The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-05-20
ALL is SETTLED.
Society Buys Tract
at Barber's
Crossing.
WILL BUILD TRACK.
Everything Happened in
the Transaction as The
Spy Predicted.

Worcester Agricultural society met
yesterday morning in Horticultural
hall, to listen to the report Of the com
mittee of seven appointed to recon-
mend a plan for the investment of the
funds obtained from the fair grounds,
and before the meeting closed the re-
port of the committee was accepted in
it's entirety, 1t was voted to purchase
the Benjamin Walker tract at BARRIERS
crossing. A committee was appointed to
negotiate the purchase of the tract and
to locate and lay out a, regulation race
track.
The price of this lot is $4,000. 1t was
also voted to deposit $4,000 in the Wor-
cester Safe Deposit and Trust COM
pany.
1t was the sharpest and most bust
ness like meeting ever held in the his
tory of the society. Everything hap
pened just as The Spy predicted it
would several days ago.
There was violent opposition to de-
cisive, immediate action. and every step
of the way was made not without a bat
tie. The meeting opened with a report
of the committee entrusted with the
sale of the west side property, made
through Secretary Fred H. Chamber
| lain. The committee was discharged.
Hon. Ledyard Bill at this early stage
| showed his hand in opposition to action
| by moving that the funds the placed in
the hands of the trustees. Hon. Steph-
en- Salisbury opposed such course and
| Mr.. Bill met the first of a consistent
series of defeats.
The report of the committee on dis
posal of the funds, was then read by
| Secretary l.. F. Herrick. In a short
preamble the committee stated the
purposes for which the society was
formed and has existed, and the re-
| port stated that the organization is
now in a position to prosecute its OBJ
| jects with more profit than is any
other society in the commonwealth.
The report favored the propagation Of
all interests that legitimately came
| within the province of the society, and
closed with these recommendations:
1-Your committee recommends tfat
theSsum of $50, 900 shall be placed in the
hands of the Worcester Safe Deposit
and Trust Company as trustee, the In
come of said sum to be paid to the so
! ciety on the LIST day of July of each
year, and that the conditions of the
trust as to the principal sum shall be
that it should not be withdrawn from
the trustee, excepting upon yea and
nay vote of three-fourths Of the mem
! bers present and voting. And so much
| as is necessary of the balance be ueed
for the purchase of grounds and their
equipment for the uses of the society
2-Your committee unanimously rec
ommend that suitable grounds shall
be purchased by the society, located in
convenient proximity to steam and
electric railways; and that one or more
buildings shall be erected for interior
exhibits that a regulation track
should be constructed as soon as prac-
teal.
Numerous sites have been examined
by your committee, located in Shrews-
bury, West Boylston, Holden and in
several sections of Worcester, namely,
on Grafton street, Chandler street. Tat
muck, near Lake Quinsigamond on
Burncoat street, near BARRIERS crossing
on West Boylston street and In Green
dale Most Of them were found to be
unsuitable for the wants of the So
ciety.
After careful consideration your COM
mittee have decided to recommend to
the society that the piece best suited
for the uses of the society is the Ben
| iamin Walker lot, so-callled, tract OF
| land containing approximately So acres.
located on West Boylston street, 1-2
miles from the city hall. There is an
electric line passing the land, and there
are also two lines Of steam railroad,
| each having a station close beside the
| land. There is a spur track upon the
| land from the Fitchburg railroad.
| There are also a number of buildings
which could be utilized by the society.
lon q
| $2S 000 Your committee are of the opin
| ion that the society should appoint
committee of five, giving them full
power to purchase the above-named
property. Respectfully submitted.
William P. Searls.
Charles r. Parker.
j. H. Washburn,
George Calvin Rice.
James w. Bigelow,
w. c. JeWett,
L. F. Herrick.
After President Jewett had ruled
! that the acceptance of the report dld
not carry with it the acceptance of the
recommendations, it was voted to con-
slider each clause in the recommends
lions separately. In the long debate
| that followed. Hon. Ledyard Bill, II.
H. Bigelow, James Draper, Charles 5.
Dodge and H. S. Stockwell appeared IN
| opposition to immediate action, and the
report of the committee. L. f. Her
| rick William P. Searls, C. L. Harris
horn, Webster Thayer, William A. Ly-
tie, Elliot Moore and Charles T. Pratt
sanctioned the work of the committee,
and favored the disposal Of the recon-
mendations of it's report.
Each recommendation Of the COM
mittee was then adopted by a vote that
showed a two-thirds majority in favor
of the immediate purchase of grounds
and the building of a track. Joseph
! Ellis, ]. L. Ellsworth, Calvin L. Harts-
horn, William P. Searls, L. F. Her
rick, ]. Henry Washburn, William A.
Lyle and DR.. e. E. Frost were elected
a committee to effect the Purchase, to
locate and lay out a track on the
grounds, to remove the present build
! ings or sell them, get a survey of the
land and report to the trustees.
Among horsemen and members of
the society the action of the meeting
Yesterday was the absorbing subject of
discussion yesterday afternoon and
last night. H. II. Bigelow believes the
action of the society can be undOne,
and says that he will head a move
ment for reconsideration.
Horsemen generally are pleased in
the highest degree. The site is one of
the finest obtainable in Worcester
county. The committee that has put
in hard and faithful work in the con-
eidera tiou of a half dozen tracts was