The evening times., 1896-08-17
1. |. \. NATIONAL MEET
Was a Remarkable Gathering
In Many Respects.
RACING WAS ONLY FAIR
One Record Was Broken BaId Was a
Disappointment, t,whtlcIooperFatrN
Earned Title OF Champion Ameri-
can Bicycl-sin the CannibaI Islands.
G onsip OF the wheeImen.

tie national meet otthe League OF Ameri-
canwheeimen for the yenr Sg6 has come
aml gone, and with It has passed into his
toryone OF the most remarkable gatherings
OF wheelmen of all classes ever known. In
oiie or two respectsthe meet was n success.
and In others 1t was not all that Is expected
from gathering Of the flower OF the ni-
tion's racing men, or what ii should be-
The entertainment provided was on u
sculenevcr before attempted. and one
which only Kentucky hospitality conld de-
wise and successfully carry out, and the at
tendance was the largest TINT has ever
graced such an occasion. There Is no re:i-
son why ft should not have becn, as tine
membership OF the League of American
Whcelmen Is greater toda y than 1t ever has
been, while the number OF persons using the
wheel is infinitely greater than even one
year ago.
a s to the racing Itself, while it was in
the main good, It must have been a disap-
pointmcnt TO the regulars In attendance.
There was no breaking of records, with a
single exception. and no evolution OF a ne W
plleAom. unless Tom Butler can bc so st yIed.
Butler has demonstrated every time he met
the cracks previous to the meet tIiathe was
Just as good as the best of them, and there
fore h is great work was no surprise to tlidsc
who have FOL 10 wed the little" yello W fellow
this season.
Perhaps the greatest disappointment WIS
Eddie Bald. Last year he had ever ytliIng his
own way at Asbury Park. winning all the
championships but one, while he comes away
from Louisville empty-handed, with not a
single first and only two seconds and two
thirds to his credit. Tom Cooper went TO the
meet with the championship bee in his bon
net, and, while he got the lions share OF
these coveted events. Inc was not able to
take them all. as Tom Butler won u couple
and Becker one. although Cooper finished
first in the race, but was disqualified for
fouing.
The last day was unquestionably the
most sensational OF all, and the most
repletc with Incidents A scene which
was truly extraordinary occurred in ths
five-mile national championship, the last
event on The program, As is well known
there has been bad feeling between Bald
and Cooper for some time. but ii came near
est CLIMAX yet In this event. Not content
with their usual jockeying contacts toward
oBe another. the men aim ost came TO blows.
The scene OF their catching hold OF one
aiiother during the contest and eDdangering
The limbs aud lives OF big field OF con
testants so aroused the Indignation Of the
spectators that Kisses greeted them when
ever they passed the stand Although the
audience had previously impartially ap
5pdjided them.
Tie six national championships sh ow that
Cooper has well earned his title as King o.
the Wheel, winning three out OF the six. and
losing one on a foul. The distance. first
second and third men and time OF each ract
were as follows:
One-quarter mile Cooper. first; Gala
han. second: Kenny, third. Time-O:32.
One-third mile Cooper, first; Kiniblc,
second; Bald. thlrti. Time-O:44 SO.
One-half mile BHtler, first; Bald. sec
one: Gardiner. third. Tilne-1:ll 1.5.
One mile IT. Butler. first; Coburn, second
Callahan, third. Time e-2:O2 s.
Two miles Cooper, first: Bald, second
Bliss, third. Time-4:26 2-b.
Five miles Becker, first: Aker. second
n. Butler, third. Time 1918 2-b.