The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-11-12
PLAGEMANN FIRST
In the Olympic Club
Road Race.
CHRIST, SCRATCH, GOT TIME.
None of the Riders Knew How
Far They Travelled.
NOR YET WHAT TIME THEY MADE
Delightful Uncertainty as to the
Whereabouts of the Winning
Post-Cycling Notes.
NOR YET WHAT TIME THEY MADE

The Olympic Club Wbeelmen held big
road race yesterday over the first five
miles of the Fruitvale and Hsywards
course, and William Christ, who started
scatch. conirived to redeem some of his
lost laurels by winning the time prize. He
could get 30 nearer han ninth place out of
eleven starters, however.
Road racing is becoming extremely pop
ular now, and as the bicycling fever in
creases there are more and more enter
prises in this direction. The ten-mile
course from Ftuitvale TO Haywards sp-
pears TO suit everybody and has long since
taken the place n popular favor of the Old
San Leapdro triangle. 1t was over the
first five miles of this straight course,
namely from Fruitvale TO San Lesndro,
that the race of yesterday was run.
Sixteen enr eS were secured for the
race: o. a. Y eihe, ". j. Monroe, j. F.
Cunningham, j. Plagemanp, 2b minutes
each; NJ. L. Esplnosa, Ii. {. Ramsay, L.
II. Cox. W. /. Geder f.. c. Hunter, 2
minutes; G. Fuller, a. c. Thornton. j.
\. Beckett, j. II. Ballin, ~ minutes ::
Frank Fuller, II. Gum. minute; William
Christ, 80 seconds; Bob Long, scratch.
However, of these the following did not
nut IN an appearance: Weihe. Monroe,
Bec6ett. BALM, Frank Fuller and Long.
The later'S absence put Christ on the
scratch mark, knocking half a minute from
the haudlcapS all round. An additional
half minute was taken from Geldert and
l.. G. Hunter, who were informed that a
handicap OF one minute was all they could
have.
1t was another grand day and there was
the usual crowd of enthusiastic wheelmen
gathered at the starting point, the High
street Hotel, Fruitvale. 1t being the oc-
caSiOn, moreover, of q grand association
club run TO Centerville, there were repre-
senta,iyes present from all the cycling
clubs, both OF San Francisco and Oakland.
The time for starting was set for 10 o'clock
prompt, but it was 1928 before the limit
men we're dispatched on their journey,
Mr.. Christ, the scratch man, leaving the
mark at half-paSt 10 sharp.
Meanwhile some confusion reigned at
San LeandrO The committeeman ap-
pointed 10 Judge and time the finish had
gone down 10 arrange the preliminaries,
but the first thing they did was to get into
a discussion respecting the Winning-post
Nc one could find it, although all the old
timers proposed TO know where il was
exactly. and, in fact, described the spot so
accurately that it vas really a pity their
views differed in range to the extent of
halt a mile Or so.
Finally j. McGlvnn said he knew whe re
the finish was, and he pointed to q clump
Of trees up the road about mile from San
Leandro. Another committeeman, George
II. Strong, however, rad walked enough.
He was confident the line must be about
where he stood, aud there be meant to
pitch his camp. McGlynn walked on up
the road, but finding that most of the boys
were content to stay around where Strong
was ne retraced his steps, and by common
consent line was drawn across the road,
and watch in hand the several officials
stood awaiting the result. Some few
neighbofs were attracted to the scene, but
not many.
1t was not long before the first man
wheeled into view, and at 10 hours "A min
utes j. PlagemanD, one Of the limit men,
crossed the line In first place, making the
entire Journey In 10 minutes. Others came
in struggling. and there was l minute II
seconds between the arrival of the first and
the eleventh man. The one piece of
excitement was a desperate strug-
gle between Hunter and Martin
Espinosa the former leading right
up to the line, when he appeared to pull
up and allowed Hunter 10 snOot past into
sixth place by nose. EsplnOsa explained
afterward that he didn't know any one
was behind him, but for all that the other
man finished the fresher of the TWO.
Christ, the scratch man, cOntrived to get
the time prize Dy riding the distance 10
IS minutes 5 seconds, nearly half a min
ute faster than any oiher rider But his
time was by 10 means fast, as the distance
has been done over the same course in IA
minutes % seconds. Christ has done
nothing since be broke that ten-mile rec
ord, and people are beginning TO ask Ques-
tioDs OF the tlme-keepers on that memoir
a bic occasion He is a promis ne rider.
however, and has done we'll tor his FIRST
season. Plagemann. who came in first.
rode good race, and so did Cox. Follow
ing is table OF starters with their times
and positions at the finish: