The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-08-06
BICYCLISTS ARE
TN POSSESSION
Members of the l.. A. w.
Rally in Great Force
at Philadelphia.
One Feature of the Meeting
Is the Number of Women
Riders Present.
Policemen With Red Lanterns En-
force Regulations at the City
CT BrotherIY Love.

PHILADELPHIA, Pa, Aug. 5.-The
city is practically in the possession of the
League OF American Wheelmen. Over
1900 visitors registered at the league
headquarters to-day. Fully % 600 will be
on hand tomorrow.
To-day there were rurs 10 Valley Forye,
Wissa hickon, West Paramount Park and
the Quaker City Country Club. Promi-
nent members and officials of the league
have been arriving all day.
Members of the racing board held a
meeting this afternoon. Various matter
were discussed, but nothing of impor-
lance was given ont. The suggestion that
the board consent 10 allow winners of mile
amateur and profess ional races to meet
Saturday and decide the question of the
American championship it was thought
would come up for action. Chairman
Mott, however, says no action was taken
on the question.
The continued absence of President
Elliott from the meeting is causing much
criticism. The most mportant feature OF
the meet will be the races held to- orrow
and Saturday at Willow Grove Park track.
All the crack professional and amateur
riders have arrived, and some of them in
duIged in practice spins to-day. Bald,
Kser, Cooper and Gardiner are favorites
for professional championship hono-s.
Bald is in better condition than the other
three, and, unless some of the men show
surprising form, the Buffalo rider should
win the short distance championship
events handily. There are half a dozen
speedy amateurs representing the East
and West who will compete in the cham
pion races of this class, and no one is con-
ceded TO nave any advantage
One feature OF the meet is the presence
OF the great number of wheelwomen
Special provisions have been made Tor
their entertainment. Several thousand
new members have been enrolled in the
league since the opening of the meet
yesterday.
During the day leading officials of the
division ranking first III membership got
together, and as a result political con-
tidences were exchanged. A correspondent
learned there is strong movement backed
by the Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and
New Jersey divisions to nominate and sup
port George D. Gideon for the presidency
at the next election. There is a general
sentiment among prominent members OF
the league that the incum bent should
not be reelected.
This afternoon Indianap polls boomers
banqueted seventy-iive influential men.
The Mayor OF Hoosierville vouchsafed the
inform alton that the traditional keys and
latchstrings will not be necessary at In
dianapolis if they got the next National
meeting. The walls of the city, he said,
would be torn down for the occasion. He
aroused so much enthusiasm that he was
proposed and cheered as the next Gov
ernor of Indiana.
The mostregular attendants OF L. A. w.
meets agree that never before was such
thorough, effective work done by city
anxious to entertain the league.
Broad street, one of the principal bicy-
Gle thoroughfares of the city, was alive
with riders tonight, and visitors note the
city enforces peculiar regulations. Po-
licemen are stationed in the middle of
streets with red lanterns forcing riders 10
keep 10 the right and left under penalty
OF arrest.