R. S. Hemingray

GAY STREET AND CAFE SCENES

ENACTED BY VISITING MOTORISTS

Vast Throng of Speed Enthusiasts Fills Downtown Section With

Sounds of Merrymaking, Dinner Parties Being

Favorite Form of Entertainment.

A picturesque and lively crowd on downtown Indianapolis streets last night talked of little else than Speedway, automobiles, driver, speed, time, miles, and every other modern transportation term. In all of the gay scenes the hotel and cafes, principally the cafes, presented the most brilliant pictures.

"It is a record-breaker for Indianapolis. Never have such throngs been in our hotels and cafes," said Henry W. Lawrence of the Claypool Hotel last night.

"No city in this country has ever seen such a day as has Indianapolis today. Our hotels have been crowded for two days and the crowd is enjoying Indianapolis to the utmost," said William A. Holt, manager of the Denison Hotel.

All the speed intoxication of the city was crowded into the hotels last night, and the very highest pitch was reached in the cafes. There many large dinner parties spent the entire evening. There the very mention of the name of a driver who participated in the afternoon's race brought wild cheers from all those at the tables.

HARROUN CHEERED WILDLY.

"Of all the places I have ever been — in the cafes of Chicago, New York, and other large city hotels — I have never seen such a sight as this," said B. J. Mutachler, maitre d'hotel at the Claypool, as he looked over the throng there.

Ray Harroun walked into the Claypool cafe early in the evening, and his appearance was greeted by wild cheers. He disappeared almost immediately, but when later he was paged through the cafe the wild cheering set up again. Some one mentioned Mulford's name and the crowd went wild once more. Half those at the tables stood up, waving their napkins, cheering Harroun and Mulford repeatedly.

Later in the evening Harroun and Bob Burman appeared in the Claypool cafe and both were received with the wildest cheers. They were guests at a dinner given by the Dorian Rim Company of New York to a large number of automobilists. W. L. Burgess, a representative of the company, having the dinner in charge. More than thirty persons were guests at this dinner.

COMPOSE ORIGINAL VERSES.

Among them were Mr. and Mrs. W. L. Burgess of New York, president of the Dorian Rim Company; Ray Harroun, Mr. and Mrs. Bob Burman, Dr. Wadsworth Warren of the Buick racing team, Mrs. Warren, Mr. and Mrs. A. A. Franklin of the St. Louis (Mo.) office of the company, A. R. Heiskell of the Nordyke-Marmon firm of Indianapolis, Mrs. Heiskell, H. B. Hewitt of the Premier Automobile Company of Indianapolis, Mrs. Hewitt, Mrs. Charles Huntington, and Mrs. Ellen Reidings of Chicago.

Members of his company composed impromptu verses to popular airs and they were sung repeatedly during the evening. One honored the Mormon car, the winner of the race, in words set to the tune of "In the Good Old Summer Times."

Mr. and Mrs. G. F. Mehornay of New York entertained the following at the Claypool cafe: Mr. and Mrs. A. L. Stout of Salem, Ind., Mr. and Mrs. F. E. Bade of Goshen, Ind., and Mr. and Mrs. John A. Benell of Indianapolis.

Mr. and Mrs. Hugh J. McGowan entertained in the Claypool cafe during the evening, having a large party of guests. J. S. Fleischman of Cincinnati, O., entertained a party of eight.

George W. Wishart of New York entertained a party of fourteen at the Denison cafe in honor of his son, Spencer Wishart, who drove the Mercedes car. Thomas Taggart, Jr. entertained in the Denison cafe for fourteen classmates at Cornell University, where he is in school.

DRIVERS ENTERTAIN.

Among other parties at the Denison cafe were L. I. Ziegler of the Nordyke-Marmon firm and a number of the Nordyke-Marmon representatives: Eugene Davis of New York and a party of seven; Bruce Falley of Terre Haute, Ind., and a party of eleven; R. S. Hemingray of Muncie, Ind., and a party of eleven; Bruce Bement of Terre Haute and a party of fifteen; Thomas Bauer of Lafayette, Ind., and a party of nine.

At the Hotel English cafe no reservations were made for dinner parties. A number of the automobile drivers entertained their friends there during the evening.

All the cafes were rushed beyond capacity, and many persons patiently waited in line during the earlier part of the evening for an hour or more to get seats for parties of two or three. Both the Claypool cafe and the Denison cafe served more than 1,000 diners during the evening. The number was limited only by the capacity of the cafes. Many persons planning to join in the evening's festivities were unable to get seats in the cafes and were forced to drive elsewhere.

The Columbia Club roof garden opened at 9 o'clock last evening for its second evening this season and was more crowded than on the opening evening, Monday. No guests could be entertained in the Columbia Club because of the outpouring of members.

ROOF GARDEN CROWDED.

The roof garden was crowded until a late hour and many parties, forced to wait until a late hour for places, did not leave until early this morning.

Hotel men all joined in saying last night that Indianapolis experienced a day unique among American cities. Wealthy visitors from all parts of the country made their visit to the Motor Speedway and their pleasures of the evening the event of the season.

Like wine the thrilling race of the afternoon affected all who saw it, and practically all the merrymakers of last evening were among the Speedway crowd of the day. To them the evening was relaxation from a day which had strung their nerves to the highest pitch.

Manufacturers of automobiles and automobile accessories whose machines or parts had shown up in the lead among the racing cars were bent upon celebrating their success. Disappointed ones disappeared. The evening was given over to those happy over the outcome of the day.

And in the mouths of all visitors was praise of Indianapolis. As the queen of entertaining cities Indianapolis outdid herself. Indianapolis citizens were the hosts at nearly all the big entertainments of the evening, and their guests hailed from every corner of the country.

HOTELS MAKE MORE ROOM.

All the hotels were even more packed last night than Monday night, and special details of firemen were sent to the larger hotels to assist in protecting the patrons during the evening. The Claypool Hotel had more than 1,200 guests last night, and every other hotel made room fro more visitors than ever before.

Late at night the crowds of merrymakers began to disperse. Hundreds left by late night trains and thousands will go on early trains this morning. By tonight hotel men expect that most of the visitors will have left the city.

Many lay down on the cement sidewalks in front of the Union Station, using the slightly elevated curbs for headrests. Old newspapers were used by some for pillows, but even paper was at a premium. With 8,000 persons still packed in the station and the train sheds officials estimated from 12,000 to 16,000 persons had been carried away from the station between 6 and 12 o'clock.