The herald., 1896-08-17
THE WHEEL

| With the novice record at 205 3-5,
| there are no more efforts made to reduce
| the record. Last year saw this mark
brought down several times, but the
system of pacemaking in novice races
has been done away with, and Harry
! Clark, the champion, who is also some
| thing of an unpaced rider, is apt to re-
| tain his honors for an indefinite period.
| Chairman Gideon has set his ban on
| pacing in novice events He argues and
| wisely, that beginners have no idea Of
| following pace, and consequently many
| of them get no possible show to win.
| The membership in the League OF
American Wheelmen has been steadily
on the increase 1t seems to have gath
cred new impetus, but efforts should not
be laggard to double the number of rid
ers that now belong to this popular or
ganization. Its benefits are not suffi-
GENTLY advertised. Many riders in the
country do not know what it Is in exist
ence for. One tremendous effort should
be made the coming winter to enlist in
the cause $4,000 wheelmen, who have no
idea of what the L. A. w. constitutes and
who would readily enter the ranks were
but the facts known.
That human strength and endurance,
in tests for speed on a bicycle, are equal
to force concentrated and expelled by
machinery was proved beyond u doubt
in one of the most thrilling spectacles
ever witnessed In America, the trial hav-
ing taken place near Syracuse at the
beginning of the month between the fa-
nous Stearns sextuplet and the Empire
State express, the fastest train in the
world
The New York Central Railroad COM
pany was cognizant of the fact that six
lusty Syracuse riders would do battle
with the famous express and out Of Syr.
IrtI frai i,a
drew, with passengers and employees
anxious for a glimpse of the orange
clad ngures. Upon approaching level
stretch of ground running in close prox-
unity to the Solvay Process company the
express began to get up speed. At Il
given signal the sextuplet started, and
when the train slowly crept up in the
rear the riders were covering ground in
lightning fashion.
Symmetrically and strong the twelve
legs moved more like clockwork than
anything else. With bent heads and
compressed breath, they fought like
fiends for the supremacy. Now it was
nip and tuck. Huge volumes of smoke
were pouring from the snokestack of the
Empire State, and the engineer had
thrown the throttle back to the last otch
to give the iron monster full headwey
But the riders had trained for this meet
ing, and, without sWerving from the;
course between the tracks even q hairs
breadth they kept up their wonderful
gait. For half-mile the train and SEX
tuplet raced, and when the men dashed
ny the white signal where they weiS to
slow down, they led the Empire State ex-
press by fully four lengths.
1t was the most remarkable race in
the history of the world, and conclusive
~ demonstrated that the possibilities of
the bicycle are infinite.
The death of Joe GreibIer, the St. Paul
rider who was precipitated to death at
Lima, O., records the first instance of a
fatality in connection with cycle racing
In the annals of the sport There have
been some terrible mix-ups in the past,
and many riders have left the arena
with broken bones. but the pastime has
been devoid of calamity in which one
OF the racing men met death. 1t is a sad
case, indeed, and wheelmen in all parts
OF the country sympathize with the
young mans family and friends. Greib-
Ter was rider of no mean ability. Be-
fore this year he was unheard of, but on
the national circuit had forged ahead
of the old-timers and was looked upon
as very promising. The incident but
illustrates that racing men cannot be
too careful of fouling one another in
the heat of such fierce competition as
is going on today.
The state board of highways will hold
meeting in this city at the court house
this evening. The meeting will be a
public one under the provisions of an
act of the Legislature for the discussion
of public roads and matters pertaining
thereto. The members of the board of
supervisors. the county surveyor and
auditor will be in attendance and dis
cuss with Commissioner ]. X. Maude
of the state bureau of highways any
matters which may come up before the
meeting.
IN THESE BICYCLE DAYS
Tom. Tom, the piper's son.
He stole a wheel. and away he run:
But copper fleet
Young Tom ConId hoot