The record-union., 1896-07-05
OUR HOME WHEELMEN WON.
The Fifty-Mile Relay Race With the
Stockton Terminals.
Four Thousand People Witness an
Exciting Contest at Agri-
cultural Park.

1t was very nappy Thought On the
part of the Capital City Wheelmen to
get up the wheel entertainment at Ag-
ricultural Park for the afternoon OF the
Fourth" 1t afforded nearly o,O00 peo-
pie rational entertainment, which they
enjoyed to their full bent. 1t was
representative company of good hu-
mored, happy, genial people who as
sembled to see the Capital City Wheel
men go against the Terminal City
Wheelmen of Stockton
A finer crowd of people never assem-
bled on racecourse. 1t was there to
witness a contest in athletics, struggle
between human intelligences, not be-
tween driven dumb beasts. 1t was
fine contest that the people saw, one In
which there was nothing but fair play,
gentlemanly behavior, honest contest
and fair skill, and the very best of feel
ing.
There was present a large delegation
Cf Stocktonians to see their Wheelmen
go, and the way they braced their boys
up and the fine spirit with which they
accepted defeat made every Gacramen-
tan who saw them respect and honor
tnem. AS one of the Capital City
Nheclmen said, 1T is indeed, an
honor to contest with such splendid fell
lows 1t would be an honor to meet
them even in defeat"
The ffty-mile relay race was hot
and exciting one from start to finish,
and was won by the Sacramento wheel
men with a margin of a mile and
quarter to spare.
Each club was represented by ten
men, with that number of five-mile re-
lays. So intense was the interest of the
spectators that but few left until the
last man had crossed the tape
The referee was AL Krumb; judges
Scott F. Ennis, f. Adams and w. II.
Stone; timers-George H. Lavenson, 4.
H Mckee, j. A. Woodson; starter
Ernest Elliott; scorers-T. Goethe, M
Lavenson and f. A. Lyon Terminal
| City Racing Comnittee-W. 0. Bfgelow,
A w Castner and ]. Rothschild; Capt.
| tai City Racing Committee. I.
Dwyer, L. S. Upson and l.. t. Andrews.
The whole affair was managed without
| a hitch or word of disagreement, ana
without single bit of friction.
| The entertainment opened with
mile wheel dash between three Chinese
riders, who came upon the track in
good form and with good appearance.
They were Chin Koy, Fong Long and
| Du Hing They got a good scratch
start and went the mile well, Du Hing
| leading, but being soon overtaken by
Fong Ling, who on the backstretch
was overhauled by Chin Koy. The lat
| ter came to the tape an easy winner in
i2:41 %.
| Then came the fifty-mile relay race
between the two clubs. The riders
were ranged up, photographed and
cheered to the echo by their admirers.
Ed. Fisher of Stockton and Robert
Smith of the Capital City Wheelmen
started on the first relay. Smith led
splendidly at a rafting gait, with
Bauer and Pierson ON the tandem pac-
ing, until on the backstretch he was
seen to falter and then slow down,
while Fisher shot ahead and took the
| tandem
| Instantly racers started to help
Smith out. His chain had broken, but
in few seconds he was remounted, and
though a half-mile behind he gallantly
closed up all that could be saved
of the loss. The five miles were
covered in IA minutes, the Stockton
man taking the relay. The best mile
| in the bout was the first, made in
2:33 Smiths time was 14:21.
| The second five-nlile relay was taken
up without the break of a second.
Thomas Welch swung into Smiths
place for Sacramento, and Otto Saal-
bach took up the lead Fisher of Stock
ton had gained. 1t was impossible for
the Sacramento lad to wrest the bout
from Stockton, however, though he
was cheered and urged by a thousand
Iexcited people. The five miles were
made in 1910, to Stockton's credit,
Saalbach leading in every mile. The
best mile was 2:32 40.
| The third relay was snatched up for
Stockton by Ole Christerfuson, and for
Sacramento by Louis Payen. 1t was
| the most exciting of all the relays,
though not the best, for while Stockton
took the first two miles, Payen in the
third collared his adversary and went
to the fore with four thousand or more
throats cheering to the echo, while
wheelmen on the quarterstretch fairly
danced and roared with excitement.
The heat was made in 1851, won by
IPayen-the best mile was Christerfu-
sons, 2:40 3-5, Payen's best being 3
minutes fiat.
The fourth relay was between w. A
Hubert for Sacramento and Arthur
Eealey for the Slough City. 1t was a
lively race, with Hubert leading and
taking the first mile in 2:45, but that
was his best. The second was made in
3.O4 10, and the third in 3:O1 10. Then
| Healey went to the front and kept the
pace to the end, winning THE relay by
| less than foot His best mile was
3:02 %, ard the five miles were made
in 1917. The finish between Hubert and
| Healey was the closest and most eX-
citing of ALL They rever raced until
the last quarter of the last mile was
reached, and from there to the tape it
was nip and tuck.
The fifth five-mile contest was be-
tween Al Thorpe of Stockton and Wal
ter LeRtch of Sacramento. Leitch took
the first, fourth and fifth miles. The
heat was run in 1850 and the best mile
was Leftch's, tine last, in 2:39 1t was
ROW quite apparent that unless some
mishap befell Sacramento would win
out
The sixth relay was by Harry Ten
Bosch for Sacramento and Butner for
Stockton. The former took the first
and last miles only but his lead was
fine Ten Bosch made his first mile in
$50 and his last in 3:O1. Butner's best
mile was 3:01 1-5 and the five miles
We're made in 1852.
The seventh relay was by G. P. Will
son for Sacramento and G. Tretheway
for Stockton. Wilson took all the miles
in this relay, his best time being the
first mile in 2:35 He finished i'm 2:4S 1-5.