Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1897-08-01
A BIG BICYCLE MEET.
League Of American Wheelmen
 to Convene in Philadelphia
A Hundred Thousand Riders Expect ed, and Most of Them Will Come on Wheels-An Unusually Interest-
 ing Programme of Races.
ICOpYright. 18G.1

lSopyAiSlt, 1o5t.i
 The eighteenth annual meet of the League of American Wheelmen, which will be held in Philadelphia from the 4th to the 7th of August, will bring together many thousand wheelmen, and the conditions seem favorable for making it the most notable meet in the history of the league. The repre- sentation from the west will be com paratiyely small for several reasons the distance to be covered, the fact that the single-fare round-trip rate does not apply west of the Mississippi and the independent movement on the Pacific coast, where the league is not so strong as in other parts of the coun- try. The strength of the L. A. W. is in the east, and from the eastern states are promised delegations of wheelmen whose numbers will eclipse the rec ords of all former years.
 At Buffalo a year ago the attend ance was 12,000. It is estimated that there will be 25,00o visiting and 75,- 900 resident wheelmen here next week
 Most of the wheelmen will come by train; and for their guidance the local committee has prepared book giving schedules of trains and indicating the roads which check bicycles without charge. The Pennsylvania, the New York Central and most of the other great railroads of the country have fallen into line on this matter Every road running into Philadelphia will run extra baggage cars next week for the accommodation of the wheelmen. Some of them will bring delegations here on special trains. The Pittsburgh members are coming on special.
 great many delegations are coming on their wheels. The most notable of these is the New York delegati tion-the Associated Cycling Clubs of the city of New York. The New Workers are com ing in four relays, starting on the morn ings of Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Several hundred wheel men will start each day-estimates put the number at more than 500 daily. Local cycling clubs along the route will welcome and speed the riders on their way. The run from New York to Phil idClpAiid lo 6 CCAbul ddo CdSh dCiC- gation will reach New York headguar- ters in the evening, to be welcomed there by a special committee on the national meet. Sunday morning these wheelmen, perhaps 2,000 in number, will leave Philadelphia to make the big gest century" run known in the his- tory of cycling. They will arrive at home Sunday night.
 A big delegation from Boston will make a great part of the journey on wheels. They are planning a two- weeks outing. They were to leave Bos- ton yesterday by wheel for Providence, taking the train thence to New London and boat to Long Island. They will come up Long Island to Long Island City on their wheels, pass through New York and over the ferry to Jersey and then ride to Philadelphia. They expect to arrive here Tuesday. When the meet is over, they will ride their wheels to Baltimore by way of Gettysburg, and there take steamer to Boston. Other New England delegates will come by boat from Boston to Philadelphia.
 MOSb LII IllC DttltlApOl dut " dSulIk- ton wheelmen are expected to pedal their way to Philadelphia, and the roads all through the state will swarm next week with wheelmen en route to the meet
 The headquarters of the league will be at the Winter Circus; or, as it is now known, the Arena. This is at Broad and Cherry streets, not far from the city hall and less than five minutes ride from the Pennsylvania and Read ing stations. The secretary of the league will have his office here for ,he registration of delegates; and it will be headquarters for the local commit tees on finance, races, souvenir pro- grammes, hotels and accommodations, the press, transportation, tours and runs, and entertainment and recep- ton.
 The most interesting feature of the meet will be the series of races Friday and Saturday. They will be held on a board track of one-third mile, built es- pecially for the meet. The boards have been laid with great care, planed, oiled and painted. It is claimed by experts who have seen the finest board and asphalt tracks in the country that this is superior to any of them, and as some of the speediest riders in the world will take part in the races, 1t is expected that records will be broken. The new track is at Willow Grove park. in suburb of the city, reached by the steam and trolley lines. There are 7,200 seats in the stand and 17.000 on the bleaching boards. Active training at the track will begin tomorrow. The race meet will be held Friday and Sat- urday, the trial heats being run off on the morning of each day. printing office at the track will publish the re- suits of the trial heats for reference during the deciding heats in the after noon.
 The races to be run Friday are: (D one-mile championship, amateur for l.. W rnedals. (2l fwo-TniIe handicap