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BEAUTIFYING FAIR LATONIA Stupendous Transformation in Process Hardly Conceivable. Improvements Everywhere Except to Natural Scenery Needing No Change. By J. L. Dempsey. Latonia, Ky., Sept. 8. Tlio stupendous transformation process that the Latonia track is at present undergoing, is hardly conceivable and, when the many improvements will have reached completion, it will prove the plant one of the most com- . plete in the country and especially adapted to the mutuel form of betting. In the latter respect it will lead all other tracks in the matter of facilities and state of perfection. Simplicity and fast action has been the foundation on which manager llaehmeister built and, judging by results, all the desired aims will be accomplished. The present undertaking is not childs play and is outside of the reach of the press agents set phrase of annual "elaborate improvements." It requires almost an army of workmen and they have been steadily at their labors since the early days of August, Their work will not be finished until late this month and iwssibly not before October. The expense for alterations will go well over 0,000. .The principal changes in the plnnt will be the re-arrangement of the betting pavillion, the enlargement of the lawns in front of the grandstand and to the north of the former paddock. The new order entails tile erection of a new and commodious paddock; cutting off of ten feet from the track proper for the entire length of the home stretch and the- errection of nearly 300 new stalls for the accomodation of an overflow number of horses. The total stabling, capacity when the new barns are finished will give the Latonia track 1,152 stalls. An idea of the immensity of the present building can be gleaned from the fact that when the improvements are completed, it will show the extreme edge of the club house to be nearly three-eighths of a jnile "from the extreme edge of the paddock and the whole space is to bo used for the convenience of the racing patrons. Manager Hachmeisters best building efforts were centered on the betting pavilion and to the installation of a system here that will make for dispatch and at the same time combine efficiency and simplicity. Tq accomplish this result it was necessary to expand and take in the territory formerly given over to the paddock. The addition of this big tract of ground and welding it into the former betting enclosure, enabled the builders to provide a long stretch of space which gave room for the erection of places for the sixty mutuel machines that will always be stationary here. On a line With the machines and a trifle to the north, will be fifty-four cashiers places, where holders of winning tickets can have them redeemed. Ther cashiers will occupy the ground where the former paddock was located. MANY MUTUEL CONVENIENCES. Directly in back of the mutuel machines will be located the stock room and "Elrods" office. Big windows immediately in back of each mutuel machine, will serve as feeding points for such necessaries as tickets and other paraphanalia needed by each machine from the stock room. To the north of the stock room, but still on the same line, will be the calculators rooms. This room will be complete in facilities for making quick announcements as to the pay offs. A telephone switchboard will also be located in this room, with connections to the various points where the pay offs are posted and each board marker will know simultaneously the figures to record on the huge boards, so that the spectators in the grandstand will know at the same time that the- persons in the lower part of the betting pavilion, what the price on each placed horse paid. Another innovation that Manager llaehmeister will introduce is the pneumatic tube system, that will distribute the the official pay oil slips to the different cashiers. The time saving that this will result in will be pleasing to those waiting in line, who heretofore were forced to wait quite a long time until some one brought around the official pay off slip to the different cashiers. The money room and vaults will also be an expanded, location and a new system for the handling of huge sums will also be put in operation. There will be screened spaces for at least twenty money counters and checkers, where the boxes fresh from each machine will be deposited and checked by a new method, a much improved one over that formerly in use. The giving over of the old paddock to the betting pavilion necessitated the erection of new space for the centralization of those horses intending to start in the different races. This place will be located to the north of the old paddock and, when completed, will embrace all the new ideas, as well as combine safely to spectators in the habit of visiting the paddock, also afford the horsemen room and freeness from the curious, that often hampers in the saddling process at many tracks. The new paddock will have twenty stalls and the approaches to this building will be cemented. Its lawns will be parklike, the planting and cultivation of shrubbery and flower beds now being under way. The grading and filling, of the new paddock required considerable time and over 700 loads of dirt were necessary. Further to the north and just inside of the quarter post, will be a private parking space for automobiles. Attendants will be stationed here to serve checks and look after the machines of those desiring space at this vantage point. INCREASE IN LAWN SPACE. The cutting off of ten feet from the track in the homestretch, will in no wise interfere with the racing, as the course is ninety foot wide all over at tills point. The addition of ten foot of track space will increase the lawn space by 12,000 square feet directly in front of the grandstand alone. The total space gained as a result of the ten feet decrease of the track, will equal nearly 120,000 feet and sh6uld result in additional room for 5,000 spectators when needed on big days. A Superintendent John Keegan, who has- been in A charge of the construction, has the work well under way. The concrete work and cement Avalks have 1 already been completed. The betting pavilion, excepting for minor details, has also almost reached a state of perfection. The toilets, lavatories and lockers, to be used by the 120 employes, who will have charge of the mutuel arrangements, are under process of construction and will be finished some time next week. The grading of the grandstand lawns will le a big task, for much of the brick lawn will have to be taken up and redistributed to fit in with the new leveling. The fencing will also have to be readjusted. In the new arrange- .Continued on fifth page. BEAUTIFYING FAIR LATONIA. . Continued from first page. ment it is intended- to afford spectators of the lawn opportunity to view the racing without obstruction and the fences will be much lower than those formerly used. . The grandstand proper will come in for considerable decoration as will the club house and judges stand. The only changes that have not been made to the course, is in its surrounding scenery. Nature designed this feature complete and it requires no improvements. -. , T General ManagertfIfvihlueisfer, wlio has been at the track since his arrival from Saratoga, is now arranging for departure to Louisville, where lie will begin jis preliminary duties attending the opening of Douglas Park and will have the office at the latter track opened next Monday. His assistant Frank J. Bruen will also leave with his chief for Louisville on Sunday.
