The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, 1895-07-13
ON THE WHEEL.
THE STATE MEET.
(By Our Special Representative

American Wheelman is thing of the
past, and with the exception of railroad
and hotel Accommodations was a success
in every way.
Kearney has fair track and enter
prising citizens, but the league officials
should see that the town is much too
small to accommodate even the enthusi-
astic wheelmen, t. say nothing Of the
visitors this meet would bring il the
location was central and the railroad
service good.
On the evening of July 3rd the hotels
were filled with four in a room. and On
the fourth, wheelmen were fortunate il
they could find citizens who would take
them in.
Owing to the local rains the Lincoln
riders were compelled to go to the meet
on July first or second to get track TO
train on. Reaching Kearney they found
steady rain falling and could not put
wheel on the track until the races
were called. This accounts largely for
their not making better showing.
About twenty members OF the G.. G..
c. c. arrived on the evening of July 3rd
in time for supper. Later in the even
ing the U. p. brought in about one hun.
bred and fifty from Omaha. They had
special train with the privilege of re-
turning July 9th. Lincoln people were
refused special train and those wish
ing to see the second days racing were
compelled to pay full fare each way.
About III p. M, Joe Sullivan, re
sembling letter S, crawled into town
closely followed by Dry Ward. OF the
crowd who went through on their
wheels, they were the only ones to reach
Kearney the first day. They rode the
tandem and their cyclometer registered
161 miles. They struck mud eighteen
miles from Kearney and walked the last
five owing to broken chain.
Milmine, Howe, Miller. Allen and
Bebee, who were going to "eat supper
tonight in Kearney' stopped to talk to
hotel man about 20 miles out and
neglected to start again until next morn
ing.
The state was well represented. while
from outside there were riders from
Denver, Toledo and Chicago.
A mammoth parade on the morning
OF the fourth was followed by trial heats
at 10 o'clock.
Lincoln 8 misfortune commenced with
the novice race, in which there were
eighteen starters. This was run in two
heats with four to qualify in each heat.
A. NJ. Dickey broke his handle bar on
the start and lined up in the next heat
Denton Painter was in this heat also.
Both boys were we'll up in front with
Painter in the lead, when he became
possessed of wild desire to see how it
would go to fall on track away from
10 fol he vla
into action and they spent the next half
hour picking gravel out of their hides.
Painter ought to abolish this trick. Be
sides being hard to ride over, he spoils
some ones chance OF winning and breaks
the wheels.
The half mile open with twenty six
starters was run in three heats, with
four to qualify. o. w. Mcbride and G.
M. Carter won first place in both their
heats. A. E. Yule was over confident
and dropped into last place. The field
strung out and in the finish be got fifth
place, shutting him out.
Early in the afternoon the grandstands
were filed. The attendance was esti-
mated at $500, many Of these arriving
at noon to get good seats and waiting
patiently for the start at 3p. m.
The novice race is always pure cream
from the spectators standpoint, and the
final heat in the mile novice was excite
ment itself. Even the entries in this
race are worthy of mention.
We we're lounging around headquar-
tiers, when a couple entered who looked
as though they were out for information.
They introduced themselves
This is Steve Boles of McCook and
l am his father, and / want to see the
man who runs these bicycle races. Steve
hit the striking machine harder than
any man in Red Willow county on the
fair grounds last year, and want
Right here, sir, am in hurry.