Morning journal and courier., 1883-11-26
A Mile Track.


 D directions to Laying One Out-The Ad-
 vice of a Competent Authority.
 The Turf, Field and Farm publishes an ar- ticle in the editorial column of it's last issue the following which will be found of great interest to those interested in the turf:
 A correspondent from New Haven writes Last month we had trotting meeting here of three days duration, which has created feeling that New Haven should have a mile track for trotting purposes project has been set agoing to accomplish the same, and take the liberty to write to you for infor nation. Please give me the correct dimen- sions, the number of acres required, and other information pertaining to the construc- tion of mile track.
 At Hartford, the sister city of New Haven, there is one of the best mile tracks in the country, and the dimensions grades and soil of it might be studied with profit. It was there that Smuggler made his stallion record of 2:154, and it was there that St. Julien put 2:114 on the blackboard. It is fast and safe track, and it is patronized, when events of importance are pending by the culture as well as the yeomanry of New England. If our New Haven friends do not care to copy the track at Hartford, they should purchase level field of forty two acres, and then em ploy competent civil engineer. Through the center of the field draw a straight line of 40 yards, and on each side of this line and distance of 40 yards two inches from it draw parallel lines of equal length, 50 that the space between the two outer lines will be 2S0 feet inches. Drive 8 post at each end of the centre line; fasten cord to it, and extend the cord at right angles for 40 yards 2 inches until it touches the end of the outer line, and then describe with the extreme end of the cord an outer curve between the ends of the two outer lines. The continuous out CT line will be exactly a mile Set the fence of kha kbroo faakiT o11f ho oT1ru and straight sides from this outer line and you will obtain track on which Lorse in har- ness will be compelled to trot g full mile in going from wire to wire. It has not been the custom to throw the curves up on run ming tracks, but no man can ride in sulky safely at 8 rapid gait around the flat curves of trotting track. Gov. Stanford, great railroad man, and who has practical knowl- edge of breaking and training, says that the turns of trotting track should be thrown up like the curves of 8 railroad, and his training track at Palo Alto was constructed on this principle. The soil should be mixture of loam, clay and sand. The Providence track, on which Jay-Eye-See made his record of 2:109, was rendered fast by paving it, so to speak, with bricks of scd These bricks were six inches wide and they were placed edgewise. This is expensive, and we doubt if New Haven would care to make the ex- pertinent. How long a sod track will last and retain it's elasticity is still an open ques- ton. Should 8 first-class track be built in the city where branches of noble elms inter lace across the streets and where the intel lectual lights of Yale never pale, we will do what we can to sustain it. We will bespsak for it the patronage of those interested in promoting the welfare of the turf, and we are confident that the words will not falf up- on unheeding ears. But New Haven is SO near Hartford that the management will have to be energetic in order to command success.