The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-12-11
BICYCLE AGAINST HORSE.
The Horseman Quit-TroubIe Over
Racing Boards Rules.

The bicyclists among the three thousand
spectators at Madison Square Garden on
Saturday night were jubilant. The advant-
age of the wheel over the horse in a long
distance was demonstrated to their salts
faction, but the majority of the audience did
not enthuse. They were enraged. The star
equestrian who rode the horses acted like a
novice, and, quit almost at the start. The
race was a Journey of twenty-five miles.
Ashinger mounted the bicycle and Jack
Alexandra was the expert horseman.
The latter had two horses and was
to change his mount at the end of
each mile. The earth track for the
horses was nine laps to the mile, while the
board track for the bicycle was ten laps to
the mile. This was to equaIize the loss at
the turns. The GROVE anticipated seeing an
exciting race, and were sorely disappointed.
On the fifth lap Alexandre's foot was out of
the stirrup, and Ashinger was steadily gain
ing. On the sixth lap Alexandra changed
his mount and moved slowly. He had too
many assistants. He changed again on the
fourteenth lap, and Ashinger had completed
his sixteenth lap. Alexandra lostshis stirrup
again on the seventeenth lap, and fell. Then
he changed his mount, and the crowd began
to guy him. On the twentieth lap Alexandra
fell again, and retired. 1t was reported
that the horse had stepped on him, but the
crowd was filled with wrath and considered
the report too good to be true. The man
ayers were enraged, and their comments and
opinions OF Alexandra were far more power
full than those OF the indignant spectators.
The fault was that Alexandra had not pro-
vided proper %stirrups. The audience saw
one good race. Dick Howell on the bicycle
started to beat the pony Sam Hinkle, ridden
by George Easton, a capital horseman. The
pony negotiated the distance in 2 minutes
81 Id seconds and won by fifty yards.
THAT CLASSIFICATION RULE.
b classification rules of the Racing
Board of the L. A. w. has caused much I'M
favorable comment. There is a strong senti-
ment against recognizing professional
bicyclists and there will probably be an
acrimonius discussion over the matter when
the L. A. W. holds its annual meeting next
spring. 1t may result in a clash with the
American Amateur Union. The opinion of
a large number in the L. A. w. is that its
officials should come out boldly and assume
jurisdiction over professional cycling or
adopt a strict amateur rule and shut out the
professionals who are now riding as
amateurs The mischief has all
been caused by the rivalry
of bicycle manufacturers. A prom
inent wheelman, in discussing the situa-
ton, attributes the entire amateur muddle
to the bicycle manufacturers. He saws that
their anxiety to W. the fastest riders use
their wheels will lead them to offer induce
ments to riders, who are enabled to accept
and live well throughout any evident en-
ployment. There are only a few of the lead
ing experts who nave the means to follow
racing exclusively, but these are increasing
in number rapidly.
WAITING FOR A DECISION.
The A. A. u. officials are not inclined to
talk about the action of the Racing Board
and will probably remain silent until the
League of Wheelmen meet and dispose of
the knotty problem one way or the other.
Whatever influence they can exert will be to
exclude the professionals and nave the L. A.
W. a strictly amateur institution. The
National Assembly of the L. A. w. will be
held at Baltimore in February. The new
officers will probably bee. S. Luscomb Of
Brooklyn, President; A. C. Wilson OF Mary
land, First Vice President, and G.. Carleton
Brown of Elizabeth, Second Vice President.
The new Racing Board may be reduced from
six to three members and make the chair;
man of the division boards members Of the
racing board.
The Hudson County Wheelmsn will have