The 'little' people

In your tribute to Arlington Park, oops, sorry, Arlington International Racecourse, please don't forget the "little" people.

The ones who lined the road leading to the track selling racing forms and scratch sheets. Those folks like me, college and high school students, that got the track ready for Opening Day by painting, dusting, removing debris that had accumulated during the winter. Those folks that were responsible every day for putting down sweeping compound on the main floor of the grandstand and clubhouse to make that concrete shine, even though just for a short time. Cleaned the restrooms.

These were the same folks that that roamed the floor with their small brooms and dust pans to sweep up that falling $ in front of the sellers cages when Phil said, "They're at the post." Or those folks new to racing and dropped those winning tickets on the floor. (The snooty ones, that did not know what the trash containers were for.)

Since Arlington was considered agricultural work, our pay was $1 per hour, and all you could get off the floor. (My major source of income, that was double my salary.)

Henry Inselberger

Rolling Meadows