latterly, and have expressed both their surprise and pleasure at the results accomplished. "It is difficult to estimate just what the clear profit of the meeting may be, as the club has been put to large expense under peculiar conditions that prevail here. But Sheepshead Bay or Gravesend could swap profits with Washington Park and not lose much in the bargain."
