The San Francisco call., 1896-03-28
THE WHEELMEN.
All the Fast Club Riders Preparing
for the Annual Relay Race.


The annual relay race around the bay is
the one event to which the wneelmen are
now giving all their attention. The date
has been set for Sunday, April y, and all
the intervening Sundays and week days
will be devoted to training and other pre-
parations There will be number OF ten
mile road races held tomorrow over the San
Leandro course, which will in reality be
try-outs to aid in the selection of men for
the various teams. The Bay City, Olympic,
California, San Francisco and Acme clubs
will hold these practice rides. The Reli-
ance men will ride ten miles on the
Oakland Trotting Park track, and down at
San Jose the Road Club and Garden City
Cyclers will use the East San Jose course.
Chairman Stratton OF the road racing
committee of the associated clubs intended
to ride over the last fifty miles of the relay
course Thursday. to measure and lay it out
accurately, but the rain prevented the trip.
He will go tomorrow, accom- panied by the
other two gentlemen on the committee, H.
F. Wynne and A. 2. Swain.
In spite of the many vague reports and
rumors fiving around there is really very
little news regarding the relay race. This
e vent is looked upon by the club wheel
men as the greatest race of the year, and
their best efforts are put forth into it. 1t
is easy enough to take some prominent
club, like the Olympic, for instance, and
pick seven or eight of its best men and say
they will surely be on its relay team this
wear That would be true, but until the
team of ten men is thoroughly completed
its strength could not be estimated, GER
tainly not by eight men. 1t has been said
that team of ten average riders could
beat team of eight rackaJacks and two
poor men, and II is probably so. When
each club is ready to name its full compile
ment of ten men then the respective mer-
its of the various teams and their chances
of winning can be- 70 certain extent esti-
mated, but not before.
The opinion was general q week ago that
the Bav City Wheelmen would no: consent
to poStponement of the date OF the race
one week, but it appears now that that is
Just what that club wanted. Though pos
sessing an immense mum ber of racing men
none of them are Ill their best condition.
and the club has not even held try-out as
vet to decide who are entitled to positions
on its team. 1t loses one powerful rider,
W. A. Terrill, who is now a professional.
The relay rules admit OF only amateurs
competing in the race, and last year Ter
rill as a class man rode his ten miles in
splendid style However, the club now
has K. L. Long, who rode for the Olympic
Club Wheelmen a year ago, and if he can
be got into condition in time will be one of
its best men. Then there are Ulbricht
Lacey. Hatton and McCrea in Southern
California, all members of this club, who
could be called upon if needed, all four of
whom are phenomenally fast riders.
The Olympic Club Wheelmen's team
this year will undoubtedly be stronger
than it was in 1895, while the impression is
that the Garden City Cyclers of San Jose
will be weaker. The Acmes will be about
the same as last year, except that they
will not have Castleman and Burke of
Los Angeles. 1t is between these four
clubs that the race is supposed 10 lie,
though unforeseen incidents may change
the programme. 1t will at any rate be a
hard-fcught contest, and the San Fran
cisco and Sen Jose Road clubs, Alameda
Imperial, Reliance and California clubs all
have good men and are liable to change
places with some of the admitted leaders.
A map will be issued early next week by
the road racing committee which has
charge of the race, showing the new routes
through San Jose and into Alameda.
Printed rules governing the race will also
be sent out to the various clubs intending
to enter teams.
The Garden City Cyclers of San Jose
have applied for sanction for race meet
to be held on their three-lap cement track
on Saturday, May 9, the last day OF The
San Jose rose carnival.
The Olympic Cyclers have announced
that they will give minstrel show at
Native Sons Hall on the evening of May
IA, the proceeds to be used in fitting up
their rooms and expended on picnic runs
for the members.
C. n. Ravlin and L. C. Hunter, r. A.
Smyth and F. w. Fuller will have tan
dem race from Fruityale TO San Jose next
Saturday, starting at O'Clock.
M ms oil
Racing Board in this district, has issued
his bulletin No. 5. dated yesterday, which
is full of items of interest to the racing men.
1t is as follows:
BULLETIN NO. 5, MARCH 27, 1896.
Sanctions granted: May 8, Garden City
Cyclers, san Jose, Cal. May 30 Multnomah
Bicycle Club, Portland, Or.
Pacific Coast records approved: One mile,
flying, paced, amateur-C. S. Wells, Coronado,
CAL February 10, 1896, Al As.
One mile, standing, paced, amateur-H. f.
McCrea, Coronado, Cal, February ID, 1896,
:49 2-5.
One mile, flying, paced, professionally. W.
Hamilton, Coronado, Cal, March 2, 1896,
1:39 Is.
Schmidt, Los Angeles, Cal; Oscar Lane and
W. H. Palmer, San Diego, Cal, under clause E.
The undersigned has been placed by the
National Racing Board in direct control OF
North and South California, Nevada, Arizona
New Mexico, Utah, Montana, Idaho, Oregon
and Washington. Wherever practicable a local
representative will be appointed in each divi-
sion to whom applications for sanctions may
be made. and who will otherwise give atten-
tion to the local racing interests. Divisions
have been assigned 20 the charge of local rep
resentatives as follows: South California H.
C. F. Smith, 124 East Second street, Los An
geles; Arizona and New Mexico, W. L. Pin
ney, Phpnix, Ariz.; Washington. Z. G. Dorr,
postoffice box 1888, Tacoma. Other appoint
ments will be announced as made.
The attention OF racing men is directed to
the bulletin issued by Chairman Gideon under
date of the 18th inst, and especially TO the
warning that men competing amateurs
under false pretenses will, when detected, be
punished not alone by transfer 10 the profess
sional class but by suspension from the track
There is no intention OF using the professional
class as penal colony for unworthy men.
Under the direction and control of the league
ii is intended that the racing man who
efforts on the track shall deserve the
confidence of the public and be protected
in his relations with his fellow riders
and race-meet promoters. Unworthy men in
either class Will be punished by exclusion
from the track for period commensurate with
the offense committed.
Race-meet promoters are reminded that the
prizes in each event must be specified the
programme. Amateurs must accept the prizes
SO specified and nothing else. The exchanging
and bartcring OF prizes or the accepting of
orders for merchandise in lieu Of the prizes SO