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THE TAMPA MEETING. New Orleans will have a rival in the winter racing game, although for the present it does net promise to be a formidable one. All arrangements have been completed for a winter meeting at Tampa, Fla., and the first race will be run January 14 over the track, which is a half-mile affair. Yesterday George I. Palmer, of Tampa, arrived in the city and paid a visit to John Dillon, assistant secretary of the Turf Congress. Mr. Palmers visit was for the purpose of assuring Mr. Dillon that no outlawed horses or horsemen would be permitted to race over the Tampa track, and to obtain a litt, as far as possible, of all outlaws. Mr. Palmer also to d Mr. Dillon that-tbe-tfack would bo conducted strictly under Turf Congrese rules. While Mr. Dillon was not enabled to give the sanction of the Tuif Congress to the meeting, he told Mr. Palmer that horses that raced there and the officials of the track would not be outlaws, as Tampa is south of the line prohibiting winter racing and at liberty to give a meeting just the same as New Orleans. While the track is a half-mile affair, it does not outlaw its owners, simply being a bar to membership in the Turf Congress. Mr. Palmer was very enthusiastic over the Tampa track, which is owned and backed by H. B. Plant, the millionaire railroad magnate. In speaking of the coming meeting, Mr. Palmer said: "The mid-winter meeting of the Tampa Fair and Bacing Association will begin January 14 and will run to February 14. Purses will range from 5 to 25, with four races every other day. H. B Plant is president of the association, F. De C Sullivan secretary, and myself manager. Thomas Flynn will do the starting. The track is a half-mile affair and is situated on the grounds of the Tampa Bay Hotel, and j is within fifteen minutes walk of Tampa, a city of E6.000 people. Five books will be in the betting ring, in charge of Charles Meddinger of Baltimore. We expect to have about 200 horses at the track, New Orleans and North and South Carolina owners having signified their intention of shipping to Tampa. The sport will provide considerable amusement for the large number of winter tourists in and around Tampa, and we believe the first meeting will bo a tremendous success. There is ample ground in the neighborhood of Tampa for a mile track, and if the venture turns out as is expected, a mile track, with all the modern j traok improvements, will be built next year." Cincinnati Commercial Tribune.
