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MARKING TIME IN CHICAGO No Selection of Hawthorne Dates F UntilJudgeMurphy.Arriyes. . . : Work of Improving the Old Cicero Course to Begin Immediately Infield to Be Place of Beauty Enlarge the Paddock. While dates for this years racing at Hawthorne under the auspices of the Chicago Business Mens Racing Association will likely not be selected nor the officials named until Judge Joseph A. Murphy arrives to take charge of the Chicago turf organization about March 20, work of improving the property will be started immediately, the Chicago office announced yesterday. Landscape gardeners will make a trip to the plant this week and draw up plans for beautifying the racing property. Much attention will be given to the infield, Avhere the now owners think there is need of a great deal of improvement before Hawthorne can take its place among the truly metropolitan tracks of the country. Other improvements are to be made here and there which will odd to the looks of the old Corrigan property, and by making an early start the officials believe they can have everything spic and span long before -the time comes for the opening of the early summer meeting. Much attention will also be paid the paddock in the improvement program. It is the plan now. to enlarge it, and put in a-small oval path around which the horses may be exercised at saddling time, with more convenience added whereby the Hawthorne patrons can get a better view of the thoroughbreds than was the case under the old arrangement. PLAN NEW CLUB HOUSE. The entire plant will be rennovated and painted and improvements will be made wherever needed. The plans for a new club house will likely hang fire until Judge Murphy comes to Chicago, but that the club house feature will be added to the plant before the first meeting of the new season is almost a certainty. While organization plans of the new association are beginning to shape, it may be some weeks before the permanent banding together of the new turf body will be made. Various Chicago business men have held conferences with Judge Murphy in New Orleans during the past week, but further than the announcement that the Chicago racing plans were shaping even more encouragingly than was at first expected, no news of importance was given out. Attorney Albert Sabath, the legal representative of the Business Mens Club, returned from New Orleans during the week enthusiastic about the outlook. "We will have all the good horses here that we can take care of," Attorney Sabath announced, "and for our stake events we will have some of the best stables in the country represented." Track superintendent Keegan has been ordered to again put the inside exercise track at Hawthorne in condition. When fit for use it is one of the finest exercise tracks in the country and superintendent Keegan thinks it will add greatly to the facilities ol the horsemen. The Chicago Business Mens Association has opened offices in suite 31G-U18, 117 North Dearborn street.
