Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-06-02

large delegation of newspaper men,
including representatives of the press from
New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore this
city and Peninsula, paid u visit on Friday
morning TO the now celebrated kite
Track" trotting course belonging 10 the
Maple Valley Trotting Association at Kirk
wood, Del
The Wilmington party Joined the rest Of
the delegation on the train that reached
here at Ills a. m. A special car had been
attached to the rear of the train, and here
President A. w. Cooper of the Maple Val
ley Trotting Association welcomed his
guests. These filled every seat in the car
and Included the following: New York
papers -Rober: Sterling Ford Sun; Wash
ington de 9. Smith, Turf, Field and Far0,;
World: John BodiD, Ir.. Press. l., q. I'm
derhill, Spirit Of he Times and Daily Sports
man. Philadelphia--H. G. Crowhlirst,
Irsss; Il. w. Everett Times; Elmer Schlich-
ter, Item; Frank Richter. Sporting LIFE;
W. II. Antrim, Record, Frank r. Green,
icdii; II. L. Cloud, Sun; Joseph NJ. Kelley,
Neos Wilmington. Travers Jones,
EVERY EVENING; William H. Hill, j.
Albert Curry, Edgar NJ. Hoopes, Morning
News; w. Scott Vernon, Duty Rtpublieaa;
William +. Kurtz, Sunday Star; Theodore
Stewart, c. w. Edwards, EVeniag Journal;
Charles scheu, Freie Presse; j. Hessey Dill
worth, Deiawdre NelCs; w. X. Reynolds,
Bliddletown, Transcript; S. A. Buchanan.
Ne,o Era; John f. salisbury and W. G.
Postles, Delawarean; Henry Il. Torbert,
Cecil Wing; others were Philip K. Clark,
ID. James, Jr., l.. l.. Pritchett, w Pierce
Biggs. Harry l.. Bucher, Winfield s. Sim
mons, +. D. Gould, Thomas Davidson,
Isaac f. Belts, George Whiteman; I. q.
Reeves, DIR. j. w. Jacobs and Frank Phil
lips, Delaware City; William Biggs Mid
dletown; Edward Jester, William NJ.
Stuckert, ]. II, S. Gam, st. Georges.
Arriving at Kirkwood station number
of carriages were found awaiting the
guests. The Wilmington newspaper men
with some Philadelphia friends embarked
in big four horse carry-all and soon were
bowling along merrly through, green
refreshing wind blowing from the fields
of young wheat and clover. The drive
was all too short for the pleasure of it. In
n few minutes the carriages drew up in
front Of the thicky shaded porch, of
Maple Valley farm house where DR.. Me-
Toy, Mrs. Mccoy and the ladies of the
household, aided in the industrious and
nuniiicent hospitality of the occasion by
he ubiqitous president of the association,
A. w. Cooper, were welcomed and with
the briefest ceremony escorted to delight
full repast.
journed for Smoker on the porch they
were joined by Mr.. Cooper, who was i'm
lnediately the object of an earnest
catechzng upon everything in connection
with the wonderful novelty of u kite
trottng track.
Mr.. Cooper, who is an old newspaper
man, knew well how to talk to his friends.
The following was gathered The Maple
Valley Trotting Associations great kite
track is the only track of that exact de
scriptiOn in the east. There is one bearing
some slight resemblance to il at Meadsvillc,
4
built by I. ]. Somers of Philadelphia, who
constructed the Gloucester track. 1t was
done under the personal supervision of DIR.
j. G. Mccoy, the secretary of the associa-
tion. The track, watering apparatus,
buildings stables, plant, Sc., cost $4,000.
The track was laid by first taking all the
top-soil off, then filling in the cuts, grad
ing, &c, and then the top-sol was put on
again. The result was a good springy
track, unequaled in elasticity and which
has been pronounced by competent judges
the fastest track i'll the country.
The watering apparatus is one of the
special novelties of the place. There is one
mile Of Pinch pipe (really two 2-inch pipes
for it stretches both ways) placed al
around the track along the inside fence
1t is q most ingenious contrivance. Lonl
pipe-lenEths of perhaps 80 feet, one end at
tached to the main pipeby aswing joint. tn,
other with nozzle and lawn sprinkler de
vice at the end is moved into position il
centre of the track. BY automatic motion
Ia the hydraulic power sends the water jet,
n spraying in every direction, completely
n dampening the whole track to the desired
degree of saturation. Were all the pipe
at work at the same time the effect woulc
be of a ladder-like continuation of pipes
resembling low hurdles athwart the track
pll around. The main pipe track is fet
'om a 60 feet tower which is surtopped BY
water tank of the capacity of l5,ON
10 Il
II feet deep and II feet across. Thus allow
ing for height of " feet for the water t,
be pumped which duty is accomplished
by a Worthington pump. ltdoes not tax
q half minute to water the Whole track
The apparatus cost $4,000. IL enables TN
track to be put in the desired condition
specially needed at amy moment withou
any of the trouble of watering cart
or wagons cutting their deep ruts am
otherwise disfiguring and disqualifying tn
track for the special aim OF possibilities Q
highest speed.
The official opening of the Maple Vale
Trotting Associations new kite-track vii
be on July fth.
Negotiations are now in progress for tn
presence at that time of Belle Hamli
and Globe, the double team which rt
Gently made the record of u mile IN 2 -
at Belmont The great Axtell will also b
present. At the opening the troIting do
"Doc," which wins for its owner SA0J
week, will be exhibited. There will l.
three class races, 2.l5, $50, 2.23, wit
prizes from $500 20 $500.
Another feature will be that instead q
the spring. summer and fall meeting
usual in the trotting circuits, there will
regular weekly meetings each Saturday
The association is Il member of the Amer
can and National Trotting Associations.
CERTAIN STRICT RULES.
The rule will be that the horse that do,
M not win heat in three goes to the barr
The motto of the association is. 'hone
racing"
There is stablng for 100 horses on II
grounds. There are three stable shes
IN besides the main stable, which is 40 fe
* long.
The grand stand when completed wi
have capacity for from 500 10 5000 pc
sons. Arrangements have been made wit
General Passenger Agent George W. Boy
of the Pennsylvania railroad for the sa
of combined railway and ground tickets
any of the company's stations from he
to New York. The race track will
found specially suitable for the S5aturda
half holiday people. The distance is Ne
York to Philadelphia o2 miles; Philade
phia to Wilmington, %; from Wilmin
ton to KirkwoOd, II miles; from Kir
wood TO Baltimore it is 80 miles.
The Kirkwood kite track is 6 Isl
seconds faster than the regulate
truck. The only other national kite ira,
similar to this is that of Senator Stanfo