The San Francisco call., 1896-01-11

ductlng OF National cham pionships to de-
eide each year the crack racing man of
America. 1t has been customary with the
league to specify several races, which are
contested IN different parts of the country
and a different times during the season
These championships generally consist of
quarter, half one, two and five mile race,
and are usually divided between several
performers In 1895 Bald got the quarter.
half and one, Nat Butler the two and
Charley Murphy the five. Class A men
can compete against the BIS in champion
ship events, but are seldom speedy enough
TO win them. 1t Is a hard matter to tell
the champion, and it will be more so next
year II the three-cIass rule is adopted. The
American public should look with favor
upon cham pionship event in which
amateurs, class riders and professionals
participate.
The San Francisco Road Club will have
two runs tomorrow, If the weather is
agreeable. One will start a t A. NJ. under
Lieutenant Schmolk for San Jose. The
second will leave the Clubrooms at l P. NJ.
for the park and beach. The clubs road
riders are already preparing themselves
for the twenty tive-mlle road race IN Feb
ruary. \. ACkerman, formerly of Petalu-
ma, George Hamlin, formerly of Sacra-
mento, and many other sturdy scorchers
are already in active training for the event.
The club will enter a strong team in the
relay race in April.
At Springfield last fall Sanger was the
professional hero, while Bald won the
Iaurets in class B. There was some doubt
IN the minds of spectators as to which was
the faster of the two. Sanger won bv a
greater margin, to be sure, but Bald had a
more capable feld of competitors. Sam
gers speed on this occasion was sublime.
and he tore home TO the wire in such ad-
mlrable style that the crowd went Wild
with excitement. Thus it may be seen
that the professional class may turn out
just as speedy riders as may be found in
class b. Witness such men as Arthur
Zimmerman, John S. Johnson, Walter
Sanger, Harry Tyler, Peter Berlo, George
Banker, Wilbur Knapp and others.
Inere have always been irst-class anna
teurs, and to assist in deciding who is en-
ltled to the champ plonship the l.. A. w.
racing board should agree upon an event
IN which the best riders from the three
classes may compete. The prizes should
be medals or cash, according to whether
an amateur or professional proves the win
ner. Mr.. Stearns believes that the mile
event Is the proper distance at which the
speed qualities OF the riders may be demon
strated, and favors three of such races in
various parts of the country during the
spring, summer and fail seasons. (And I
might add, parentheticaily, why not one
in California in winter) Then the much
discussed question as to the real champion
OF America each year would be decided
conclusively.
The directors of the Bay City Wheelmen
Will hold meeting Monday evening to
settle upon date for hop at the Palace
Hotel maple-roOm shortly, for members
exclusively; also to provide accommoda-
tlons for their football players, who are
numerous and enthusiastic and demand
recognition. They will probably be given
the whole of the basement of the club
house The club members are much
amused at the inaccuracy OF certain pre-
dlctlons made by a local cycling scribe as
to the Bay City relay team for 1896 They
cali attention to the fact that the club
numbers among It's memb bers such flyers as
Tom w. Cooper, Earl II. Kiser, Charles
NJ Murphy, W: NJ. Randall, Charles S.
Wells, w. A. Terrill, r. l.. Long, I. S.
Hall, I. A. Grit1iths Horace Slater, w. w.
Hatton, Fritz Lacey, H. E. McCrea and
Emil Ulbricht, who are among the fastest
class b riders in the United States. Then
in class A they have H. B. Freeman, F. L..
Day, A. J. Menne, Emil Languetin, S. B.
Vincent, Harry +. Terrill Archie Reid, A.
l.. Holling, II. Y. Ready. H. A. Goddard,
Austin Kanzee and King Rhys. With
more than the requisite ten men IN either
class to choose from, the delicate humor of
the scribe who attempts TO select their team
Tor them Is directly apparent. 1t is more
than the board of directors can do, for
with such galaxy of talent to work from,
they feel 1t is impossible TO say that any
one Is faster than another. But President
herrigan says the Bay City's are going to
win the relay race OF 1896, and he is in q
position to make a good estimate of the
probabilities.
Peter j. Berlo, at New Orleans recently,
on the new quarter-mile cement track.
which Harry TerriIl wrote his friends here
was so fast, broke the following flying start
professional records, paced by a qu1ntuplet
or hye-seated machine Three miles,
50:40 40; four miles, go; five miles,
9:5l 2-5. He rode half mile in 80 flat.
The pleasure and benefits to be derived