The record-union., 1896-01-10
AMERICAN WHEELMEN.
Meeting of the National Assembly
Next Month.
Matters of Importance VIII Come Up,
be Discussed and Dis
posed of.
(From Cycle Topics.)


lea will meet to decide some weighty
questions-questions of immense i'm
portance to the L. A. w. One reso1u-
| ton likely to be heard from is one for
discontinuing racing as it is conducted
by the league to-day. Whether this will
be swept aside by an opposing senti-
ment remains to be seen. 1t is doubtful
if any of the racing rules will be altered,
as they serve every requirement at
present What the delegates must de-
eide upon is whether there shall be three
classes, or how many classes are neces-
sary for the future maintenance of rae
| ing under L. A. w. jurisdiction. Dele
gates are busy at this time preparing
resolutions which have nothing to do
with this branch of the league, and have
several now in readiness to be sprung
which will affect the welfare of the big
organization. Whatever this conven-
ton decides upon, it is well for the dele
gates to bear in mind that they have
the future fate of one of the biggest or
ders in America in their hands, and that
thousands of wheelmen scatte -ed over
the entire country will watch every ac
ton with every degree of interest and
perhaps apprehension. Build up the
league; encourage it; for it is certainly
worthy of encourag cement.
Wheelmen generally imagine that it
is quite necessary that they SHOULD
take their wheels upon the sidewalks
after dismounting. This is a wrong
idea. Leave your bicycle on the curb.
for the law protects it from injury by
any other vehicle. It has every right on
L
veyances, and is respected accordingly
Tom w. Winder, who left New Or
leans on March 4th to make complete
trip around the coast line of the United
States on a wager that he could cover
the 81 900 miles inside of 300 days, land
ed recently at his starting point with
| twenty-eight days to spare. Winder
went through wild country at some
parts of his journey and relates some
thrilling experiences.
At the present rate the expression,
| "an army on Wheels" will soon lose it's
novel sound. At all of the garrisons in
America to-day the bicycle may be
found, even on the frontier where the
only thoroughfares are trails over the
prairies. They are used in many cases
in preference to the horse, useful as this
animal is, and indispensable as he will
always be. Every regiment has riders
now, and incase of war the bicycle as a
means of carrying dispatches would
| certainly outrank any known convey
| ance. A new army rule was issued
recently in France, whereby the French
1 infantry is compelled to recognize the
| bicycle. Two men in each regiment
are to be chosen as cyclists and will be
distinguished by a red badge with the
letter NJ appearing on their arm
| A dispatch received in the East re-
Gently stated that Earl H. Kiser of the
| Stearns team, now training at Santa
Monica, California, rode a third mile
in 30 seconds. This is great going for
| the boy and means that he travelled a
l;30 clip. This phenomenal youngster
is gifted with such endurance that his
pacemakers cannot shake him off. If
Kfser can hang on for the mile at the
rate he travelled a third, there is no
question but that new figures will soon
be hung up for the mile record.
Harry Tyler, who jumped into pro-
| fessionalism last season, but who has
been before the public as a crack rae
ing man for many years, has retired
| from the track to enter college Tyler
| was one of the first riders to cover a
legitimate mile under 200 He is a gen
| tlemanly appearing young man and al
| ways commanded the highest respect of
his fellow riders. Modest and unassum-
ing he worked his way into the heart of
the public and will be greatly missed
from the track next year
A well-known cycle manufacturer
came out in a recent interview with the
statement the the L. A w. should
adopt rule at the meeting Of the next
| National Assembly compelling every
rider who completes in events under the
jurisdiction of the L. A. w, to become
q member of the organization. 1t is un-
derstood that one of the delegates will
move the adoption of such a clause and
certainly there can be but few dissent
| ing voices to such a move, for it is pre-
eninently proper.
E. G. Stearns, who has had perhaps
as much experience in bicycle racing
matters as anyone, is responsible for
the following suggestions relative to
the abolition of class "B'' and the es-
tablishing of professionalism and ''Si-
mon Pure amateurism: THE all-ab-
sorbing question to-day in racing cir
cles is the question of the establishing
of classes during the season of 1896.
This question is one of the most i'm
portant ones that will come before the
National Assembly of League of Amer
lean Wheelmen in their convention at
Baltimore in February. The suggestion
that the L. A. w. abandon cycle rae
ing will not be seriously considered.
The conservative course for the l.. A.
w. to follow is the continuance of the
three classes as existed in the season of
80. An arbitrary attitude compelling a
rider either to be a Simon Pure anna
teur or a professional would be most un-
| wise. There are the same reasons for
the continuance of class 'B" that
prompted its inception. There is no dis
guising the fact that professionalism
does not meet with the hearty approval
and support from the public that was
hoped for it by its advocates. There is
in the popular mind more or less odium
attached to the word professional ow-
ing no doubt to the fact that most sports
which have been professionalism have
become more or less hypodromed, from
horse-racing to prize-fighting. There
are large number of riders in each
community who it cannot be said be-
long to the professional class because
they do not make their livelihood by
bicycle-racing; they may. however
have received a wheel at reduced price
or loan of a wheel, or may be employed
by bicycle concerns, all of which, under
the present rulings. makes them ineli-
gible as amateurs, and therefore al
this class of riders would be obliged tc
be professionals. This would be mani
testify unfair and unjust, and the prac.
I fieaI reS11IfS 0f fha abolition of aiocS