THE SPEEDWAY MATINEE

Large Crowd For Initial Performance.

OLDFIELD, THOMPSON AND OTHERS

Weather was Delightfully Cool and Light Clouds Screened the Sun.

Last Sunday afternoon occurred the first races on the Des Moines speedway, located just southwest of Valley Junction. Work on the roads through Valley Junction had been pushed energetically for several days and up to noon Sunday, and they were in as good condition as dirst roads could be made considering the large amount of rain recently. The newly graveled Railroad street from Fifth to Eleventh had been much improved by the treatment, but needs rolling and then another coat of gravel, especially the west two or three blocks. The crowds began to go there early in the afternoon, and many of them had a considerable wait until 2:30, soon after Preliminary tryouts did not count, but Barney Oldfield in his big red racer, the first event, against time. This was the first event against time. This probably 5,000 in the grand stand, several hundred in the center space and by perhaps as large a crowd on the hill in the Bennett pasture. And they got quite as good a view as those that paid a dollar per for seats in the grand stand, a privilege that will be cut short when the grand stand is roofed.

Oldfield made two miles in little over 70 seconds, or at the rate of about 103 miles per hour.

There were several motorcycle races that attracted some interest, but the feature of the day was the flying machine work of DeLloyd Thompson in his biplane. His evolutions were performed with a complete mastery of the air. He turned somersaults, flew upside down and made all sorts of dips and curves. The race with Oldfield around the track was a pretty

The five-mile Deusenberg race against time was run at the rate of just about 100 miles an hour, and is said to be the best time yet made on a mile track.

The program closed officially with a ten-mile race, that had been cut down from 100 miles on account of the lateness of the hour.

At the close of the races Barney Oldfield and others were arrested on an information sworn out by Sheriff Griffin before Justice Conroy, and Oldfield proceeded at once to the court room, where on the same Sunday afternoon the the fine of $5 and costs was assessed and paid. The others appeared next day. As to stopping the such races it did not have any more weight than the fly in the fable that apologized for sitting on the ox's horn, feeling its weight might be burdensome to the ox.

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