The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-07

knew it was false at the time it was written
Wells won fairly and squarely, and I. Ed
Spooner knew it as well as the officials who
were on the tape, and every member OF the
press-stand besides. And yet III the face OF all
this, in the face of the decision OF three OF the
most prominent whee,men OH the Pacific Coast
ishes, this prodigy Of the literary world
deliberately attempts to cast siur upon
one OF the most popular victories ever
won on California track. This man
has been accepting California hospitality right
and left-he, in company with the balance OF
the Eastern party, have been entertained and
banqueted in all quarters-and these are the
thanks received in return. "N ellis was given
q race he did not deserve" Well, truly, F. Ed
Spooner, thou art grateful TIE decision giving
Wells what was rightfully his was unanimous,
the judges agreeing without the slightest hest
tation upon first place. and likewise second
place, but it was for third place that they hest
teted, finally giving it to Kiser. Asa Windle
was the only one of the Eastern party TO offer
an objection and refused to allow Bald TO ride
again upon the track. IN an argument which
followed with members OF the local press,
Windie remarked: "Weu, we carry q man
along with the party who always sets us right
before the Eastern public"
To ali OF when l can only say, Amen.
Spooner is a correspondent for several
Eastern cycling weeklles and news dailies,
and has followed the racing circuit every
where. What his popularity may be in
the East cannot saw but out here he was
generally disliked, for he gave the impress
sion that he thought himself little better
than any one else. As TO his newspaper
articles they are way below par, which is
best evidenced when the fact is stated that
he applied to the three big San Francisco
dailies TO write up the racing in Southern
California for them, and in each instance
his application was declined. He makes
the mistake of his life when he puts up
his opinion on that one-third mile race
against that of Messrs. Strong, Osen, Ker-
rigan, Dunno and Howard, the judges at
the San Jose meet, for their honesty and
capability is unquestioned and their deci-
sion awarding the race to Wells was
unanimous. We have had enough of +.
Ed Spooner
As to Asa Windle, it was to me he made
the statement that they carried "a man
along with the party who always sets us
right before the Eastern public" | called
the attention OF the other reporters 20 the
remark, and we asked Windle to explain
himself but all he would vouchsafe was
ooh, that's all right. Go ahead and roast
US if you want. The East will believe
whatever | say, and / claim Bald won that
race. He shall not ride any more on this
track" Windle changed his mind half an
hour later when be saw the bluff did not
work, and ordered Bald out for the FIVE
mile championship. Again he came to
the press.stand and said, addressing all the
writer's: "You fellows had better scratch
out those 'roasts.' Bald is going to ride.
It's all right now. Let it CO." SO the re-
porters, who probably would have criti-
cized Windle severely, concluded it was
but fit of i'll temper, and they let him
down lightly. Windle and Bald will al
ways be popular in California, but +. Ed
Spoone1-never.
San Jose rider told me yesterday that
]. B. Carey was to retire from the editor
ship of Cycling and enter the wheel bust
ness there. The surprise is that the paper
has lasted this long.
ID. g. Shafer, the trainer who was here
in 1893 with Bliss and Dirnberger, has
taken Hamilton, Rigby and their quad
team to the Santa Monica track to try
for records. The quad riders are III.
B. Conibear, Peoria; A. B. Stone, Buffalo;
E. W. Scarborough, Chicago, and E. f.
Smith, Denver. With a man named
Dickson in Smiths place they have made
mile record in AT 3-5, and half-mile
il 81. Dickson could not come to the
coast. Hamilton has long been known as
great road rider, but his best perform
ance was in riding mile unpaced in
ZOO 2-5, q worlds record, which the
mighty Sanger has been trying to lower at
Skaters aggregation will try the San Jose
track when they leave Santa Monica, and
Will Knippenberg of Los Angeles has
promised me he would use his influence to
that end.
William Ball, J. B. Bocarde and G.. A.
Wahlgreen have joined the Bay City