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Jackson Turns From Soldier Of Fortune to Track Manager . 3 s , 1 1 1 1 1 1 : Arlington and Washington t Official Has Built Watering Device for Race Course By TEDDY COX ARLINGTON PARK, Arlington Heights, HI., June 29. Since Benjamin F. Lind-heimer, now serving as executive director of Arlington and Washington Parks, entered the Chicago thoroughbred horse racing scene in 1935 he has earned nationwide recognition as one of thejnost able impresarios of this continent. His tracks annually reflect the pinnacle of meticulous care, and the racing strips present a pattern for progressive track superintendents to follow. Ben A. Jones, general manager of the famed Calumet Farm, often has lauded Arlington and Washington strips as being the finest in the land. While Lindheimer undoubtedly deserves most credit for the fine appointments of his courses, he is a successful executive and has selected capable and efficient department heads, not the least of whom is John D. Jackson, his general manager at both tracks. Jackson, a native of Charleston, S. C, has been Lindheimers first lieutenant for many years, long before race tracks developed as part of their varied enterprises. Until 1937, when he was named to succeed Roy Carruthers as general manager of Washington Park, Jackson knew little of race-track operation. Condition of Track All-Important "So far as I was concerned," he said the other day, "the whole thing was quite sim- 1 pie; there was little to do but open the gates and handle the crowds. But it didnt take long to learn that there are not enough hours in the day to handle the thousands of details that come up before, during and after a meeting, and I also found out that the condition of the racing strip is possibly one of the most important factors in the entire operation. "You see, unless the track is in good shape, the horsemen wont run theirs horses. And without horses, you dont have any racing. This was brought home forcibly during my early experiences, so I set out to learn as much as possible about racing surfaces." Jackson is still learning, too, although in recent years he has heard few complaints from horsemen who are extremely critical of racing surfaces. As is well known along the shedrows, all stables have horses of contrasting nature. That is, some of the horses wont run a lick on a hard track, while others prefer a course with little or no cushion. There have been examples when champion horses have simply refused to do their best over certain tracks, although it is generally admitted that horses of established class can compete well over any kind of footing. Forces Water Down Into Soil Jacksons pet apparatus presently is an innovation for watering his tracks. Instead of the usual spray that penetrates only the immediate surface, he now uses a water wagon equipped by pressure nozzles that force the water right down into the soil. He says the device can control the amount of water that goes into the track to the square yard. "Under the old system," Jackson says, "on hot, sunny days, the sprinklers would serve only to settle the dust. The water would evaporate upon contact with the hot soil and the result was that it did not benefit the course. We tried all sorts of experiments, until one afternoon I noted a truck spraying oil on a road and that gave me the idea." Jackson also takes pride in the turf courses that are so popular with the fans at both Washington and Arlington Parks. Washington was the first turf course of the country to bank its turns. "After we saw what a great difference 1 JOHN D. JACKSON it made during the running of races, we also banked the Arlington Park turns," he said. "Before the turns were banked, horses found it difficult to remain on the inside and there were frequent jams and consequent spills. Since the turns have been banked I dont remember anything that resembled a bad spill." Needless to say, all other tracks followed the Lindheimer-Jackson pattern and eventually banked their turf courses. Jacksons respect- for greenskeepers on golf courses has grown since he became associated with racing. "Only I would say it probably Is more difficult to keep up a turf course than a golf course," he says. "First of all, a combination of grasses must be used to withstand the hard pounding from the horses hooves. We mix Canadian Blue Grass, Clover, Red Top and a percentage of Kentucky Blue Grass to keep the texture of the course in proper condition. Then, there is also the question of water. A short drought, which often is encountered In the Chicago area, can easily burn th course to the dirt, and that means trouble." World War I. Veteran For a good portion of Jacksons life it seemed that he was destined to become a soldier of fortune. Now 53 years old, he looks back to World War I. with much nostalgia. After attending grammar school in Charleston, he furthered his education at Jacksonville, Fla., and in Brooklyn, N. Y. It was during the outbreak of the war that Canada offered land grants to anyone in this country willing to establish homes in the Alberta area. An adventurous sort, Jackson set sail and was ready to file a claim In Canada when he decided that hed like to don a uniform. At first he was turned down because he answered "American" when asked his nationality, but came through with the proper "British" at the second try and joined up with the Royal Flying Corps. Shortly thereafter he was in Europe engaging the Germans in what were flying "soapboxes" compared to the super airplanes of the present era. Jackson, after much combat and excitement, escaped unscathed, then, upon termination of hostilities, volunteered for the Royal Air Corps in India, where there was a mild uprising. He served three years in India, then came to New York. He was looking about for something to do when he remembered a good friend in Chicago. Here he worked with the Marshall Field department store and later, while being associated with a firm of architects, he met Lindheimer, who was, and still is, in the real estate business. When Lindheimer and a group took over Washington Park in 1935, Jackson was at his side, and today they are more inseparable than ever. In recent years Lindheimer has been spending more time than ever at his Beverly Hills, Calif., home, mainly because of his connection as major stockholder in the Los Angeles Dons football team of the All-America Conference. This means Jacksons duties have mounted, for Lindheimer is a man who insists that his aids make their own decisions. He prefers a bad mistake to no decisions at all. So, with Arlington Park preparing for another stakes-studded session, Jackson shares a good part of the local limelight.
