The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, November 27, 1895, Page 8

THE SAN FRA ISCO CALL, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 2 1895. PACIFIC COASTJOCKEY CLUB MEETING . Coast Jockey ng day at the gurate a new ide of the con- | possible to get th to come out her moon. men and their horses it would have been to They liked the climate, »d many of them wintered their horses | n California, but as to racing them—never. Careful business men—lovers of honest | and true racing—deprecated this state of affairs, which relegated them to the back- ound and compelied them year after year to the ‘monotony of racing among themselves. No new blood was infused into the sport, and gradually it tapered f, becoming a thin most only in mer here were strong reasons for this, ana it became necessary to study them | out that they might be overcome, ~This is | what a small coterie of gentlemen sports ave done, with results that surpass the expectations of the most sanguine. | In the first place the old Bay District Track, run in the interest of speculators, | gamblers and private individuals, became | the horsemen, breeders and nearly resentative men of the East who time, pleasure have come to San m have come with horses re and to stable, irrespec- st, in this, the only the | HENRY J. CROCKER, DIRECTOR AND VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE | PACIFIC COAST JOCKEY CLUB. - | [From a photograph.) | As a rule the lemen did net care to if the impulse to witness 2 couid 1ot be overcome they seldom 1 of having attended. As to ladies being present, that was out of the ques- Honig twelve, Dr. Philllos efght. G- E. Smith ni Ezell eighteen, J.G. Brown & Co. eleven and Barney Schreiber thirty. These men, outside of Phil Dwyer and | tior Pierre Loriliard, who are both expected | 1t was at this stage of the situation that here within a short while, own the | the Pacific Coast Bloodhorse Association’s uence first manifested itself. They wiped the first layer of iniquity off the track and made it so that both ladies and emen could attend. But there was much more to do to make the sport popu- lar. - The racing seemed to grow less inter- estin; d the tern owners were sought and their reasons for not entering | horses in the events here. | They said they did not feel justified to | stables in the East, and it may said that they have brought the est horses of the United States. only ones of positive merit that were le to winter in the snow are Henry of Na- varre, Clifford and Rey del Carre Two of the best horses now here hold world’s records—Libertine and Wernl Ten years ago it would have peen as in JAMES A, MURPHY, Associate Judge. JOSEPH F. ULLMAN, CAPTAIN J. H, REES, Presiding Judge. ADOLPH B. SPRECKELS, PRESIDENT OF THE PACIFIC COAST JOCKEY CLUB. [From a photograph.| tality that the horse-raising industry, which has made California famous every- where, will be given a new impetus. o THE GRAND STAND. Magnificent Accommodations From Which the Public May View the Races. The grand stand is a beautiful structure of steel, glass and wood. It is airy and bright, well fitted with comfortable seat- ing accommodation for 5000 people. The aisles are wide and the incline not pre- cipitous enough for uncomfortable walk- ing, but still enough for an easy view over the heads of the people seated in the row in front. It is reached through a covered prome- nade leading from the terminus of the electric car on one side and another promenade from the terminus of the the track until they have ascended about twenty stepsof a wide stairway on either stand. Then the whole course, with the twenty-two big stables on the other side of the backstretch, and the grand framework formed by the towering hills a mile or two away, bursts unon the spectator as a beau- tiful panorama. To the left a perfect view can be had from each and every seat of the streteh. To the right the view takes in | of protection but of ha: | end of the stand. g every comfort that they might desire. The dressing-room of the ladies is located away on the west It has been fitted up in | the most luxurious style by Joseph Fred- | ericks & Co. of this City. | John F. Farley, whose knowledge The ladies have also a private dining-room near their dress- ing-room. In this they may refresh them- selves away from the male contingent. However, another dining-room close by is Intended for ladies and their escorts. The two places are in charge of B. A. Johnson, a well-known caterer from Sacramento. Immediately beneath the grand stand, but zccessible from above, is the liquid-re- freshment cafe, under the supervision of of that line of business is unequaled in this | country. | spective steam cars. The spectators see nothing of | side of the main entrance leading to the | i | the grand stand, but it extends so far to There are a score of other conveniences in the way of dainties calculated to tempt the visitors at the track, and all these people have been uniformed that they may be better recognized as they ply their re- callings. This ‘insures better treatment for the attending people, as a derelict employe can be picked out more easily if it is desired to report him to his superiors. I1‘)he betting ring is immediately under the rear that the shouts of the bookies and touts—the yelling and general bustle inci- dental to that place—cannot be heard from above. Itisa vast place, in which twenty odd books could easily be accommodated. It will te in this place that Joe Uliman, the good-natured and veteran bookmaker, have their horses travel 2000 or 3000 miles v to be badly stabled, and to run for purses that barely paid for their transportation and feed. 1n this they spoke correctly, as no track in the United States offered such poor accommodations for years as did the Bay District, and even after the Blood- horse Association spent thousands of dol lors renovating the old stables tihey were hardly to compare with the third-class tracks of the E. As to the purses they barely tempted the local horse-owners. ocean Ocean House road. This is a great drive although the longer of the two. The shorter one is through the park to the turn just east of Flagstaff Valiey. This v. leads to the Almshouse road. The pret tiest part of the drive begins at the Alms- house when the tortuous road winds its way through groves of eucalyptus, cypress and fir trees, now and then passing fra- grant nu A suit 1-Tod Sloan, One of the Top-Notchers of the Lightweight Brigade. 2—Cash | a ¢ Sloan, a Veteran ‘Knight of the Pigskin,” Who Can Ride With the Best of 1hem. 3—Earry Griffin, Premier Lightweight Jockey of America. 4— H. Hinrichs, the * St. Louis Garrison,” Crack Lightweight Jockey. A. B. Spreckels, Henry J. Crocker and a few other Californians had begun toac-| quire stables composed of the best stock this side of the Rockies. They chafed un- | der the necessily of simply gazing upon their pretty forms and never seeing them in the heat of competition. They wanted a change, and when that grand old horse- man from the East, Edward Corrigan, came to this coast on a visit two years azo, this coterie formulated a plan by which the East and West would come together in amicable and satisfactory contests oh a Californian track. The oid Bay District Track was fast going out of existence. In fact the residentsin the neizhborhood had been clamoring for years to have the City cut streets through it. Besides, the lease of the property would be up this coming spring. That would leave San Francisco entirely desti- tute of a racing course. In view of these facts it was decided to organize and incorporate the Pacific Coast Jockey Club and then seek a good locality where a modern as well as a model race- course might be built. This was no easy matter, although there was no end of, money and energy behind the enterprise as it was necessary to not only get a vas tract of land, but also to get one accessi ble to the people of the City. Asit hap- pened, the only suitable lands availabie were just in the localities that were not tapped by the streetcar service. But then all the difficulties were wiped out and to- day San Francisco has a racecourse as fine asany in the United States and in many respects mach finer. Mr. Spreckels and his associates picked out 150 acres of land at Ingleside, not more than four miles from the new City Hall and a rifle shot from the Pacific Ocean. It is snugly laid between high and thickly wooded hills at the beginning of what is often spoken of as the Mission warm belt. In order to level the track it was found necessary to build up the first turn even as far as the quarter polé, giv- mg_\t the deceptive appearance of being on a high grade. The promoters started their men at work last September, and at a cost of over $300,000 they have given to the public as picturesque and model track, grand stand and stables as can be seen anywhere. They have secured the co-operation of the street- car companies as well as the steamcar line, and passengers will be landed at the gates of the course. There ‘are at least two splendid roads leading to the place, one which calls for a A, M. ALLEN, Superintendent. l drive through Golden Gate Park to the the Pacific Coast Joekey Club immedjately offered such purses that their invitation to Eastern horsemen to come here was irre- sistible. The purses were seen to be as beach and along the latter to the | large as those hung up last season in the East and much larger than those being competed for there thiswinter. The plans of the proposed stables were submitted, and the assurance of such men as Corrigan and Spreckels t all facilities and accom- dations would be given settled the Eastern | men. They have nearlv all cdme here, as already stated; they have seen and are satisfied ; now it remains to be seen whether they will zonquer. They are to be pitted against many and game horses belonging to Californian stables, among which may | be mentioned Waiter Hobarl W.0. B. Macdonough’s, Wm. Murry’s J. Bald- win’s and A. B. Spreckel contingent, therefore, will not have a alkover, but this is so much the better, as it is bound to make matters more inter- The racing is to be all high class. It | could not be otherwise with the people who are interested in the venture and the | class of sporting gentlemen they have | brought to this coast. | will be given such treatment and comfort | | that they will be attracted and pleased be- | yond anything they have yet seen on this | coast. | And this has been done in a remarkably short space of time, and on Thanksgiving | day the crowds that will witness the great races between the best horses in the | | United States, from comfortable seats and | ‘elegum surroundings, will feel that the Pacific Coast Jockey Club and the gentle- | | men who placed it on foot have elevated | | the sport to the standing it justly de- | serves. | The breeders of horses in this State are | | doing their utmost to assist the Jockey | l(‘,lub to well-deserved success. They | recognize that it is through its instrumen- | " The Eastern | esting. ‘ The public, too, | | W. S. LEAEKE, SECRETARY OF THE PACIFIC COAST JOCKEY OLUB [From a photograph.] not only every foot of the first turn, but | will make his bow to the San Francisco looking beyond may be seen the Pacific Ocean. Itis an inspiring sight, especially late in the afternoon, about the time when the last ruace is run, tance and watch the glorious sunset. The infield is a vperfect basin, which might be turned into a lake at any time, like the south end of Washington Park, Chicago. At this time, however, it is growing a voung coating of green grass. As time progresses this field will be turned into a magnificent and gigantie garden. The Jockey Club intends to make the grand stand so agreeable in_every respect to the ladies that they will attend the races and feel secure in every way, not only \ l | | public. Joe Ullman was first introduced into racing circles many years ago by Edward to look off in the dis-| Corrigan, and he is regarded as the most honest man in his line of business, The credit of building the elegant grand stand and the stables gn the ofi:er side of the track is due to Campbell Bros. PR T TWO PERFECT TRACKS. The Magnificent Drainage System of Tiles and Pipes Beneath the Course. To understand and appreciate the mag- Lo VIEW OF THE GRAND STAND LOOKING EAST. [Sketched by a “Call” artist. (] unpine