The Indianapolis journal., 1896-07-26
RECORD OF PYE. BLISS
ONE OF THE FAVORITE CHICAGO
RIDERS AT ALL THE MEETS.
Circuit Chasers poycotting the Unfair
Handfcaps-Cooper and BnId's
Fight for First Place.

VI diitiOSl any Olner Tiuef on the path.
Certain it is that Bald won great con
test on that day. and in his sprint he
passed round Sanger and opened up three
lengths, yet this excited no such enthusi-
asm as did the win of little Pye Bliss.
who has been before the public for SO
long that meet without him is without
the guiding star as it were. Bliss fiNst
came before the public in 1891 in some
races held at Enslewood. Bob Givins, the
real estate man. was the promoter. Givins
constructed a track out of the prairie
sod. built a grand stand that would hold
thousands of people. put on several special
trains and then advertised the meet as
free TO all who would come to the station.
The people came in thousands, filled the
train. the grand stand and surrounded the
track Gold-plated wheels. gold watches
and gold prizes all through were given.
1t was in one of the races a handicap
that Pye Bliss first made his appearance.
He was on a forty-eiSht-inch ordinary,
and was a winner in the contest. His
graceful movements on sthe wheel, his
great speed and his personality won for
him the regard of all who him ride,
and Norton III. Van Scklcn. one of the
greatest racing men of past days now the
publisher of the Bearings, took n fancy
TO the lad. His name was made then,
and his fame has been added to from that
day 10 this. In 1899 he began circuit chas-
ing, and he has chased the circuit ever
since. Bliss and Tyler once threw Chi
cago crowd into the widest expressions
of delight that have ever been seen on
the path. This was at the international
meet in Chicago. Bliss and Tyler were in
a hard finish. Tyler had just drawn past
Bliss, when Tyler kicked off a pedal.
Bliss won, and then went to the judges
and refused to take the prize Tyler came
out and refused 10 take the prize from
Bliss. the pair leaving the track, finally.
arm in arm, amidst cheers from the
crowd.
'T want it distinctly understood that
will enter no more handicap races until
an official Handicapped is appointed" said
Walter Sanger at the close of the first
days racing at Kalamazoo. This going
into handicaps and riding ones legs off
for nothing is not worth the trouble.
They place a number of local men way
out at the limit and we have no earthly
show to catch them. Why, Bald and 1
have ridden from scratch in several races
now. and in worlds record time in sew
eral events, only to go unplaced and re-
ceive no prize at all for all tho hard
work"
Fountain Ferry is going to see the cir
cult chasers much earlier than Tony
Landenwich. the landlord expected. Owing
to the giving up of the Dayton date of
Aug. /, Springfield on July 2s will be the
last date for some time, and the circuit
party will at once make the break for
Fountain Ferry for a week Of rest. sweet
rest. From Fountain Ferry some will go
out to Nashville for the National Circuit
| meet of Aug. g. and others to South Bend
for the meet of Aug. 4, which, while not
on the National Circuit. will catch many
of the men owing 70 it's half-mile track.
| Nashville being an eight-ap indoor track.
| Evansville. Aug. s. is easy from South
Bend in night. and then the men can
run into Louisville for a day two pre-
vious to Cincinnati. and after that two
day meet back to Louisville to reach
there Aug. O. and to remain until after
the National meet, leaving. perhaps, Sun
| day, Aug. 16. if Pittsburg enters with a
| circuit meet. as is contemplated. for Aug.
! Il. Otherwise Eric comes in the circuit
Aug. is and Buffalo follows Aug. 20. TAX
| ing the date of Niagara Falls The men
are badly demoralized in many instances,
and hail with delight rest previous TO
the great struggles the famous Louis
Vile track.
THE COMING LEADERS,
The past week has given the best indica-
| ton of the coming years work of the
various leaders that has been shown yet.
| There have been a number of meets. and
in all cases the true form of the men un-
| der certain conditions has been shown.
The varying conditions of the races have
shown that under certain circumstances
the leader of the circuit is man. and
under other conditions there would be
| change. So far the real championship
! form is about equally divided between
| Bald and Cooper. From this time on
| neither man will be seen in anything but
scratch events until the appointment of
| an official Handicapped will guarantee them
that they will not be placed where no liv-
ing man could catch the bunch. From the
| showing that each has made il may be
fairly assumed that Bald is the better man
| at very fast scratch races, and is quite
! the equal of Cooper when the time is slow
err In the matter of play for position
| there is no man on the track to-day who
| is the equal of the man from Buffalo.
| His head work is very fine. and yet, as he
| himself said, there is no one race that can
! be taken pattern for the running Of
| another. Cooper's work. except at Kala-
| mazoo. which was not a National Circuit
date. has been of the highest order. He
is evidently listening very carefully toJthe
| instructions of that very careful man..
| Mother Webb. Judging from former
performances, Waffle Sanger should be one
| of the five leaders of the present season.
| Gardiner has not been on the circuit fc,
the past week as he is still suffering from
| the effects of the fall that he received at
| Louisville. and that wisest of trainers,
Dad" Moulton. decided that a couple of
| weeks Of complete rest would do him more
good than all the doctoring that could be
| given the promising young rider. Otto
| Ziegler is now getting over the bad effects
of a very severe cold. and Dick Aylward.
his trainer. is getting him into condition
again at rate that is causing consider
| able uneasiness among the other big men.
The percentage table presents some new
| names this week. the most prominent be-
ing Loughead and Con Baker. Cooper s
| defeat Of Bald at Detroit on the second
day' of the races lucky thing for
him placing the Detroit boy at the head
! of the table seven points better than his
great opponent. Had Bald run second in
stead of third the men would be on even
| terms. but Bald unwisely sat up at the
end of that fatal mile race, and had 10 be
| content with third place. The fight for