The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-04-21
MADE A NEW OFFER.
Terms Under which Dale Avenue
Trnct Is rendered.

A meeting of tho Merchants and Nc
chanics' Land Company was held yester-
day. and a modification OF its offer to the
Savannah Fair Association OF its Dale
avenue tract Of land was agreed upon.
Capt =. C.. Purse. president OF the COM
pany. notified Mr. J. ". Jackson. chair
man Of the site Committee from the d.
rectors OF the Fair Association. Of the
modification.
The terms upon which the Merchants
and Mechanics Land Company now
acrces 90 allow the Fair Association tho
use of the tract are as follows: II Is
rendered free OF rent for from one year
a. Eve the Fair Association being allow
cj Co lease fer any time mp TO i've years,
with an option for purchase at any time
during the lease. The option al the end
of the nrst year would be for S2l,o0o, at
the emf of the second year, for S22ooo at
the end Of the third year, for S2S,o00; at
the end OF the fourth year for 81 90 and
ar the end Of the NTH year, for S25.0oo.
Privilege To remove all the buildings,
save those directly appertaining 10 rae
ing, Is allowed the Fair Association, in
the event 10 should not desire to purchase
the land. The fence about the race track,
too will remain as the property OF the
pany.
Mr. Jackson thought tho proposition
very liberal, aud it will probably be rec
commended 10 the directors OF the Fair As
socia'ion when meeting is held. The
Ten Brock tract has many adherents,
Who believe it would be preferable for
the fair grounds. however.
4 gentleman who was an habituc of the
Ten Brock race course I'm the days when
horses ran. trotted and paced over it at
great speed gives the following interest
ing ana graphic description Of some of the
races he saw.
81 remember the opening day in 1886
or 1867 There were ouartered there at
that time about a. head Of the finest and
fastest race horses in this country. owned
by the DOS wells. Chcatham, Mai. Bacon,
Dr. Caftor and others. Among the horses
were Planet. Socks. Mary Blue Skin
Nicholas I. Betty Hawkins Agitator,
Slasher Marksman. sue Washington
Fanny Washington, Gov Johnson, Efiie
Bymin, Constock. EXchecquer and others.
The first race ran on the Ten Brock
course was a mie-hoat. The FIRST horse
10 be presented with the coors and purse
was Nicholas l. owned by Mr.. John Hun
Ter Of Long Island n. v, who won in
ISL I have seen. prior TO the war. over
l25 head OF the finest race horses in the
country stabbed at the Ten Brock race
track; most Of them quartered there
ia the winter FOR training,
and after the races were over
at the Ten Brock track, the horses would
start out then for Charleston, Macon, New
orleans and other places.
Il have often heard Major Bacon. and
Majors Cheatham, boswell. CATER and
Others say openly in Charleston and other
places. that Ten Brock course az Savan-
nah was one of the safest training tracks
ia this country and the finest place for
winter quarters. ia January, 1860 the lin
est races known IN this country were at
the Ten Brock course ! remember a
race, mile heats. best three in five. There
were six entries in this race. which re-
suited as follows: Two heats won by
John Chain. two heats won By Agitator;
two heats by Carolina, and three heats
won by Kate Hunter. This race was not
finished until about o'clock Clay stands
with hghtwood torches placed in them
had to he put up so that the patrol judges
could see that no jockeying or foul play
was done on the track
After the war was over the track was
repaired by the Fair Association. I saw
a sorrel horse owned by Major Bacon beat
the celebrated mare known as Village
Blacksmith one mile heat in one minute
and forty-seven sec wids. The next year
Col. George :. owens was president of the
Savannah Jockey club. In a purse offer
ed for "A mile heat. l saw a two year old
cot win race in ] ;45i5. which was not
lowered Ia this country for ten years af-
forwards. ] have known two stables, one
from New York and one from Baltimore.
that wintered all their stock at the Ten
Brock course. The track is sodded with
clay from Is inches 20 feet deep all
arafrF