The sun., 1907-08-28
CANFIELD TO Quit SARATOGA
ron SALE" SIGNS HUNG UP ~
MS CLUE GROUNDS.


Plans -Csopersted with w. 4. whitney
and Others 20 Drive Rirran Out Plan
for Great Casino That Wasn't BuIit.
| SARATOGA. Aug. 37-"For Sale" signs
have been put up in the grounds OF Cam
/ fields club Mr. Garfield d here but is in
accessible for the purposes OF an interview.
When inquiry was made at the club to-day
as to the meaning Of the signs. this state
ment was given out.
1T is true that this property is offered for
sale The reason il is on the market 10
because OF the decision OF the present man
agement not to reopen the place. The de-
oision not to reopen either tho club or the
restaurant is final. For a length Of time
the property will be offered a. a whole II
| purchaser is not found within reasonable
time for tho entire property. It will be cut
up into lots and sold In that manner"
1t 10 not known generally, but Richard
person. was responsible for the renaissance
OF Saratoga something like seven years ago.
At that time the Saratoga racecourse
was controlled by the old Guttenbmg
confederacy. and Saratoga, instead Of
being the resort Of wealth and fashion,
as it had been in years sgone, was the
resort Of professional gamblers. tin horn
| sports, promoters OF rscctraok ringers and
women with pasts and without them.
Things at the Springs had gone to the
| bad. Nobody knew IL more keenly than
Garfield, because the changed conditions
at Saratoga brought a new and unwei-
| come patronage to tho Saratoga Club,
/ whose record from the days Of John Nor
risey had been that OF the most fashionable
and exclusive gambling place" in the United
! States.
Garfield made up his mind TO endeavor
TO change things. He had then. as he
has now, many wealthy and fashionable
acquaintance. One day in the winter OF
1902. as the story was told tonight by a
member OF the Jockey Club who was re-
GREETING Canheid's decision 10 SELL the
art loving soldier of fortune suggested to
Richard T. Wilson, Jr.. that IL would he
fine thing all around If he and some Of his
friends who had become Interested recently
IN the turf would acquire the Saratoga
track and make il the ultra fashionable
running course of this country.
Mr.. Wilson was interested In the sugges-
ton. He and Mr.. Garfield interested the
late William c. Whitney. Once Mr.. Whitney
became interested the possibility became
a certainty. Garfield acquired the ma
jority stock of the old Saratoga Racing Az
sociation and turned IL over TO those who
now control the Saratoga Association
for 4 he. Iynrrouap,apt fff = ha Rroad Of Hnreaa
Up to that time the famous Saratoga
Club and its grounds were practically
the same as when John Morrisey owned
the property. Mr.. Whitney, who ad-
mired Garfield no less than Garfield ad-
mired him. 20 this menber OF the Jockey
Club asserted. intimated 20 Canheld one
day that il would he a mighty attractive
thing for Saratoga and the fashionable
folks who had come back TO it with the
reign OF the new regime II a casino. some-
thing like that at Newport and something
like that at Monte Carlo could take the
place of the old Morrisey Club, whose
chiefest claim to fame. after sli was not
as a restaurant but a gambling house.
Garfield as the story rms smiled at Mr..
Whitney and then let him into a secret
He. told him of the plans which had already
known New York architect. for the very
thing which Mr.. Whitney had suggested.
At that time the clubhouse grounds ran q
little way up the inclines Of Spring and Con-
gress streets. The plans carried with It
the acquiring Of all the rest Of the entire
village block bounded on the south by
Putnam street. on the east by Circular.
on the south by Congress and on the north
by Spring.
The property was acquired and laid
out in one of the most beautiful gardens
in this country, An Italian garden. with
a pergola, statues and fountains, was one
of the features and 5000 plants and shrubs
were set out. The addition to the real
estate and the improvements cost Garfield
nearly $500 900. The old clubhouse was
to be abandoned and a new casino with a
concert room, a theatre. ballroom. library.
restaurant, billiard and club rooms was
to be built up on the hill overlooking Cir
cular street. back among the oaks and
arching elms.
The plans we're submitted to Mr. Whitney,
August Belmont. r. T. Wilson and a num-
ber Of others. and they we're enthusiastic
over them. Garfield decided to 60 ahead.
That was in 1902 The following summer
the Saratoga authorities grew hot and
grew cold and didn't seem to know whether
they wanted the lid OF or on or half way
between. The result Of IL was that the
Saratoga Club had rather q poor season.
Not since the summer Of 1909 has there
been an old time open season for gaming
in Saratoga. With the situation Garfield
has never found any fault. He has always
taken the stand that he would never thrust
himself upon Saratoga and its people.
II they didn't want him no would simply
stay away. 1t is we'll known to everybody
who knows anything about the Saratoga
Club that to maintain the restaurant without
any gaming entails a severe loss upon its
proprietor. The care of the grounds and
the maintenance OF the restaurant cost a
trifie more than s2s,Oo0 a year.
Garfield has stood the gaf for four years,
and while nobody could get from him
tonight word Of complaint or anything
else. 1t is known pretty generally that he
doesn't care to pay the piper any longer.
He has large commercial interests which,
in a way. he neglects when he goes to
Saratoga and 80 the -for sale signs have
been hung out
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