The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-13
CRACK HOOSIER RIDERS
" QUARTETTE THAT PROMISES
GREAT THINGS NEXT SEASON.
Records of Tom David, Alexander
Craig and Carl Cameron of Tndiap-
oils and Parrish of Carthage.

racis.g in this city. Up TO tnat ufne tnere
had never been but one bicycle race meet
ing held in the city that was sue
cess. either financially or otherwise
and, in fact, indianapolis was considered
Jonah town for racing. 1t was not be-
lieved that the city would ever bring forth
a good racing man, or would ever have
race meeting that would amount to any
thing. OF all the riders who had attained
fame in the country, either one of the
few who lead the others, or as one of those
who make the very close seconds, there
was not one who claimed Indiana or In
dianapolis as his home; not who
pointed to as Hoosier. And, for that mat
ter, there is not Indiana man in this
class now, but there will be before another
year rolls by.
It takes time to make racing man. He
is not the product of mere notion TO be-
come fast rider and he is not the product
of few months training but If he would
ride in the front he must put in many long
months of training and hard work and live
on beef and diet himself as a prize
fighter diets just before entering the ring.
There is much privation to be suffered, and
this is not for single month. but for many
of them. One season of hard work seldom
makes a racing man worthy the name, for
IL he does not begin until he is fully grown
and has developed the necessary muscle he
is too old to ever expect to become one of
the crack riders of the country, and IL he
begins when younger it requires the deyel-
opment that time alone can give to put him
in the front rank These conditions make
1t impossible that many men should be-
come fast riders in year. 1t is for that
reason that years encouragement of
the sport in this State has not developed
any riders who rank among the circuit
oh hut fhor opo xxTl1r crfxr
promise of some day being known wherever
bicycling is known.
OF these, Tom David of No. S36 North
Alabama street, is probably the most
promising, although he often finds his
equal In Alex. Craig, of No. 951 North Ala
bama street; Carl Cameron, of Huron
street, and Jasper Parrish, of Carthage.
David has won the most distinction this
year I'm his work against racing men, and
the four are probably the best riders in the
State. David is only few months past
twenty years of age and has not been in
active training for riding before this sea-
son, although he was in some races as
early as 1894. AT that time, however, he was
entered simply in the High School races.
and made his debut without the training
that is necessary to do good work Last
year he did little training, but still he
did not work man would who expected
to do much on the track, and nothing like
the way he has worked this year. All con-
sidered, it is hardly just to say that he
has been on the track three years. He now
holds two State records-the two-mile open,
made at Broad Ripple, last Monday, in
4:333, and the three quarter-mile open, made
the same day, in 1:3S 1-5, which is within
BIS seconds of the worlds record. Be-
sides this, he holds the track record at
Shelbyville, for a half mile, which he made
In 1:o2. the last quarter being unpaced.
DAvIDS PRIZE RECORD.
Davis prize record this year is some
thing to be proud of. He has started in
fifty-seven races and has won nineteen first
prizes fourteen seconds, six thirds and six
fourths. making total of forty-five prizes
out of ffty-seven chances. The prizes are
valued at about $780, His best time for
single mile was 2:19, made on the Broad
Ripple track. This was in race. He has
made much better time than that when
going against time. His best time, paced,
against time. is 2:09, also made on the
Broad Ripple track. He and Craig have
both defeated Thome and Fitchner, the two
men who won all the Kentucky champion
ships at the big national meeting in Louis
Vile, in August This is a fine showing for
David.
Alex. Craig has started In about fifty
teen seconds and twelve thirds, giving him
q recoh of forty prizes in fifty starts. He
holds the half-mile State paced record,
which he made at North Manchester last
Tuesday in 0:5S 3-5. He was paced by Tom
David and Allen Schreyer. He is young
man of much promise the track. He is
now twenty-one years old and is fairly
well developed, although not so we'll
developed as he should be for racing.
He is at his best in race against
time. for he can hold up to a good,
stiff pace better than he can loaf al
most all the way around and then win
by squirt, and this is the way all compe-
tition races are won, il there is no time
limit. The final squirt is Davids strong
point, and he showed what he could do in
that regard last Wednesday night at the
Capital City track in the two mile handi-
cap, when he made a phenomenal squirt and
took the race from what seemed to be GER
tain victory for Parrish.
Carl Cameron shows some fine points but
he has not done much training, and there
fore has not been able to get as many
prizes to his credit as the others. He is rap
idly coming out, however, in the hands of a
competent trainer, and gives promise of be-
ing among the leaders of the State next
year. He has won number of second and
third prizes but has firsts to his credit
JAP PARRISH'S RECORD.
Jasper Parrish has the most first prizes
to his credit but he has also been in more
races than the others. He has won twenty
seven firsts, but has few seconds and thirds
He does not seem to to win anything
but a first prize. and if he cannot get that
he usually comes in too for behind to be
among the prize winners His wonderful
final spurts were the talk of those who fire.
quented the tracks earlier in the season.
He made some finishes early in the season
Mt the Broad Ripple track that were
1erful and led to the impression that he
could not be defeated by any of the local
riders unless 1T was in contest that was
made race from the very beginning, so as
to tire him out before the stretch was
reached Since that time, however. Tom
Davis has developed equal if not superior
squirting ability, and Parrish has not the
walkaway he then had. The way he won
the races at the early meeting at Broad
Ripple was really remarkable.
These four men-David. Craig. Cameron
and Parrish-are working together. and are
being trained by Charles Wade of Buffalo
This is Wades first year as a trainer of
bicycle riders but he has had great deal