The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-07-26
A SMALL MEETING.
HorsenenD Do Not En-
thuse Over the
Mile Track.
H. H. BIGELOW REPEATS OFFER.
He Claims the Agricultural
Society Committee
Ignored Him.
H. H. BIGELOW REPEATS OFFER.

Worcester horsemen do not enthuse!
over the Full Moon track.
Last night H. H Bigelow called a.
meeting in the board of trade rooms to
present an offer of the famous old
track. A general invitation was given
to all interested men, and members Of
worcester Driving Park Company were
invited personally through the mails.
seven horsemen, the engineer who
prepared plans for the rehabilitation of
the track and two reporters responded.
Ihere was no enthusiasm and little de-
| pate. No action of any kind was taxi
en- ana the mile track project was not
sunlcently resurrected from the state
0 lethargy into which it was precipI-
tated by vote of Worcester Agriculture
al Society, when it voted to build O.
smaller ring on the Greendale fair
grounds, to warrant any further effort
looking TO its resuscitauon.
| The meeting was informal, Mr..
Blgelow explained his position in the
niatte[' ana incidentally expressed con-
siderable anflnus against the manner
| IN Which he has been treated by the
| committee on new grounds of Worees-
| ter Agricultural Society. He said that
] ne made repeated efforts to present ali
offer of the grounds to the committee.
through its chairman, Warren c. Jew
EFT, and that he was never able to gain
| the ears of the committee for any kind
of a hearing
| He was prepared to make the society
| this Offer: For $4,000 he would give
| the society warranty deed of the en-
tire property, the society to expend $780,
| 600 in improvements, in the erection of
grandstands, sheds, halls and stables
and In putting the track in proper con-
| ditfon to meet its needs. This would
/ make a total outlay of $4,000 ON the
property. On this amount, Mr.. Bige.
| low would guarantee the society per
cent interest for from to Is years, as
the society chose, by taking a lease Of
the property on 5, 10, 10, 20 or 25-year
contract, the society to have the use of
the grounds whenever 1t chose for all
its purposes. Thus for $4,000 the So
ciety would have a deed of the property
and a prime mile track, and every cent
expended would be at interest at the
usual rate.
Instead of this, Mr.. Bigelow says the
society has expended $3.50 for a piece
of property that would not bring $4,000
in open market. 1t Will expend $15,0 900
i for half-mile track, and before it is
through with improvements must ex-
pend 900 which must lay idle for an
indefinite period. The GPeendale tract,
he considers far inferior to Quinsiga-
mond park in natural beauty, cost of
maintaining and general desirability,
i barring the single objection on the
question of transportation and access
i sibility. He says that for $1,000 there
can be built a half mile spur track of
the Boston and Albany railroad and
| f1ve-eighths of a mile of electric rail-
way as a branch of the Grafton cleo
tries. These approaches, in connection
with it's approaches by water, would
| make the Full Moon track fully as ac-
cessible as the Greendale property.
With all these statements and with
this liberal Offer Mr.. Blgelow was not
| allowed to see the committee. Last
| night he told an interesting story of his
efforts to gain some consideration from
the committee. He said: Long before
the meeting of the committee, 1 met
Chairman Jewett and called his atten-
ton to the Full Moon track He invited
me to appear before the committee with
my plans and specifications and when
| told him that the plans were cumber
some he made an appointment with me
Il to meet at the Board Of Trade rooms
and listen to my offer. The appoint
ment was never kept nor was any one
Of three others which he made with
me. l was never allowed to APPEAR be-
fore the committee.
When at last the committee made
up its report in favor of the Walker lot,
nor any one else except the insiders
expected for q moment that the society
would vote to buy. BY spending $40 for
the special meeting Of the society to
reconsider, 1 learned many things Of
xtv.r Sc x1k., q
slider the money we'll invested. What
ever the reason for the action of the
committee, and l suspect what 1t was
that Influenced the committee ignored
every other tract Of land under Its
consideration, ignored me entirely and
recommended the poorest lot that was
proposed, and put the purchase
through
Mr.. Bigelow rehearsed his efforts to
beautify and build up the lake. He
mentioned the fact that he had done
what the city could not do-build a
bridge over the lake. He recounted
the giving of Lake Park to the city aud
the expenditure of $4,000 to build the
oval. The present offer to the society
was made in the same spirit, and he
was entirely ignored, as If seeking q
favor from the committee to make it
AN offer.
This same offer, Mr.. Bigelow SAYS,
llS open 10 the nOfSemen of Worcester
An engineer has made a survey of the
Full Moon track and estimates the cost
lof putting 1t in good condition at about
$1,000 The estimate is based on the
moving of 10000 yards of earth to be
used as filling and 14,713 yards of loan
(which would be put on the entire track
to depth of Is inches. The track would
be go feet wide on the stretch, 50 feet
on the turns and 40 feet on the back
lstretch. Mr.. Bigelow will guarantees to
move the earth and loan at 20 cents
lper cubic yard, and figures the cost
|of surfacing and strengthening the
track at s6942 go. If horsemen ignore
his offer, it is not unlikely that Mr.,
IBigelow will undertake the work as
la private venture.
There was brief expression Of SEN
ltiment when Mr.. Bigelow had finished
his explanation John w Knibbs
Favored mile track strongly and be-
Ileves the track at Lake Quinsigamond
Iif rebuilt according to Mr.. Bigelow's
! Iplans. would be good enough to bring
/ 1.-THE light-harness racing stars to Wor-
lcester.