SPEEDWAY IS A SURE GO

The Work is Being Pushed as Fast as Practicable.

OPENING CEREMONIES WERE HELD ON TUESDAY AFTERNOON

The First Meet is to be Held the Last Week in July It Will Bring a Big Crowd.

The ceremonies attending to the starting to work on the new speedway just to the southwest of Valley Junction were observed Tuesday afternoon. All the parties at first announced participated except Governor Clarke, and he was represented by Adj. Gen. Guy E. Logan, who drove one of the first stakes. The others were driven by Mayor Hannah of Des Moines, Mayor Burt of Valley Junction and B.F. Williams, president of the Des Moines Chamber of Commerce. A considerable party attended and the difficulty experienced in getting automobiles out over the roads shows conclusively the need of the efforts that have just been inaugurated to cinder and gravel the road from Walnut creek bridge to the graveled road that starts at the west city limits on Railroad street.

The speedway is going to be a good thing for Valley in several ways. In some lines - perhaps in most - it will be a business producer. It will employ labor heavily at first - and steadily thereafter - during the season from early spring till late in the fall. It will do more than has ever been done yet to advertise the place and show the advantages for the location of industries of various kinds. Such meets on similar and not on any better tracks assemble crowds comparable only to the great Iowa state fair.

It certainly behooves Valley Junction to improve the opportunity by furnishing a good roadway and otherwise providing for the comfort and convenience of the visitors that will be here at least four times each season. And it should be borne in mind that first impressions are the most important. Let each citizen, whether living in his own or rental property, do what he can - and he can easily do a good deal - to keep his premises in presentable condition of repair and neatness. The city can do something - and should do so - but the streets of Jerusalem were kept clean by everyone sweeping in front of his own door.

This morning the first truck load of material was deposited, and the work of construction begun.

HOME

NEXT