Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1895-12-12
THE CYCLE HERO.

There was a great time in store fo,
| Plumbettville. There was to be a ter
mile handicap cycle road race and I
| sham battle of one of the two regiment!
which the city supported. Plumbettvills
is not the true name for the place, fol
| if it were too many might place ths
characters in this tale, the subject o.
which is of recent occurrence Plumbett
vile had prospered much of late years
Financial depression had touched Il
probably more lightly than any other
city in the country. The census showed
an increase Of population, and the towr
laughed with its prosperity. CycliDe
had more than kept pace with the gen
eral advance. A fortunate smooth pave
ments crusade in the city was followed
in the county by good roads mania.
With good streets and good roads there
came many beautiful suburban resorts
to which wheelmen We're always vel
come Then there was a fine park with
many driveways and lake surrounded
4
thing outside of a regular affair. Or
these roads all bicycles were as free al
any other vehicle, with the result that
the sport grew apace.
The cycle race was the uppermost top
| ic of conversation in Pfumbettviile.
There had been cycle races before, but
never one that promised so we'll in poin,
/ Of oft H.
events that had gone before but whetted
the desire to know more Of the local
fiers.
There was one thing that bothered
the meet promoters, and that was that
Colonel Cottontop had set the time for
his troops to rendezvous at exactly the
hour that the race was to start. He was
demonstrated with, but being an old
timer and set in his ways he refused tc
change his order. He would be shot be-
fore he would change the arrangement
of his command for all the bicyclers in
Christendom.
The unfortunate part Of it was that
the sham battle would rage over a por-
! tion of the territory used in the cycle
race This section was the most popular
Of Plumbettville's suburbs and with
reason. Two roads paralleled each other
for several miles with distance Of no,
over 200 yards between them. One was
an old pike that lead to the west and
the other finely macadamized driving
road lined with suburban homes and re-
Sorts 1t lead out through the park and
was the chosen route of all on bicycles
or horses. By means Of the two roads
and those intersecting, an excellent par
allelogram could be obtained for the cy.
Gle race, and here it would be held. II
| the regiment assembled at the same
time as the calling of the race, 1t was
argued by some that the race would be
run off long before the soldiers could
reach the grounds This would also
was shrewdly added-giye zest to the
cycle race, as the fight of the soldiers
might be seen at nearly the same time.
So it came about that neither the cyclert
nor the soldiers changed the time for
their great event.
The training was done on the lake
drive. and mighty earnest training il
was, too. even if the latest plans were
known somewhat mistily. Here, by
break Of day, came the fliers, all dressed
in street clothing AT the base Of stone
tower they took these off, disclosing
their racing togs beneath. Here they
scorched and jockeyed for an hour.
Then they again got into their other
clothing and went to their days work
or business. Again in the eventide they
went through the same routine, SO that
it is evident that they were of the white
amateur stripe.
One Of the young men In the party
had a decided advantage, because he
was a student on his long summer
holiday. In addition to this, he had a
doting father who had put him on a
part of the great oircuit, as the old gen
tleman thought him a sure winner.
While he never succeeded much in this,
yet he made a plucky showing, satisfy
ing his senior. If this young man,
whom we will call Smaley, could win
such great event at home, his father
would feel that his money had been well
invested.
Another notable one Of those in train.
ing was Charles Fastleigb. Fastleigh
was naturally the fastest man, but he
had disadvantages that probably made
Smaley his better, thought the boys.
Fastleigh was a mechanic, and he was
handicapped by the muscle bound trou-
BILE. His great forte was his staying
power. Fastleigh had won races before,
but always by setting killing pace at
the start aDd with remarkable ability
keeping it 10 the finish. Smaley. on the
other hand, was a bad pace setter, q
good hanger on, and devil for short
squirt. Now to squirt was quite impossi-
BILE for Fastleigh, as most any of the
boys could pass him if they could hold
on without going fat until the last
eighth.
All said the race lay between Fast
leigh and Smaley. and all were nightly
interested. Fastleigh and Smaley lived
on the road along which the race would
pass Their homes were about -four
miles from the center Of the city. In
the evening, after training, they would
slowly ride home. The subtle quiet Of
the country as they entered was delight
full and often in the sweet moonlight
they would talk over their prospects.
Strange as it may seem each of these
men was willing that the other should
win. Here were modern David and
Jonathan. To show how substantial
was the feeling, each did his best to
bring sout all the speed in the other.
Smaley had been teaching Fastleigh
quite little sprint and Fastleigh la
bored long with Smaley getting his
stamina to the sticking poiEt,
In q row Of cottages between the
homes Of both yonng men there lived
| two sisters, to whop, both were much
attached. 1t was here that the eventide
was spent. and you may be sure that the
race was not forgotten. In the home Of
the sisters was a toddler Of some three
years, who took its greatest pleasure in
riding on carrier on the head of Fast.
leigh's machine. 1t was an easy tash
for the big machinist to carry the tot nj
| the stiffest Of hills, while his little com
panion Smaley rode alongside. Here il
was that the disparagement in theil
sizes was first noted when sh. Ac-'