The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-09-17
RACES FOR THE FAIR
EXCELLENT PROGRAMME ARRANG-
ED By THE COMMITTEE.
WILL BE SEVEN DAYS RACING.
HARNESS HORSES AND RUNNERS
WILL DIVIDE TINE.

A Programme of Twenty-four Events
Agreed Upon by the Racing Com
mittee mt Its Meeting Last Night,
and "A Special Committee Appoint
ed to Arrange the DetaiIs-Purses
Aggregating over $1,000 Will BE
offered and N Large List of En-
tries Is Looked for-Rules of Amer
lean Trotting Association VIII Be
Used.
The racing feature at the State Fair
this fall will be a big thing. The
racing enthusiasts already regard the
races as the whole thing, and the Fair
as a side issue, but there are others
who will not agree with them in this.
Anyway, the racing programme will
be one of the best ever seen in this sec
ton. and lovers of the sport will have
no cause to complain.
The Racing Committee of the Savan-
nah Fair Association met last night
at the office of the association in the
Board of Trade Building and spent
two hours IN an earnest discussion of
the sbuject. The result was that
highly satisfactory character. and a
committee was appointed to complete
the details and report to the general
committee.
President Owens being absent, Vice
President A. B. Moore presided. The
members of the committee present
were Messrs. H. H. Hull, Albert
wylly, Joseph F. Doyle, C. E. Suits,
J. F. Furlong, r. w. Powers and DR..
A. C. Bouton. Secretary ]. C. Shaw
was also present. Besides President
Owens, who is out of the city, the abb
sentees were Messrs. T. ] Davis, A.
Il. M. Gibbes and L. j. Maxwell.
Being the first meeting of the com
mittee, there was naturally considera-
BILE preliminary talk before clear I'M
Outstanding of what it was proposed
to accomplish was arrived at. All of the
members of the committee were famil-
lar with racing, and there was con-
siderable diversity of opinion as to how
the best results were to be obtained.
Some little technicality or some new
feature of the racing business was
sprung almost every minute, and the
members of the committee buzzed one
ter every member had had his say, the
committee got right down to business
and originated a programme which
promises to be the life of the Fair
1t was decided to make two separate
classes, harness and running races,
with twelve events each. This will
give twenty-four racing events, with
probably some others to be added lat
er. The harness events will be about
equally divided between trotting and
pacing. The racing will take place on
seven of the ten days of the Fair, it
being decided not to have any races on
the two Saturdays which fall within
the time of the Fair. Possibly there
will be some extra races for the I'M
occupied day.
1t was decided to charge no entrance
fees for the running races. The usual
entrance fees will be charged in the
harness races, and this will enable the
committee to increase the prizes in
those races proportionately. The re-
suit is that the committee will be able
to offer handsome purses in both
classes. The estimate made by Mr.. II.
II. Hull, allowing 81 800 for the har-
ness races and $2,25O for the running
races, was adopted by the committee.
The following outline for the seven
days to be devoted to the sport was
then agreed to:
First day, two harness races and one
heat running.
Second day. two harness and two
dashes.
Third day, two harness and one heat.
Fourth day, two harness and two
dashes.
Fifth day. two harness and one heat.
Sixth day, two harness and two
dashes.
Seventh day, all running, including
hurdle race.
This gives two harness races each
day, except the seventh. The con-
sensus of opinion OF the committee was
that the harness races would be more
attractive to the crowd than the run
ming races, and hence the preference
given to these races.
A special committee, consisting OF
Messrs. II. H. Hull, ]. +. Doyle and
C. E. Suits, was appointed to arrange
the details of the programme, deter
mine the conditions of each race as to
class, entrance, distances, amount of
prizes, etc. The committee will meet
for this purpose to-day and is expect
ed to report this week, as it is desired
to get the matter in shape for pub
licity without loss of time. The COM
mittee viii make the division of the
prizes.
There will probably be six running
races at $3.50 each, three at 5000 each
and three at $3.50 each. The twelve
harness races for trotters and PAGERS
will average about $500 each. This is
said to be the most attractive pro-
gramme and the best lot of prizes ever
offered for racing in Savannah.
1t was decided to apply for member
ship in the American Trotting Associ-
alton, most of the tracks in this sec
ton being connected with that asso-
citation.
A letter was received from Capt. w.
G. Fitzgerald, in which he announced
his willingness to exhibit his guideless
PAGER Rosco on the track once each
day during the races. The committee
was inclined to regard the proposition
favorably. and the letter was referred
10 the special committee with power
to act.
Besides the racing. 1t must be borne
in mind that the First Georgia Cavalry
will occupy the track one day of the
Fair with its fitting exhibition. The
filters will require the entire track for
the day. This will leave nine open days,
of which at least seven will be occu-
pied with racing.
The work upon the track is practical
ly complete. The clay surface is on
and the track now only awaits water
ing, narrowing and rolling. Arrange
ments for this necessary finishing pro-
cess are now under way and the water