Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-09-19
REMINIsCKNCEs OF SPRINGFIELD.
A Pen Picture Of the Bieyele Meet
How the Englishmen Won the Tro.
Pnies-Crisfs UnIucky Turn OF the
Head.
,e of The EVENING STAR
SPRINGFIELD. Mass 6

-SrhssS Ontueky Turn OF tn,
Head.
correspondence of The EVENING STAR
SPRINGFIELD, MASS, Sept H.
danpden Park, Springfield, Mass once re
nowned as the scene of turf and trotting con
tests, mas gained new and greater fame from
Inc annual cycling tournament held there
oh the great second day of the meet %, OOt
people crowd its spacious stands swarm around
us enciosed track and make use of every avail
able place of vantage from which to see the con
test OF the flower OF American and English
cycling chivalry. Within the enclosure arr
pitched score of tents, some being used as
Grub headquarters and as dressing tents for the
contestants, while others are occupied by enter
prising dealers in bicycles, tricycles and &C
cessories,' who vie with each other in the in
vention of original advertising devices to at
tract the wheelman. In one is found a long
writing table furnished with stationery, while
open cigar boxes, pipes and cigarette packages
lie around, free to all who care to take them
Nociierous hawkers OF "Hendee medals only
dve cents" thrust inconceivable brass atroci
ties upon everybody. The sale is not large; the
impression seems to be that Hendee has had
his day, and the splendid riding of the English
contingent at Hartford has dampened the con-
ddence OF the once enthusiastic Americans in
the prowess of their champions.
As a matter of course, the flash and glitter OF
the wheel is seen every where, and the uniforms
of hundred different clubs enclose the person
atty of thousand different riders; and dis
close their most prominent attractions, in the
shape of '-fatted calves, or very slender ones,
and a wheelman is very dly "left" who can
not display from two to n dozen ribbons. med
ais or badges, often emblematical of nothing
but their wearerS personal vanity and desire OF
display A bell from the judges stand calls the
starters to the scratch, and mounting to the
large and comfortable press stand, where every
facility is furnished the reporter, the repre-
sentative of The STAR has a good
BIRDS EYE VIEW
OF tie entire track. 1t is the ten-mile record
race. and the best men of England and Amer
lea are sitting motionlesS on their machines
waiting for the report of the pistol, which shall
transform them into flying, straining, hoping
and sometimes despairins. figures going at rail-
way speed, and to whom the crossing of that
little strip of white tape, in advance of all the
Others, means SO much The names of Burn
ham, Weber of England. Weber, OF America,
Gaskell, Illston, Furnivail and English, show
that the race is to- be hot one, and that record
will probably be beaten. The track is white,
hard and smooth; the flags cling to the poles;
all the conditions are favorable, and the riders
and 10000 spectators wait breathlessly for the
starters pistol
This is a record race; and as twenty laps have
TO be run to complete ten miles, the winner is
the rider who comes in first on the greatest
number.
The pace is hot from tine start. and as the
little bunch of Rnoving figures approach the
finish of the frs.1ap and the big 5S-inch wheel
OF Furnival flies over the tape n foot in add
vance great cheer goes up. for the plucky Eng
Lshman IL a warm fayorife. The second lap
and the IS again shows in front. But on the
third lap one figure is seen to detach itself from
the rear of the bunch and take the lead, while
q shout of Weber, goes up from 10, 600 Amer
lean Threats. Slowly the star" gains on the
British leader, and ten yards from the tape it
passes and american Weber has scored his
first lap Three miles out of ten have passed,
and word comes To the press stand that record
Is being beaten, but the eXertion required is
causing changes in the little bunch of riders; it
is a still smaller bunch now. Furnivall after
forcing the pace ut his utmost speed has sue
cumbed To his own exertions and with him
English and IllstOn are gradually losing ground.
Gaskel has retired, but Burnham and Star
Weber still continue, until suddenly q white
figure bent at right angles over his wheel,
dasheS up at a furious pace from the rear and
takes the lead. 1t is British Weber. In the
squirt which follows Burnham is hopelessly
America against English. Star against Crank,
are left alone together, although the hope OF
tnifd Prize Keeps the Others still upon the track
OF the American cannot keep the pace; the
Englishmans light racer slowly draws ahead.
Lap after lap are covered, and still the white
figure bent over his wheel and looking neither
TO right nor left. keeps up his furiousrace. The
last lap! Ietafter crossing the line and having
finished the ten miles in the unequailed time
of 2S:14, Weber still keeps his pace what
does it mean? Surely he will not attempt
twenty miles after a ten mile race, which has
Killed OF the best men of two countries But
that is just what he does mean, and the i'm
mense crowd cheer the plucky Briton at the
end of each lap as if he were IAN American.
Man after man comes out from the dressing
tent TO set the pace for him and urge him on
and man after man retres after a mile or two
used up, TO make room for another. 1t is near
Ing the end now, and on the last lap. Nj. j. ".
Webber, VectiS Cycling club of England, with
pieted twenty miles in 50 minutes SO seconds
Those who expect to see him fall fainting and
exhausted from his machine after tine tension
on heart and muscle is released see him drop
lightly from his machine, vault paling
and run TO the dressing tent to reappear
ten minutes later to start in another race-a
splendid example of health. training, skill and
courage. In the excitement attending this
feat the crowd almost fOrgets to cheer when
Star W cher daShes past the finish, having also
competed his twenty miles within the hour.
CRISIS UNLUCKY TURN.
In few Of the races have the enthusiastic
crowd a chance to cheer an American victor;
yet in the halfmile amateur contest they lost
this chance by just five inches, and William E.
CriSt, of the Capital club, but for those five
inches, would have been the hero of the meet
and holder OF the world S record. Crist, coming
down the hOme-stretch in the lead looked a
looked around, and that fraction of an instant
lost him the race, for the giant English, on his
rim OF his wheel past Crisis just as the tape was
reached. and the worlds record of lie Is be-
came lis 10.
The Englishmen have beaten us, but they
have worked hard for all they have won and
honestly earned il. Another year and condj-
tons may be reversed. and experience and
training may put Burnham or Weber Hem
dee Crist across the line in front of their Eng
lish rivals. May we live To see it. l.. WIS.
HugO's One Superstition.
From the London Daily News.
DR. Johnson has his Boswell and Victor lingo
has his Richard Leselide. NJ Lesclide, who
has just published a volume of Propos de TubLe
oflthe great French poet, was for many years
the daily companion of the author of LES
Chatiments," and lie tells us, among MANY
other things that Victor Hugo confessed To the
possession OF only one superstition. Nothing