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HAVANA PURSES TO BE ATTRACTIVE. Most Horsemen Quartered at Laurel Will Help H. D. Brown Establish Racing in Cuba. Laurel, Md., October 21. II. D. Browns announcement that racing will positively begin at Ha-ranna December 15 was pleasing to the majoritv of the horsemen quartered here. Everything will be in readiness so that the horsemen can ship after the fall meeting at Norfolk direct to the plant .;t Havana. There have been many reports circulated to the effect that there would be no raciug in Cuba. This is disprbven by the arrival of W. 1". Burbridge, one of II. D. Browns partners in the Havana veil turc. -He -comes with the welcome Hews that the-Governor of Cuba has signed a bill sanctioning racing and granting a long concession to the promoters of the venture. The governor is particularly interested in the venture, as he believes It will be a good thing for the country, serving at it will to induce many more Americans to visit the Island and remain longer than tourists generally do. Manager Brown will have the plant in readiness to start racing on December 15 as advertised, and there will be room for all who care to ship there. Instead of building a new plant this season, he will send a force of men to Cuba, within a week, from Laurel to enter upon the work of remodelling the old Almendares track, which can be done within a month. The old plant will be so improved for the winters racing that it will be as good as most American tracks. The lumber has alreadv been shipped for the enlargement of the grand stand and work will commence on this within two weeks. The stables will be the first part of the plant attended to. These will be overhauled and rebuilt in up-to-date style. Several hundred new ones will be erected and the capacity of the stables will be increased to provide accommodations for nine hundred horses. The minimum purse value will 1mjj00, while valuable stakes will be announced at a later date. Mr. Brown is now working on the conditions for them. He will carry out his idea that where the largest purses are hung up the best of the horses will race and that the best horses will attract the best riders and race patrons generally. As soon as the announcement was made, the majority of the owners now racing at Laurel applied for stabling. There will be a Havana Derby and a Cuba Special on the same lines as similar stakes at Jacksonville last winter. All of the Cuban government officials are in -nc-cord with the proposition. They look upon it as a xood thing for Cuba. Manaeer Brown will arrange so that feed for the horses will cost little, if my. more than it docs in this country. At the same time, he will arrange, for quarters for the horseinon generally. There are many hotels in Havana which cater to the Americans, and the cost of living is no greater. there than in the city of New York.
