Evening journal., 1889-04-20
LAST EDITION
MOVE OR NOT TO MOVE.

The Proposed New Grounds Discussed
and Described.
On next Monday evening a meeting of
the Delaware Field Club will be held to
Tdecide whether the club will or will not
&purchase new grounds. Two meetings
Not the club have been held recently, and
III is likely that some action will shortly
Mbe taken.
Ii There is little doubt that the CLUB
Bought to move Its present grounds at
and Washington streets
&are not large enough to accommodate
#other than games of tennis. This, whlle
Mmaking the grounds acceptable 10 tennis
#plavers. leaves a void for the member
#who desires heavier sports. 1t is not I'M
#likely that if the club remains where it
|4is a great many of it's members will re-
#sign The smallness OF the old grounds
Ncauses great deal of expense to the
club for resodding, as the turf quickly
#|wears out. There is not enough room to
5Euse other portions of the ground, there
#fore repairs are constantly being made.
III Granted that the club should move
#Where shall it go? This matter has been
Mdiscussed for several years, committees
Xand committees have been appointed.
They have searched through and through
*for available sites. Good locations have
m been found but in some cases the price
S. asked was beyond consideration, and in
others, clear title to grounds could not
&c obtained.
u The latest site before the club is that
aI (which is now being discussed, near the
N NBaltimore and Ohio railroad junction,
All about three miles from the heart of this
SNcity. II is commonly known as the grid.
5 ron and contains dozen or so acres.
Seven acres Of this property have been
~ ,ffered to the Delaware Field Club at a
81 very reasonable figure.
# Here is comparison: The present
# grounds at Twenty-third and Washing
@ on streets are 350x250 feet and theil
& selling price is $4,000 The expenses
III asst year, including fixed charges, such
~ as rent, sodding, etc, amounted to about
4, 200.
The new grounds contain seven acres
bpe 100x500 feet and have been offered t,
~ he club at the low price of 50, 400. Th'
Ssost of the grounds, when completely
III tilted up with club house. fence, bicy
|8zs lie track, sodding water, ETC., will, it il
NJ stimated, be less than $4,000.
The charter of the Delaware FielC
-lub allows it to issue stock and hol,
zeal property to the amount of $50 900
should the new grounds be purchased
he club will issue Sc, 900 worth Of stock
which it hopes to have taken up by it
members. If the whole So, GOO be sub
II Ecribed, the fixed charges wonld be re
# luced to a minimum.
The property adjoining the seven acre
n valued at $500 to 81 900 an acre. Tn
seven acres are almost level and wouli
$S equire very little grading
# After all the stock is issued the fee
rom new members could be applied t
s he funding Of any permanent debt tina
might be against the club. If all tn
& took is not taken, but only $4,000
subscribed, a mortgage for the remainde
@ bearing interest at per cent. could
lssued. The interest per year would
Sl00 The expenses of a groundsma
and new material each year would be bu
500 The insurance tax would amour
to $40, thus making total of 500 pc
Il year running expenses. Last year til
iues amounted to about 1900. Thi
y amount should be increased this year 8
hny rate, after all expenses are paid thel
remains 5000 towards the reduction {
he 81, 600 mortgage.
The different railroads to the ground
will grant great concessions to the clul
The fare each way win be 3 cents an
from p. m. until $50 p. m. o'clocl
seventeen trains will 60 to the grounds
Returning after 2. 80 p. m. there will t
trains to this city.
On the old grounds the club is II
stricted to tennis; on the new grounds
81 there is room for cricket, tennis, bas
ball, foot ball and other sports. The ne
grounds are four times as large as the pre-
ent. Besides these games there is roo
s forother athletic exercises. In addition
S proposed to build bicycle track ju
inside of the grounds. This is whl
wheelmen have been looking for evl
since cycling was introduced into Wi
mington. If it is built the wheelme
will welcome it gladly. A good road
Front street and another to BrandywiI
{ Springs lead from the proposed ground
The Wilmington & Northern RailrOI
Company has promised to furnish all Il
Stag necessary, at cost, for the buildiI
of the bicycle track.
The ground can easily be put in fir
class condition for all sports incident
to the club, and viii make location a
cessible from the city and a pleasa
place for an afternoons recreation.
is certain that the Delaware Field Gil
must do something to keep up the inte
est Of its non-tennis players, and to ]
]S tain the position it once held in t
cricket world The material is in t
i. club, and with these new grounds, gan
could be arranged with Philadelphia a
other teams, and new life put into cricl
in this city Also in base ball, the
would be more hope for the club th
there ever has been in the past
To sum up, the best thing for the
F. G. to do under the circumstances is
buy the new grounds and thus keep
an interest in hi gh grade sports.