The herald., 1895-12-14
The Great Scheme of Messrs.
Spaulding and Bowe
OPPOSITION TO THE L. A. w.
Class B Riders 10 be COaxed to Turu
Professional.
The New Organization VIII Control Tracks In
Every Large City-Important Inter-
view With Dave Shsfer

Cash Prize League for bicycle racers, and
at the head are no lesser people than A. 6.
Spaulding, of the Spaulding Arms COM
pany, and John G. Bowe, president of the
Syracuse Cycle company. Control of
tracks in every large city in the country
will be the first move and then by judi
ciously bringing into the professional
ranks all the best riders of class B, there
is a hope that they will act as bait for
other riders of prominence.
In order to confirm or deny the report,
Herald reporter was instructed to call
upon MIR. Dave Shafer, the manager and
trainer OF the Syracuse racing team. He was
found at the hotel jackson, san Monica,
and the following interview took place.
"Mr. Shafer, l have called with refer
ence to the report that Messrs. Spaulding
and Bowe are interested in the formation
of a Cash Prize League. How much truth
is there in that statement 2"
~ am out for the Syracuse Cycle COM
pany, and am not prepared 20 affirm or
deny the truth of that statement"
"Do you hink there will even uallv be a
racing association formed for the purpose of
giving cash priest"
''That must come sooner or later, owing
to the simple fact that racing is becoming
too large q proposition for the L. A. w. to
handle. have warm feeling for the l..
A. w., but think. like Potter of New York,
that the racing business has assumed such
proportions that some organization will be
found necessary to the proper handling of
what has become an enormous business.
Now don't understand from This talk that
l have entered into any contract with
Bowe or -paulding to control racing. l
merely prefer to be quiet upon that SUBJ
ject, as don't think the timeis ripe, as
yet, for any such organization"
"Have you not had q conversation with
Mr.. Spaulding relative to this matter?"
'Yes The first conversation l had with
Mr.. Spaulding was when l entered into a
contract with him 10 manage his racing
team in 1895. We talked very freely
upon the subject of a new organiza ion to
govern racing. We both agreed that rae
similar to that of baseball: and that by
running them as professionals there would
be much less expense to the manufacturer,
for the men would win cash instead of
prizes"
"Then you are not surprised to hear of
your present employer entering into such
deal?"
mo. For we had quite conversation
upon this subject"
"Do you suppose that the suspension of
Murphy, Cabanne and Titu, by the L. A.
W. has brougnr about this crisis in the
formation of Cash Prize League?"
"No, do not, for the reason that the
sprung in the early part of this year.
"Mr Shafer, it has been charged that
you are attempting to hire all the star
racing men now in California"
"That / claim to be my own affair.
have at present seventeen racing men, and
am in the business to win for the Syracuse
Cycle Company if possible. Nothing is
more natural than my attempting to secure
as strong combination for '96 as pos
sible."
"Then you acknowledge that you are
attempting to obtain a monopoly of riders,
and the Bowe-Spaulding deal is matter
SHOW you are attempting to pry too
deeply into my business. am willing to
talk, but prefer not to talk upon that sub
ject."
And with that the keen-eyed trainer
looked at his watch, which was hint that
the interview was at an end.
snow it is a well-known fact that Shafer
and Eek of NC and Johnny fame, are the
foxiest trainers in the business, and have
no love for the League of American Wheel
men; q feeling which was intensified by
the suspension of johnson in May, and
Sanger in June. At that time they showed
they were professionals at heart and made
barrel of money during the summer sea-
son of the National Trotting Horse associ-
alton, taking in the entire circuit and max
ing their own dates. Shafer has a great
pull with the devotees of the sport of
kings and has in several instances shown
what sharp. shrewd man he really is. + g
has been making strong efforts to hire
several prominent eastern riders, and has
also made overtures to Otto Zeigler, the
Little l,emon' of California, the facts
coming to light through the managers get
ting on and making a how'll claiming that
Shafer was endeavoring to obtain a mo
nopoly of the best racing men.
A. G. Spaulding, with Dave Shafer and
Tom Eek as trainers, would make strong
combina ion. Everybody knows Spauld-
ing's managerial ability, and though Bowe
is but 80 years of age he has rapidly at