Evening star., 1897-01-09

a man who could follow such a pace as he
can, and in such comparatively easy style
and graceful manner. He is about the
smallest racer / ever saw, ana looks just
like a boy, yet he has the greatest riding
powers / believe l ever knew of. Nothing
can get away from him, and ne can trail
on to the fastest thing that goes around
track" Lawson did not express an opin-
Ion on the outcome Of race between Lin
ton and Michael, ye. by his talk he seemed
to think the Welsh wonder almost invin-
chile.
In spite Of the fact that he finished at
the end Of the procession, Fred Forster
made showing of which he can well be
proud. He was only q few miles behind
the leader, and there Is no race of the kind
on record where the end man made such q
fine showing. That Forster is capable of
making a better showing is not denied by
any of the racing men. The big race at
Madison Square practically killed him. and
when he came to Washington he was still
suffering from the effects of his ride there.
He rode total of 1879 miles and laps
just one lap short Of another mile--getting
fourth place. Everybody comedies that had
he been handled better there he would un-
doubtedly have carried off the first prize.
The first day of the race he was sick and
forced to leave the track, after making 2SO
miles. The second day he covered 48O miles.
On the third day he astonished everybody,
and broke the worlds record for ten hours,
riding 291 miles within the time and finish
ing the last mile of the distance in the fast
time of 1.5S. Through the fault of his
trainers he lost many hours, they having
only one machine on the track for him to
use, and when this broke down he was
forced to lie of and wait until another
could be secured.
One thing noticeable by those who
watched the race was the large number of
men unmounted during the week. There
was not man in the race who did not
suffer some accident, and all but one were
forced to leave their wheels during the long
ride. Within the first four days every rider
but two had been off his wheel during
the riding time. Ashinger was not dis
mounted until the afternoon of the fifth
day. while Waller remained on his wheel
the whole week. There was one bet made
at the beginning of the race in which the
wager was that before the week every
rider would be off his wheel. The stake
was 500, and the man who made the bet
lost.
In spite of all tatements to the contrary
there is a firm belief in the minds of many
that a pool was formed by Waller and
Maddox for first and second places, an
even distribution OF the prize money fol-
lowing. This is denied by all hands con-
nected with the race, outside of the con-
testants, and 1t is stated that Waller and
Maddox scarcely have a speaking acQuaint-
ance since the race. Just before the close
of the race Maddox made his sprint, and
after the event had closed ne learned that
Waller had four broken spokes in his rear
wheel. He Is reported as having SAID that
had he known this sooner he would have
more t1an made Up his two laps on Waller.
Even Though the two had made an agree
ment between themselves it would not have
injured the arrangements had Maddox fin
1sned In first place. On the contrary, it
would have served to have dispelled any
lnsinuations that have been cast up.
Albert Shock, who has quite reputation
for long-distance riding, started in as a
pedestrian. In 1877 he entered a six days'
heel and toe walking match at Chicago
ana after 142 hours hard work won, hav-
ing covered 421 miles. In the same wear
he ran against five horses in six-day go
as-you-please contest held at Chicago Only
one morse was put at time and re-
leved at certain intervals. He covered
so miles in this race, bea ting cut the
horses, but finishing fifth. His frs. cvcle
race was in 1888, at Chicago, which was
a sfx-day, twelve-hour contest He fin
lshed fourth with $50 miles. At Memphis.
Tenn, in 1884. he entered a six-day Twelve
hour race against twenty fresh running
hcrses and won out at the finish by eleven
miles after covering GIL miles, In 1886 he
entered a six-day. twelve-hour race at
Minneapolis, covering 923 miles and 1oO
Yards giving him the CHAMPIONSHIP of
America and breaking the old record of
NJ miles held by Louis r. Armain1o
Harry Hlgham of this city was one Of the
contestants IN this race. In 1856, ut the
same city, he rode a match race against
VIM. NJ. WoOdside for the championshin of
the world and $500 side. He rode /. .0O01h
miles, beating his opponent by nearly 1DG
mlles and breaking the English record held
by Lees by over two miles.
He ran a match race in 1885 at Nfinnean
OILS with John S. Prince for $1,000 a side
and was beaten, Prince making 1.04o
miles. miles while Shock covered 1,O2s5s miles,
tS nj TIL
Gay, twelve-hour race In 1886. at Min
neapoiis. in six-day, eight-hour race ho
was beaten by Morgan, who covered 71o
miles to his III miles. In 1886, at the same
1'.a: to IN ma. so-as.you-please race, he rode
l,4oo miles, beating the worlds record by
one mile. held by George Waller of Eng
land. This record stood for five wears bnt
IN rao as'1; I.a., a. New York city. in a similar
Shock secured Only fourth place. In lS93
IN New York, In the six-day race, go-as
you-please, Shock rode LOCO miles even.
re-establtshing his worlds record and like,
wise esta1iishlng all records from 80 to 14o
hours ard number of other records for
lesser hours. He has held the worlds req
ord altogether for eight years. it beinp
broken recently by Teddy Hale, who COW
ered i,slO miles. His best time for five
miles Is fourteen minutes: ten miles twentv
seven minutes; fifty miles, two hours and a
Lai1; ,elghty-five miles, four hours, and one
hundred miles. five hours
,,,; A good story Is told Of John Lawson. the
Ierrible Swede," as he is more popuiarIv
known. when he came to this country. He
was the acknowledged champion Of his
country, but when he first came here tha
american riders thought very little of him
Last year he managed to get hold of a
1crty-tVo-pound machine. and entered a
ROAD race to be held at Chicago last Dec
oration day. He went to work training
with q vengeance, and the other riders in
training over the same course wondered
VINO he was. The riders with little ninteen
POUND machines referred to the Swede's
wheel as an Ice wagon, but it was not long
before they found out that the man with
the clumsy machine was no ice wagon
Griyer, though his machine was dubbed the
ice wagon. With his numbering wheel. the
young Swede, who could speak but very
little English at the time, few past the
speediest of the other riders, with as little
concern as though they were mule teams,
leaving them to take up the dust of his ice
wagon. They could hear him some dis
tance off by the rafting Of his machine
and almost Immediately afterward the
swift Swede would pass them without TAX
ing any notice. When the big race came
OF everybody was looking for some Won
derful work from the terrible rider, but
they were disappointed He punctured his