Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-28
CANFIELD QUITS SARATOGA
"FoR SALE" SIGNS HANG IN HIS
CLUB GROUNDS
Reawakening Of the Springs Due to
His Efforts-Plan for Great Casino
That Wasn't Built.

SARATOGA, August 2S.-"For Sale" signs
have been put up in the grounds Of Cam
fields club. Mr. Garfield is here, but Is in
accessible for the purposes of an interview.
When inquiry was made at the club today
to the meaning of the signs this state
ment was given out:
1T Is true that this property is offered for
sale. The reason it is on the market is
because of the decision of the present man.
agement not to reopen the place. The de-
cision not to reopen either the club or the
restaurant is final. For a length of time
the property will be offered as whole. II
a purchaser is not found within a reason
able time for the entire property 1t will be
cut up into lots and sold in that manner"
1t Is not known generally, but Richard
A. Garfield, more than any other one per-
son, was responsible for the renaissance of
Saratoga something like seven years ago.
At that time the Saratoga race course was
controlled by the old GUTENBERG confed-
eracy. and Saratoga, instead of being the
resort of wealth and fashion, 1t had been
IN years agone, was the resort of profess
sional gamblers, tin horn sports, promoters
of racetrack ringers and women with pasts
and without them.
Things at the Springs had gone to the
bad. Nobody knew 1t more keenly than
Garfield. because the changed conditions
at Saratoga brought new and unwelcome
patronage to the Saratoga Club, whose
record from the days of John Morrisey
exclusive gambling place" in the United
States.
Brightens Things Up.
Garfield made up his mind to endeavor
to change things. He had them as he has
now, many wealthy and fashionable &C
quaintances. One day in the winter of 1902.
as the story was told last night by a mem
Der Of the Jockey Club who was regretting
Canfield's decision to sell. the art-!oving
Wilson. jr.. that it would be 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 1t 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.. Whit
ney became interested the possibility be- |
came certainty. Garfield acquired the ma
jority stock Of the old Saratoga Racing AS |
ISOLATION and turned it over to those who |
now control the Saratoga Association for |
the Improvement Of :he breed of horses
Morrisey's Old Place.
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 admired Can
field no less than Garfield admired him, so |
this member of the Jockey Club asserted, in
timated to Garfield one day that 1t would |
be a mighty attractive thing for Saratoga |
and the fashionable folks who had come |
back to II with the reign of the new regime
If casino. something 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 |
all, was not as restaurant but a gam
bling house.
Garfield. as the story runs. smiled at Mr..
Whitney and then let him into the secret. |
He told him of the plans which had already |
been drawn by Clarence Luce, the we'll !
known New York architect. for the very |
thing which Mr.. Whitney had suggested. |
AT that time the clubhouse grounds ran a |
little way up the inclines Of Spring and
Congress streets. The plans carried with |
it the acquiring of all the rest of the entire |
village block bounded on the south by Put
nam street. on the east by Circular. ON |
the south by Congress and on the north by
Spring. :
Beautiful Gardens
The property was acquired and laid out |
in one of the most beautiful gardens in |
this country. An Italian garden, with
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 100000. The old clubhouse was to
be abandoned and a new casino with |
concert room. a theater ballroom, library |
restaurant. billiard and clubrooms was to |
be built up on the hill overlooking Circular |
street, back among the oaks and arching |
elms.
The plans were submitted to Mr.. Whitney,
August Belmont r. T. Wilson and a num- |
Der of others. and they were enthusiastic 1
over them. Garfield decided to go 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 off or on or half way
between. The result of 1t was that the |
Saratoga Club had rather a poor season.
Not since the summer of 1902 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. If
they didn't want him he would simply !
stay away. 1t is we'll known to everybody |
who knows anything about the Saratoga |
Club that to maintain the restaurant with |
out any gaming entails a severe loss upon |
it's proprietor. The care of the grounds |
and the maintenance of the restaurant cost |
a t@ife more than $4,000 year.
Garfield has stood the gait for four years, !
and while nobody could get from him last
night a word of complaint or anything
else. it 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 SO the Ior sale" signs have
been hung out.