The record-union., 1891-04-26
OAK PARK,
The Athletic Clubs New Grounds to
Be Located There.
Open-Afr Concerts on Sunday Evenings
Other Attractions Being Ar
ranged for the Future.

Oak Park is destined to be the Golden
Gate Park of Sacramento.
What was only recently wilderness
in the southeastern suburbs of the city is
now fast becoming a garden spot that is
sought by the weary and those who de-
sire Whit of fresh, pure air, and bit
of recreation, and this transformation is
due to the tireless energy Of the managers
OF the new electric road, Messrs. j. H.
Henry and l.. l.. Lewis. Of course, it is
business with these gentlemen-it being
there desire to increase as much as pos
sible the traffic of their line-but it
should also be borne in mind that through
their enterprising efforts Sacramento's
citizens will be given pleasure ground
surpassed only by the famous one in San
Francisco.
WHAT WILL BE DONE.
Eyes, sir, we are going to work at this
thing in earnest" said Mr.. Lewis to
RECORD UNION reporter yesterday. "Of
course, we are not in this business for
our health" he continued, but we are
spending great deal of money, and we
naturally expect that some day it will be
returned to us, accompanied by a reason
able interest on our investment. We have
the greatest possible faith in the future of
Oak Park and of Sacramento, and if we
lose on our investments it will not be for
lack OF effort on our part. / feel conf
dent that in the course Of a Very few
months the citizens of Sacramento will
have reason to feel proud of us.''
FREE oPEN-AIR CONCERTS,
Mr.. Lewis then gave the reporter an
outline of the proposed attractions that
Will be placed at the park. An elegant
music stand, fashioned after the ''shell'
in Golden Gate Park, will be erected in a
week or so, and every Sunday evening
concert music will be rendered from
until 10 O'Clock. A band of twenty pieces,
under the leadership of G. a. Neale, has
already been secured, and the fact that
this competent musician will be in charge
is sufficient guarantee as to the quality of
music that will be furnished.
y number of patent swings for the
amusement of the children have already
been put into position, and a baseball
diamond for Young America will shortly
be added. a merry ry-go-round'' is now
in course OF construction, and the oppor-
tunities for fun for youngsters will be
still further increased when the donkeys
which have been contracted for arrive.
A shooting range is already on the
ground.
ATHLETICS, TOO.
Not content with all these attractions,
the managers have gone further, by
offering the Sacramento Athletic Club.
which has now become one of the re-
cognized institutions of Sacramento,
space for new sprinting track and
athletic grounds. The clubs present
quarters at East Park are poorly ar
ranged, and are virtually inaccessible
to the public by reason of the lack of
street-car accommodations. Oak Park,
however, is easily reached by the electric
cars, and the athletes very naturally ac-
cepted the generous offer.
A committee from the Athletic Club,
escorted by Mr.. Lewis, visited the park
yesterday afternoon and picked out a fine
level strip of ground in the southeastern
portion of the park for the proposed track.
A quarter-mile oval track will be laid
here, with a sprinting stretch forty feet
wide and 800 feet long connected. In the
center of the oval Will be arrangements
for high and distance jumping,
sHoT-PUTTING,
Vaulting, hammer and weight throwing.
quoits, and lawn-tennis
The athletes will do their training and
practicing here in the forenoons, and on
Sundays will give special races, so that
the public may have an opportunity of
seeing what they can do. These grounds
will not be shut off from the park proper.
and the general public will not be ex-
cluded from seeing what is going on.
But the athletic club will have exclusive
jurisdiction over the track, and will in
sist upon keeping professionals and un-
desirable persons off of it.
The proposed track will be surveyed
within few days, and will in all proba-
bility be ready for use in about two
weeks
Altogether, pleasure-seekers may look
forward to much that will be enjoyable
in the near future.