view raw text
RACING DATES FOR OMAHA Newly Created Nebraska Racing Commission Grants 31 -Day Meet . ing to Ak-Sar-Ben Track. OMAHA, Neb., April 12. The newly created Nebraska Racing Commission, appointment of which was announced recently by Governor R. L. Cochran, held its first meeting in Omaha Tuesday and after completing its organization approved the application of the Ak-Sar-Ben Exposition Company for a thirty-one day meeting, beginning May 30 and eliding July 4. J. B. Watkins, lumber man of South Omaha, was elected chairman of the commission. Joseph C. Meyers of Broken Bow, Neb., was chosen vice-chairman, and J. B. Rossiter of Walthill, Neb., is the third member of the commission. The commissioners elected J. A. "Art" Cullen of Omaha as executive secretary. Meyers and Rossiter are both active in racing. Meyers is an old-time harness horse driver and at present breeds horses, both runners and trotters, as well as saddle horses, on his large ranch in western Nebraska. Rossiter is a banker and is chairman of a civic group which has been staging running meetings at Walthill, eighty miles north of Omaha, for a number of years past. With their dates formally approved, the Ak-Sar-Ben management immediately pitched into the work of rehabilitating their plant. All of the stables are being entirely-reroofed and a considerable amount of repair work is being done by a large force of carpenters. All of the effort at present is being concentrated on the "stables, so they will be in shape to receive the horses, which are already beginning to arrive. W. H. Schellberg, chairman of Ak-Sar-B ens racing committee said that work on the track proper and the grandstand and mutuel department will follow. The committee is considering the application of various persons for the positions of racing secretary, mutuel manager and for other key places in the organization. Quite a number of applications for stab space have been received, although the amount of purses and conditions have not been definitely determined. The veteran B. F. McClain is already on the ground conditioning seven head which he expects to share in the prize money. Earl Beezley, one of the best known harness men in the country, is here with six head of fast runners which he is readying for their owners.
