, 1891-04-26

A. Zimmerman, w. S. Campbell, A. B.
Rich, P. j. Berlo, C. E. Kluge, W. D. Bank
er, +. F. Ives, W. f. Murphy, G. NJ. Muir
ply, F.. Howard futile, W. G. Glass, VIII
lam Van Wagner, W. F. Gassler, L. L.
Clark, w. c. Anthony and Hoyland Smith.
That the men are guilty of receiving
training expenses there seems to be little
doubt, and that their suspension is techni-
cally Just zone of them perhaps will deny,
but at the same time they are undoubted-
ly more sinned against than SHINING. AS
all who have watched the case know, they
were suspended under a rule jointly adopted
by the A. A. q. and the L. A. w, but,
strange to relate, two of the largestA A. A. U.
clubs broke this rule and got the riders in
their present plight. Those two clubs are
now doing all they can to get the men re-
instated.
In one other respect the suspended BIZ
cyclists seem to have Just cause for com
plant. The law presumes a man innocent
until he is proven guilty, but the L. A. w,
although spelled the same way, not only
convicted the men without trial, but has
also delayed giving them a hearing, al
though five months have passed. While
the suspensions may be in the interest OF
purer amateur sport, they will prove, If ad-
hered TO, a serious setback to good racing.
81 think the great rivalry between east
III II NCoNtAh nhGtlIlGh WIS lhIk6-
ly responsible for the trouble, - said W. s.
Campbell, one of the prominent riders I'M
der suspension, in a recent talk with the
writer. "In 1889 three or four OF us east
en men, myself included. went to Peoria,
and were beaten out of our boots by the
Chicago men. They were wild with joy.
They shouted themselves hoarse, while we
poor eastern fellows, who were in such bad
shape from u long railroad journey that
- IL - T. -L
word. Last year Chicago and her friends
came down on us at Rochester like the wolf
on the fold. Flushed with the victory of
the year before, they asserted that there
wasn't a rider in the east, Willie Windle
excepted, who would be in it with them.
The conceit was somewhat knocked out
Of them at Rochester, Niagara Falls and
Hartford, but wait for Peoriar they
shouted ominously. We waited, and when
we got there-we rode. Chicago was
simply wiped off the face of the globe.
There was hardly a Chicago man in any
OF the principal events who rode near
enough to the eastern wheelmen to keep
warm.
Chicago was mad. She wanted revenge,
and looked about to see what could
be done. Men all over the country, but
particularly in the east. were being accused
privately OF having their training expenses
paul OJ NHtlLuJ dIHltLlC CluDS. lineage
saw a chance to get even. She raised a
protest, and the result was tina nearly all
the best eastern riders were suspended.
Only one western man, Howard futile. of
Chicago, went by the (racing) board and
he was riding for the New Yorks.
II think that Chairman Davol and the
racing board, as n body, were perfectly
honest in what they did, and were not in
huenced by Chicago's protest, except in so
far as 1t called their official attention to a
subject already common talk. | do think,
however, that the board showed i~nconsist-
ency in not making many other wheelmen
against whom the same charges were
notorious) walk the plank, too. Person
ally, l never turned in IA bill or saw one,
and to save my life could not swear that
the N. Y. A. C. paid my training expenses
at Hartford. My trainer, w. B. Troy, paid
them, but l do not know where he got the
money. / think, however. that l could
make a pretty fair guess"
What is your idea of the expense sys-
temp l asked.
Il think clubs should pay a riders actual
railroad fare going to and coming from the
races, and his actual and reasonable ex-
penses one day before, one day after and
Turing the meet. The payment of train
ing expenses is impracticable, for the mel
ancholy reason that a number of riders are
nscrupulous enough 10 train all the year
round, and pad their expenses counts jim
manner little short of robbery. As to
prizes, l do not think they should be lin
ted in value. High priced prizes encour-
age good racing. Wheelmen won't travel
miles and work hard for a chrome. If six
leen men are racing for a prize like the
piano Zimmerman won at Peoria, you can
pet that they all ride to win. If prizes
nust be limited, then have racing promot-
Frs agree upon a fixed value, like thirty,
twenty and five dollars, and have the L. A.
W. and A. A. U. make them actually give
Iitn
am not prepared, OF course, to indorso
VI that Mr.. Campbell says, but give his
remarks simply to show how the matter
'ookS to the suspended men.
Aquila B. Rich, one of the suspended
racks, is a very powerful, plucky and sue
sessful der. He now holds the follow
ng records: Emile ordinary Of America,
llm. lis; 5-mile ordinary Of the world,
Jm. 81 2-5s., and emile tricycle. of the
orld. en-. l 2-5s. ELPLE II. EATON.