The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-30
CYCLISTS ARE GRATIFIED
INDIANAPOLIS REASONABLY SURE OF
THE l.. A. w. MEET.
Meetings of the Provisional Commit
tee Yesterday 10 Lay Plans
for Work.

The provisional L. A. w. meet committee
held a meeting yesterday afternoon at the
Commercial Club and discussed the work
which had thus far been done toward bring
ing to this city the National L. A. w. meet
of 1898. The report that Omaha had Off
cially withdrawn from the race was re-
ceived with qualification, though members
Of the committee had never really feared
this competition. The withdrawal Of Omaha
practically assures the success of Indian
apolis, but it is still possible for another
city to secure the prize, and there are two
which would like it. They are Milwaukee
and Cincinnati. The latter city has never
made canvass for it, and will hardly try
to take it away from Indianapolis at this
late day, but with Milwaukee it is different
The city has recently attempted to launch
a boom. The recent interview of President
Potter, in which he declared the field was
practically clear for indianapolis, and that
the meet would undoubtedly come here
may probably cause Milwaukee to come
down. or she may make the fight with the
intention of making a showing for later
year.
This ground was all gone over in a pre-
liminary talk yesterday, and then came the
question of further work. 1t was decided
that the time had come when something
definite must be known as to what Indian
apolis will be able to offer the wheelmen
of the country If the city is chosen for the
1893 meet The fact that there is no track
here was considered, and it was deemed
necessary that provision for one be made
before the vote on the place of holding the
next meet is taken. While the wheelmen
were at Philadelphia Chairman Turner of
the board of directors of the Citizens
Street Railroad of this city, proposed with
out solicitation that his company would
build track for the city if the meet were
secured The track on which the PhladeI-
phia races were run was built by the Union
traction Company of that city, and the
company contributed S. 600 to the meet com
mittee besides. Yesterday the committee
instructed Secretary Evans Woollen to
write Mr.. Turner and get proposal from
him. 1t is probable that the Citizens Street.
railroad Company will gladly build the
track on terms similar to those on which
the Philadelphia track was built. There
will be no difficulty in getting a track built
after the meet is assured, but it is the de-
sire Of the committee that this point be dis
posed OF before the vote is taken, in order
that indianapolis can say to the delegates
who have votes and to the wheelmen of
the country that she has the assurance Of
having the best track In the United States
If the track is built by the Street-rail-
road Company it will probably be at Fair
view Park. The company once made an
offer to remove the cycle track from Broad
Ripple to Fairview Park 1t is the desire
that the track be not so far out of the city
but 1T can be utilized for night races in the
future. Broad Ripple would not be too far
for the national meet races, but the track
would be less valuable there than at Fair
view for after USE
The question of raising the $4,000 to SIS 900
necessary for the entertainment of the
wheelmen was taken up. 1t was thought
the meet coming here. This is done in or
der that the city can go to the delegates
and say definitely what has been done in
this line. rather than what it is hoped will
be done. 1t was agreed that the work of
raising and handling the money should be-
gin with the permanent meet committee
which 1T was not at first expected would be
organized until the meet was assured. But
as conditional pledges were to be obtained
1T was decided to perfect a permanent or
ganization at once. The organization will
be made up of members of the Board of
Trade, Commercial Club, Cycle Board of
Trade and Indiana Division of the League
Of American Wheelmen. Chairman Sahm,
OF the provisional committee was author
lied to appoint a committee to prepare a
plan for Organization and to report at a
meeting to be held next Friday afternoon
The provisional committee will continue at
least until the permanent organization is
Der of the provisional committee will at
tend meeting