The Worcester spy., 1899-07-25
FULL MOON TRACK,
Mr.. Big'elow's 'sMeeting
to Consider the Mile
Ring, Project.
WHAT The HORSEMEN SAY.
They Look Upon the Prop
y osition as a Doubt
full One.


the Board of Trade rooms by H.H. Bige-
low in the interest of the mile track
project All horsemen are invited and
members of Worcester Driving Park
Company have received special in
vitations through the mails
How many followers of the sport
will be present is purely a matter of
conjecture, but if the sentiment as ex-
| pressed at the last meeting of Worces-
ter Agricultural Society, which was
called at Mr.. Bigelows request and by
petition circulated by him, may be talk
en- as an index of the amount of en-
thusiasm which may be excited by a
mile track proposition, the capacity of
| the hall will not be taxed to accom-
modate the horsemen who will attend.
| 1t is the sentiment among horsemen
that the project to build big ring in
| Worcester is as dead now as when it
was first broached. Every horseman in
| Worcester and every follower of the
horses in New England would, doubt
/ less, like to see regulation mile track
/ in Worcester, to see realized visions of
! the grand circuit making the stop here
! between Hartford and Boston, and to
| witness all the other attractive things
painted by enthusiasts.
Since it was discovered that the mile
| track could not be constructed on the
! Greendale property of the Agricultural
! society, a small quota of local horsemen
have been led to believe that the so
! ciety was, in a measure, buncoed when
| 1t voted to buy the Walker tract at
BARRIERS crossing. But the majority of
interested men who have taken occa-
sion to give the race track problem
| proper thought and have taken pains to
| get and keep in touch with the situa-
| ton, have come to the conclusion that
a mile track is an absolute impossible
| tty for Worcester in the premises. AS
| far as the committee of eight of Wor-
cester Agricultural Society is con-
| cerned, a prominent member says that
1t early in the game realized that the
i mile track was out of the question en-
tirely. There is not, he says, a mem
i Der of the committee but would like to
! see big ring and a. good one, but the
! money question is an insurmountable
4 obstacle.
AS an investment, the mile track is
a failure. There is not a mile track
in the east but is losing money, and the
case of the magnificent track at Spring
field is cited as horrible example. The
expense of building the full course is
three times that of constructing half
mile ring, and paradoxical as the state
ment may seem, 1t is made on no less
an authority than the word of Seth
Griffin, the expert of the country on the
race track question.
| From the standpoint of the commit
tee which has handled the track ques-
t1on in manner that is satisfactory to
nine out of ten of Worcester horsemen,
the society which it represents is an
agricultural society and a Worcester
society. 1t wanted no grounds in
Shrewsbury, Holden or Paxton, but it
wanted its home within the city limits,
and it wanted its money invested in
Worcester real estate. The commit
tee could not find it in its way to ask
the society to appropriate $4,000 for
building mile track when a smaller
ring would answer every need of the
society.
There was some objection even in the
Il premises, to building a track at ALL and
had the committee come out iatfooted
in favor of a mile track, Worcester
would have had no track at all. The
contract for the track on the society's
new grounds has been let and condi-
tions are so favorable for its construc-
tfon that the experts who have been
consulted are unanimous in the opinion
that one of the fastest small circles in
the country can be built for a sum well
committee. In the opinion of the COM
mittee, the society will be winner on
the half-mile track. If horsemen want
to go ahead and put up mile track or
reconstruct the Half Moon track, So
much the better.
AS far as can be determined by The
Spy, there is but little sentiment among
horsemen in favor of the reconstruction
of the Half Moon track. There is mo-
inducement, horsemen say. Five years
ago, when Worcester saw some of the
warmest racing to be found in the coun-
try, when the old fair grounds track
established q record for entries and
starters that has never been beaten
on half-mile track in the east, there
might have been enough enthusiasm
aroused to put up any kind Of de-
sirable track. But horsemen know
what happened and there is a definite
knowledge that the same calamity that
befell three years ago may hover over
the sport still. The grand circuit could
never be induced to come to this city
under existing conditions.
| Then, too. the generality Of horsemen
| say the half-mile tracks are getting
the horses this year and have made
the money during the last five years
Whether it be small or large track,
the horses will go where the money
I Is hung up and where the betting may
be had to the limit. A billiard table
! track with velvet surface and no ac-
cessories would be no inducement to
owners and drivers placed against a
plowed field where they can conduct
the sport as they see ft; and there
fore, horsemen think half-mile track
will be found adequate for every need
in Worcester.
Said a member of the Agricultural
Society's committee, and prominent
member of the Driving Park Company,
| last night
II am not inclined to believe there
is any well-defined sentiment in Wor-
cester in favor OF a mile track. We
| would all of us likA to see one, but
every horseman who has given study
to the question knows or ought to know
that there is no way Of obtaining it. |
The Agricultural Society would not
/ build one, / believe If the Walker lot
were four times the size AS far as
the driving club is concerned, all talk
Of its making any serious move in the
question is Imagination. There can
not be found more than one or two
men in Worcester who would go deep
into their pockets for a mile track and
OF all the rest do not believe there
are ten men In Worcester who will