The Portland daily press., 1892-06-25
NAMES RACING TRACK.
The Work at Old. Orchard and Cape
Elizabeth.
FINE SAMPLES OF THE KITE AND
REGULATION FORMS.

The Old Orchard People have Fine Race
Course; but we think Port1and's will be
a Little Better-Preparations for the
Grand Race ON the Fourth of July.
The area which includes Portland and
Old Orchard is bound to be the trotting
centre of the state. The two tracks now
building are to be among the best in New
England, and probably as good as any in
the nation.
j x :, {, The Regulation Track.
] Work has really begun in earnest on
the regulation track near this city to be
built by the Maine Mile Track association
By the courtesyiof Mr.. Ansel G. Sawyer
this place was visited by the PRESS re-
porter Thursday afternoon. A large
force of men were busy in the prelimina-
ry work in charge Of Secretary Barrett,
as instructed by Mr.. Seth Griffin, the
famous fast track builder who may be
expected here from the west at any time
with a large crew of men and the work
will be pushed to rapid conclusion.
The track was all ditched by Mr.. Flanna-
gan some weeks ago. A crew of a dozen
or more men are at, work on the new 700
foot road from the main highway to the
truck. The fencing was sent out last Mon
ca.
The site for this track between the
Eastern and Western divisions of the
Boston & Maine railroad could not be
surpassed for the purpose of a race
course and it is not to be wondered at
that Mr.. Griffin declared that it was just
the spot he had been looking for all his
life to build the fastest track in the world
The soil he declares to be just right, and
he has had great experience as the con-
structor of many of the fastest tracks in
the country. 1t differs somewhat from
sub soil of the kite track at Old Orchard
in that while sufficiently elastic, accord
ing to Mr.. Griffin, it lis more firm. In the
view of some good judges the weak point
of the Old Orchard track is that the bog
upon which it is built is not sufficiently
firm. The regulation track will have the
advantage of a wooded protection from
the winds from any direction.
With everything in such progress quick
work will be made upon the arrival of
Mr.. Griffin and his men for the track will
be much easier of construction than that
at Old Orchard by the natural formation
of the land, everything being right at
hand for the grading and just the right
sort of material. 1t seems safe to as
sumo that the Maine Mile Track Associa-
tion will be ready for grand opening of
their new regulation course for August
and September.
Old Orchards Kite Track.
The kite shaped race course building,
for the Breeders Mile Track Association
at Old Orchard is rapidly approaching
completion and it promises to be in good
condition for the grand three days open
ing meeting on the 4th, 5th and 9th of
July when $4,000 in prizes are to be con-
tested for by field of some of the most
noted trotters and PAGERS in the country.
Our correspondent made recent visit to
the track and was decidedly impressed
with the idea that it is to be one of the
fastest in the country. 1t is located in
the easterly outskirts of the village about
a third of mile from the Boston &
Maine railroad station. The site was a
dry peat bog, as elastic as rubber and yet
capable of sustaining great weight. The
heaviest team could drive over it with
impunity and yet even to the human
footstep it seems as yielding and gentle
as a rich velvet carpet. Even now when
a load of the finishing soil is dumped
there is rubber like undulation that can
be felt for several yards away. These
matters of peculiar springly elasticity are
mentioned to show that there is every
reason to expect Names kite track an
extraordinary fast one.
On the original site as les.sel as mill
pond has been graded up with other
elastic soils the track. Making the en-
tire circuitwe found it to be trenched on
every side and a perfect level was easily
secured by the unfailing method of water.
1t is so broad throughout that perhaps
dozen horses might safely speed abreast
in any part of it.
On the northerly side little easterly
of the judges and grand stands, are two
stables, twins in construction, that are
all finished and perhaps are unsurpassed
or equalled by any track stable in the
United States. They are lofty, the az
chitecture highly pleasing and each is
200 feet in length and they contain S6
stalls, 10 by Is feet handsomely finished.
Three large ventilators from the roof of
each stable give the animals pure air to
breathe. Surely no one could ask for
better equine accommodations than these
and the idea they suggest is of some ele-
CANT private stables Of wealthy horse
breeder rather than the work of an asso-
| citation.
The grand stand is rapidly approaching
completion, and will be one of the largest
| in New England. Mounting to little
elevation one was surprised to see what a
splendid view of the course and surround
| ing country it commanded. We must
confess that it somewhat upset our no
tions as to the view of spectators on a
| kite shaped track. The horses go away
on an angle, swing up from the long
easy turn of the kite and come home on
an angle. why" said Mr.. Chase, the
| veteran Maine half-mile track builder,
you can see twenty pound dog every
| foot of this track and every step that a
horse takes" This is the seventh track
built by Mr.. J. B. Chase of Dover, Me-,
and he has great faith in its fast quail
| ties. Some of his half mile tracks are