No Saloon for IMS

These two attachments contain articles reporting on the controversy concerning the opening of saloons or bars originally appeared in the Indianapolis News during August 1909. The more amusing one is a very brief item in attachment news80909  about the cancellation of plans for a "saloon" on the grounds of the newly constructed Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This article notes that track chief engineer P.T. Andrews applied for the license, but Indianapolis Motor Speedway Chief Historian Donald Davidson reported in 2009 that Andrews was merely "fronting" for management. Davidson said,
 
"County commissioners turn down the request of an individual named Frank Zeiker, who had applied for permission to operate a saloon near the entrance to the track. A similar request expresses a desire to operate a bar on the track grounds themselves during events. Interestingly enough, this one comes from P. T. Andrews, who is the engineer from New York who designed and has been supervising the building of the track. Evidently, he was "fronting" for management. The commissioners take the request "under advisement," but before they have a chance to make a ruling, the hue and cry from those who live in the area is so great that management decides to withdraw the request."
 
There is a second article in the news80909 attachment that discusses the organization of the 388-mile endurance run between Cleveland and Indianapolis and the festive decorations of stars-and-stripes bunting and flags throughout the city.
 
Attachment IMSsaloonNews081009 (Indianapolis News, August 10, 1909) contains a curious article that reports that while Speedway management had discarded the notion of a saloon, apparently bar owners had not. They were planning to meet with county commissioners that same day to apply for a license if not on the IMS grounds then at a nearby location. One such proprietor, Willis Murphy, was applying for a permit to establish a bar at 2450 South Meridian Steet in Indianapolis.