San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-11-06

all the healthful sporting Ideas o
this century. Herself one of thu
largest native horse markets in thu
country it is only in accordance
with the natural order of things
that she should take an interest il
all that concerns such stock. The
maintenance of good racing stable:
in this city and the establishment
of a live racing organization has
long been considered by the promi
nent horsemen here, but it is only
of late that this general feeling has
crystalized into form. \ little over
five months since few gentlemen
of this city, Messrs. Sid. Berry, II
f. futile, Charles LanghOlZ and
John Wilkins, Jr., organized an as
sociation for the purpose Of giving
some races during the 4th of July
week at the Fair Grounds track,
below the city. This meeting, last
ing two days, was success, and
perpetuate the organization and
put it upon a more substantial
basis.
A quiet canvas of the matter re-
suited in a determination to pur-
chase grounds and establish track
more convenient to the city, as the
track at the Fair grounds was too
far out for a successful club estab-
lishment there. The charter OF
the Jockey Club association, FORM
ed in May, making no provision
for the purchase, lease and holding
of real estate, an association for
that purpose was formed and char
tered. This new association, known
as the San Antonio Park assOcia-
ton, and mainly composed of men,
bers of the Jockey club, purchased
a tract of twenty-siX acres of land
on River avenue, less than half the
distance from the heart of the city
of the old track, and decided to put
them in order for week of fall
races. The Park association paid
the sum of $4,000 for the grounds,
which embraced a beautiful natu-
raj grove of young timber, and de-
cided to prepare first-class half
mile tract, build stables to accom-
modate 200 horses, erect a grand
stand and approaches and get
ready to give southwest Texas
first-class racing facilities.
THE DOUBLE ASSOCIATION.
From this Park association, own
ing the property, the Jockey club
obtained a ten years lease of the
grounds, the association agreeing
to spend $4,000 in the way Of i'm
provement. This double arrang-
ment has for its object such govern
ment of the Jockey club as will
prevent its ever falling into the
hands of a few stockholders, as
might easily have been the case
had the ownership of the grounds
been in its hands. This permits
the Jockey club organization to
take to itself more readily the
features of a social organization
in which the members stand upon
an equality, irrespective of the
amount of stock held. The Jockey
club is to pay six percent upon the
original investment and on the
Improvements to date of opening
the ground, keep the grounds in
repair and pay taxes and insur-
ance. The Jockey club is thus
faced for work without any en-
barrassing debt upon it's hands,
and at a fixed rate for ten wears
that can not be increased no mat
~ ter how valuable the plant may
become.
There is nothing inimical to the
establishment of Fair ground in
this city in this movement for a
Park association and Jockey club
On the contrary, as the LIGHT has
frequently pointed out, this work
of the Jockey club can be made to
greatly facilitate the permanent
establishment of an annual fair in
this city,
GROUNDS AND WORK.
The grounds OF the Park asso
citation are the most desirable il
the state. They are well shell
tered on the northwest from the
bleak winter winds; ar,
abundantly supplied will
water; can be reached in
few minutes by thu
Alamo Heights electric car line
and embrace within their Limits
two beautiful natural groves tina
will form in a few years a mag
nificently shaded park. No NOR
slightly grounds can be found for
race track anNWhprn Natmrn ha