The San Francisco call., 1897-12-26
English Giant No Match
for the Midget
Wheelman.
Over Two Miles in the Rear
When a Bad Spill Ends
the Race.
Extend Himself at Any
Time.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

NEW YORK. Dec. 25.-"Jimmy"
Michael of Wales, the recognized
middle e-distance bicycle champion of
this country, met Arthur Chase, the
middle distance champion of England,
tonight at Madison-square Garden in
a thirty mile race over a ten-lap board
track, and won so easily, despite bad
spill, that the bicycle experts are
guessing just how good the little
"Rarebit" is. Pluck. endurance, stam-
ina and every other quality that goes
to establish the possession of grit seem
TO be embodied in every inch of the
Welshman. Nothing seems to tire him.
The building was thronged to its ut
most capacity when Michael, the mid
get, and Chase the leviathan, jumped
onto their respective wheels for a few
preliminary spins around the track,
which measured a foot over the neces-
sary distance, to make 1t ten laps to
the mile. At the turns the board track
was banked" as high as ten feet from
the level of the boarded floor of the
garden.
It was announced that the winner
would get % per cent Of the gross re-
ceipts and the losers end would be Is
guaranteed that the winner would get
$500 and the loser $1,000, but judging
from the crowded condition Of the
house, the amount of money which the
cracks got was far in excess OF the
guarantee.
Both got on their marks at 1915 and
before they mounted their respective
wheels they shook hands.
1t was announced that in case either
man fell during the first four laps the
riders would be recalled, and this pre-
caution took effect in the first lap.
Chase got tangled up with his leaders
after the race was started at 10:16
o'clock, and at the end of the lap the
men were ordered back to the scratch
mark.
Chase won the toss and took the pole
He started out at a rapid gait, but the
little Welshman soon overlook him and
at the end of the second mile was over
a lap ahead.
Michael gained another lap in the
fourth mile, and the spectators cheered
the little wonder" vociferously.
Michael was simply invincible, and at
the finish of the fifth mile he gained
another lap on his countryman.
Both men picked up their tandems
very cIeverly. Michael kept up a
heart-breaking pace, and at the finish
OF the seventh mile was five laps to the
good. At the finish or the eleventh
mile Michael spurted and gained
another lap. which put him six laps
ahead.
In the fourteenth mile two of
Michaels PAGERS went over the bank,
but were not seriously injured. In the
next mile, on the fourth lap, Michael
ran high UP on the Madison avenue
turn and both men fell in a heap, their
PAGERS also taking "cropper"
Michael remounted his wheel and got
another lap to the good before Chase
recovered himself. At the end Of the
sixteenth mile Michael was thirteen
laps ahead.
In the twenty-sixth mile Chase fell
heavily at the Fourth avenue and was
unable to go on with the race He
ran into two tandem teams and was
badly cut up. In the smashup Chase's
bicycle was broken. He borrowed Tay-
lor's wheel, but had to leave the
track Had Chase been able to con-
tinue, however. he probably would
have been beaten by about two miles.
as Michael was almost that distance
ahead of him when the accident oc-
CURED and was rapidly gaining. The
summary follows: