Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-05-25
TO HAVE
AUTO RACE COURSE
TO COST S250,OOO
Building of Finest Track in the
World On 260 Acres of Land
Near Hapeville, Determined Up
on at Enthusiastic Meeting.

Following an informally, called meeting
Saturday morning in the rooms of the
chamber of commerce of some of Allan
ia leading business men, to consider the
advisability of building a two-mile auto
mobile race course in Atlanta and holding
automobile races here next November,
there is every indication, from the amount
Of enthusiasm displayed, that the largest
automobile race meet ever held in this
section will be held here in the fall on
the finest automobile track in the world.
1t was stated at the beginning Of the
meeting that approximately two hundred
and fifty thousand dollars would be
needed to carry out the plans that have
been under advisement, and before the
meeting adjourned there had been sub
scription of one hundred thousand dollars
of that amount 1t is practically assured
that the remainder will be subscribed
within the next week or ten days.
The ground to be used for building
the track, grandstand, etc, Is located
between Hapeville and College Park and
is a plot of two hundred and sixty acres.
An option was obtained on this sometime
ago by E. M. Durant and Asa G. Gambler
Jr., and they have since had the plan
under consideration. 1t was decided sew
eral days ago to hold a meeting of citi-
zens when the plans could be thoroughly
gone over and explained looking toward
the organization of a company to push
the proposition through.
Forrest Adair was chosen chairman OF
the meeting, and stated that the object
of calling together those present was to
try to start another boom whereby At
lanta's interests would be furthered to
even a greater extent than at the recent
music festival.
He stated that there was only one race
course Of the kind proposed in the world
that amounted to anything, and that was
in London. He said IL was the idea to
even improve that course, magnificent as
it was, and that instead of having
thirty-foot run, the Atlanta course would
have one sixty feet, and in some places a
hundred feet. He said that there was no
reason why the attendance at the propos-
ed races should not exceed the attend
ance at Savannah, which was over one
hundred thousand and that only two or
three meets of the kind would be required
to pay off the cost of the track.
ED DURANT SPEAKS
Ed Durant spoke of the great possibil-
tiles of Atlanta as an automobile center
and that there was not one chance in
hundred of such a contest proving a
failure. He stated that he had been in
terested in the proposition for some time.
and was thoroughly convinced that IT
would be the greatest thing ever attempt
ed by Atlanta should the sufficient
amount to push it through be raised.
Reuben Arnold stated that he would
like to know what the cost of each indi-
vidual item would be, and Mr. Adair read
the following as list of prices submitted
by various concerns as to the price of the
different work of construction, etc.:
Cost OF land $500. ...... ....'. ......$SOOOO
Grade work on track, paving with
macadam 1890. $3.50. ...-... ........ 4OVI
Grand stand, fences and buildin. .gs 5000
Track alone ...... ............. 10000
John e. Murphy stated that while he
did not know anything about automo-
biles, he believed the proposition a good
one from several standpoints, and that he
was heartily in favor of the movement
being pushed through.
Asa Gambler, Jr., spoke OF the races and
the success that attended them at other
points, and that he was sure Atlanta
could eclipse any of the places he had
visited so far as automovile races were
concerned.
The following gentlemen gave the move
ment their hearty Endorsement, and sta
ted they wished to cooperate in every
way they could to make 1t a success:
Edwin p. Ansley, Lee Barnes, j. j.
Woodside W. B. Handy, Major r. ].
Gwinn, Professor w. B. Smith and Clark
Howell.
1t was suggested that probably large
! automobile concerns in the east could be
interested in the proposition and persua-
ded to take stock in the company. A mo-
ton was carried to appoint q committee
| to act as a subscription committee, to
call on the various business concerns not
| represented at the meeting.
Chairman Ad3ir stated he would appoint
this committee late Saturday afternoon
| When the secretary of the meeting read
out the amount that had been subscribed
| It even surprised those there, and his
report met with a burst of cheers. The
/ fact that nearly half the necessary
| amount to start work had been subscrib-
ed in less than an hodr gave those who
have had the matter in hand such en-
| couragement that they no longer con-
slider 1t a probability.
| ANOTHER MEET IN SPRING.
| II the meet in the fall is as successful
| is it undoubtedly will be, there will be
| another held some time in the spring,
| probably in March. 1t is believed that
| Atlanta will have become such an au-
| tomobile center by that time, that per-
manent dates will be decided upon for
each year. The advantage the proposed
| track will have over the long straight
away courses will be that spectators can