The record-union., 1897-04-26
CAPITAL Cl1'YS WIN AGAIN.
The Great Relay Race Between Sacra-
mentO and Stockton.
Incidents of the Race-Wheelmen
Wade Through Mud and
Water.


Stockton wheelmen yesterday resulted
n another victory for the Capital City
Wheelmen's Club, and the beautiful
trophy they won last May will remain
with them at least another year.
The competing clubs were the Capital
City WheeImen. Stockton Road Club,
Terminal City Wheelmen and Stockton
Athletic Association.
Considering the condition of por-
ton of the road between here and
Stockton the time made @ hours, 5
minutes and 20 seconds) was very
good. For several hundred yards be-
tween McConnelTs Station and Arno
the riders on that relay had to wade
through water and mud almost to their
waists and carry their wheels. But be
fore the next relay race is run over
that route fine trestle will be built, so
that henceforth the wheelmen will have
no more trouble there.
1t was a grand race, regarded from
any standpoint The 104 miles was
made in p minutes and 40 seconds less
time than last years time, which was
5 hours and 80 minutes.
Sacramento led at every point of the
route after the first relay was complet-
ed out of Stockton.
The start was made at the latter
city at II o'clock sharp. Robert Smith
the Capital City Clubs rider dropped
into second place behind Healy of the
Terminal City Wheelmen, and for sew
eral miles they alternated in the pace
making. When near the end of the
relay Smith had the misfortune to
strike a sandy spot and took a tum-
bic, which not only prevented him from
finishing first in that relay, but also
gave him bad shaking up.
He was still somewhat dazed when,
at a small bridge a little farther on, a
boy ran across the road and got in the
way of Smiths wheel. Again he went
down, but he pluckily remOunted and
finished the relay a few hundred yards
behind the three Stockton riders. The
transfer of the packet to Young was
poorly made, causing a slight delay, but
Young dug in and soon overhauled the
Stockton men and was first at the end
of the second relay. From that time
on the Capital City men were never
headed until Young finished the race in
Stockton by dashing in 6 minutes and
2I seconds ahead of Crump of the
Stockton Road Club.
On the occasion Of yesterdays race
Sacramento was but the finishing point
of one relay and the starting point of
the next one. 1t was, however, just
One-half the whole distance, and great
interest was manifested in the result
of the first half of the race.
Several hundred people gathered at
Eleventh and L streets about l p. M,
and from that hour till o'clock they
came in crowds, until the sidewalks
far out as one could see were lined with
people anxious to see the riders come
in and depart.
The end of the sixth relay was about
midway of the block between Tenth
and Eleventh streets. A white line
was drawn across the street at that
point, and it was there that the riders
transferred their packets to those who
We're to ride the seventh relay.
Bulletins were received from every
telegraph and telephone station along
the route, and as they told of Sacra-
mento being in the lead at every stage
of the game interest in the race be-
came intense.
At Is minutes to > o'clock the cry came
down the line that the first rider was
coming. and one minute later Tommy
Welch of the Capital City Wheelmen
shot down to the score, t minutes ahead
of Hansel of the Terminal City Wheel
men. and amid the cheers of the crowd
passed his packet to Walter Leitch, and
away the latter sped out Tenth street
and up n.
Leitch is one the fastest riders in the
city-indeed, one of the fastest anna
teurs in the State. and it was expected
that he would open wider the gap be-
tween his clubs riders and those of their
competitors. But before Leitch had
reached the County Hospital a spoke
in one of his wheels snapped and give
him much trouble. His trailer was not
far behind him, but he didn't want to
stop, and kept on. Finding he was los
ing ground, however, he took the trail
er's wheel. but the accident enabled the
Terminal City rider to gain somewhat.
But in spite of accidents the Sacra-
mentans kept the lead. and when half
the return journey had been made they
had begun to increase their advantage.
which was maintained till the end Of the
route When Smith rode into Stockton
there We're no other riders in sight, and
he received an ovation at the hands of
the gallant Stocktonians.
There were about thirty Sacramentans
at the Stockton end of the route, and
they were the happiest men on earth
when they saw the c. c. w colors flash
ing first along the streets of Stockton.
President Ennis of the Capital City
Club was there, as also was l.. S. Upson,
F. l.. Martin, j. Little, ]. Mcdonald,
Bart Mcdonald, y. Clay, George and NJ.
Lavenson, c. J. Atwater, L. A. Garfield,
J. Hirsch, Messrs. Gray, Wasserman,
Politz, Harlow. Gee. Murray, Pollock,
Goodell and many others, club and non
club members. They returned on the
evening train, and all speak in the
warmest terms of the splendid treat
ment accorded them by the wheelmen
and other citizens of Stockton.