The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-08-06

OF MILE TRACK
w. w. Finn Has Large Force
of Men Whipping Racing
Plant Into Shape.

It only takes a few minutes inspection
at the new mile race track west OF the
city to convince the most skeptlcaI that
Salt Lake is to really have tull mile
race course and one of the best IN the
western country. Where ali was sage
brush and meadow lands week ago
there now stands three hundred new
stalls nearly completed, piles upon piles
Of lumber with a large force Of men
busily engaged in throwing a racing plant
together.
Manager w. W. Finn took a party out
IN an automobile yesterday, including a
Herald representative, just to show them
that the proposed track was not an inn
aginaTy one, but that work on pushing 1t
to d rapid completion was now going on.
With any kind of good luck the track,
stalls, stands and paddock will easily De
completed for the opening OF the fall
meeting i'm the middle Of September
All oid-time hOrsemen will remember
the famous mile track near White lake
where some Of the greatest racing in the
history of Salt Lake took place nearly
twenty years ago The track had been
entirely forgotten since the construction
of the new track at the fair grounds, IN
til Finn, after a search located the out
lines of a track few weeks ago. Every
vestise of the former racing track had
disap appeared except the track itself, which
is covered with heavy growth Of sage
brush. This .sagebrush proved the sal
Walton of the course and prevented the
rains of years from washing the banking
and surfacing of the track away. one
can now trace the perfect outline OF
mile track, seYenty-five feet wide with
stretch eighty-five feet wide All that Is
necessary is to remove the heavy growth
and work over the surface of the track
and it will be ready for racing.
The San Pedro railroad has been built
since the track was 6baEdOned and now
runs within twenty feet Of the track it
self. The Puplar Grove street car line
is at present within two blocks and a half
Il H. NHrnHmn
listing Finn saw at i glance that little
work and hustling would quickly put the
old track in shape for racing again.
Arrangements have been made with the
railroad to build a station at the track
and run trains from the city at regular
intervals on race days. It VIII take about
eight minutes to make the trip. Finn
is also working on the street car company
to extend its line to the entrance Of the
new grounds. II necessary, the Western
Pacific could be induced to put a station
al the other end of the. track, as this line
passes by the north turn.
Manager Finn announced yesterday that
work on the grand stands would com
menCe not later than the coming Mon
day. BY thaS time the stalls will be
completed. WOTkmen have nearly fin
ished digging holes around the inside of
the track for poles for the inside fence
and the lumber is already on the ground
to build this fence. Manager Finn aptly
explained tie complete abandonment OF
= -
'Vandals have not only carried away
every vestige Of the former racing plant
here, but also took the post holes away
with them"
-Four flowing wells are now on the prop
erty, but these have nearly stopped flow
ing for lack of cleansing in the past
twenty years. Experts in this line of
work have been secured and within
week Finn expects TO have plenty Of good
water for all purposes at the track.
As proven yesterday by the trip out
there. the track viii be of easy access to
the city for automobiles by using the
Main street drive Fourteenth South and
the Redwood road.
This fact also opens up a new line Of
amusement for S3lt Lake automobile rae
ing Salt Lake has never had a taste of
this sport on account Of the small half
mile tracks. but with a full mile course
and heavy banding automobile races I'M
der q mile a minute will be. served out
to the public IN the near future
Finn has already received many letters
from hOrsemen from all over the country
SAVING they would be on hand for the
melting this fail