Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-10-24
NEW SPEEDWAY PLAN
Horse Owners Work to Estab-
Iish Track to Be Rewarded.
TO RESTORE OLD COURSE
Mile Straight-Away Wanted by
Many Advisers.
PROJECT EXPECTED TO GROW
Potomac Park Improvement to Be-
gin at Once-Contests to Be
Inaugurated.
PROJECT EXPECTED TO GROW

feature of Potomac Park driveway.
Before the now popular driveway was
improved and put in its present con-
dition the owners of fine horse flesh here
and elsewhere. for many there were who
came for the purpose, even from as far
away as New York city. might be seen
every day speeding their horses on the
cinder track that came to be known as
the speedway.
This track, in fact. was built largely
with their own money, with such assist
ance as could be rendered by Col Sy-
mons. who was then in charge of public
buildings and grounds. The march of
Improvement. however, nearly but not
quite obliterated it.
Its evenly marked lines We're marred.
The track became an unsightly spot.
Now Col Cosby is to aid in it's resto-
ration. And horse owners of the Dis
trct and for miles adjacent are cores
pondingly happy.
History of Speedway.
Probably nine-tenths of the people of
Washington refer to the Potomac Park
driveway as 1.-The speedway" because Of
it's derivation from driveway construct
ed i'm 1906 by subscriptions of lovers of
the horse 1t was permitted to drive
contests were pulled off between lovers
of the road.
During the spring and summer of 1907
there were more than S20OOOO worth of
trotting and pacing stock brought to the
capital for on the speedway, but
shortly thereafter the western part of
the>drive was needed by the government
to complete the Potomac carriage drive
way and the 18th street entrance to the
park. hence the horsemen saw their con-
tributions for constructing the speedway,
amounting to nearly So 600. practically
swept away by the pumping of mud from
the Potomac river upon their cinder
road in order to bring that section of
Potomac Park up to grade.
Now that the graded section has thor
oughly dried out a half-mile straight
away course is about being completed,
and will be conspicuously inaugurated as
gentlemens speeding course for blood
ed horses. 1t is the purpose to hold
matinees for cups and other prizes, and
daily brushes between rapid going horses
will again delight the mutitudes, which,
in 1908, spent many hours enjoying the
sport.
The speedway will be under the gen.
erai jurisdiction of the Road Drivers and
Riders Association of the District of CO.
lumbia, the officers of which organization
are pledged to its proper management.
Plans Of Improvement.
Road drivers are indebted for this to
Col. Cosby, in charge of public buildings
and grounds, who has general Jurisdiction
over that section of Potomac Park where
the Speedway will be located Col Cosby
recently agreed with P. V. De Graw,
president of the Road Drivers and Riders
Association. that the horsemen of Wash
ington deserved recognition for their ex-
penditures of time and money in original
ly pOpulariZing the section involved, and
gladly consented to the use of the 18th
such time as 1t shall be needed to carry
out the proposed improvements scheduled
for construction in that vicinity.
Before that time, however, Col. Cosby
hopes to be able to construct permanent
speedway of mile straight away in that
beautiful section of the Potomac Park
reservation lying south of the railroad
bridge. Many persons prefer permanent
speeding course this side of the bridge.
but in view of the plans for the beauti-
hcation of the park, il is not altogether
clear that this can be accomplished with
out their material modification. 1t is I'M
derstoOd. however, that If the Speedway
is sufficiently patronized to warrant it,
strong influence will be brought to bear
to have the permanent location at least
convenient to pedestrians who heretofore
evidenced much interest in the matter
On several occasions twelve to fifteen
thousand spectators congregated in the
vicinity of the finish line on 10th street.
and there is good reason to believe that
greater at this time, because of the fact
that for several years there has not been
, any place within the District where safe
stepping" has been permissible.
1t is the purpose of Col Cosby to sup
ply within the radius of Potomac Park.
as near as may be. every possible char
acter of outdoor sport and recreation.
West Helped Project.
The road drivers are also indebted to
nyy,ic
whose efforts the roadworkers Of the city
were detailed to remove the weeds and
accumulated debris from the original
course.
The history of the original Speedway
is interesting. 1t was in 1903, when
number OF gentleman lovers of the horse
were discussing the possibility of such an
addition to the pleasure grounds of the
nations capital, that Mr.. De Graw
volunteered to secure permission to use
ground space sufficient for the establish
ment of mile course. provided the other
members of the party would guarantee
to interest the driving public to the ex-
tent OF collecting funds sufficient to cut
through and lay out a track. This was
agreed to. and within an hour Col
Symons. who was then in charge OF pub
lie buildings and grounds had pledged
TO Mr.. De Graw his support toward the
enterprise. The next day the colonel's
recommendation to the War Department
that the permission desired be granted
was approved.
The organization of the Road Drivers
and Riders Association followed and
money sufficient to carry out the project
was quickly subscribed, mile-and-a "a
quarter track was laid out and covered
with cinders and an ideal road was the
result. extending in semicircle from
18th street TO 18th street.
For the new course but half the old
one will be used: in other words, only to
the 18th street section. Driving on the
speedway will be to the left, or the re-
verse of ordinary road driving. The east
ern half of the road will be utilized az a
return drive TO the starting point which
will be located within about one hundred
feet of the present 25th street carriage
driveway, near what was formerly the
old canal.
Stands for Vehicles.
Ample space has been cleared for the
accommodation on either side of the fin
ish line where the owners of carriages
and automobiles may rendezvous and
witness the contests. The course being
on government property. there will be
no grandstand, but upon special occa
the comfortable accommodation Of spec
tators will be made. Hours will be SET
apart for exercising horses, when driv-
ali contests Of speed will be confined to
words. four-wheelers.
h0 tc DAo u