The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-01-15
A CYCLING D|SSENSION.
Exhibition R ders Not Wanted
at the Bicycle Meet To-
Morrow.
Mcfarland and Downng's OFF, to
Ride at the L A. w. Benefit
Not Accepted

rlOyu a. McFarlanQ ana darQy down.
| ing, the crack professional racers of the
| Garden City Cyclers, may nave their pride
| trifie shaken when they receive to-day a
| neatly worded note apiece stating that
| owing to the already lengthy programme
arranged for the League of American
| Vince. mems benefit meet at the Velo-
dromeA tomorrow afternoon their kind
offers to ride an exhibition mile and half
mile must be declined, with thanks, of
| course. And thereby hangs tale.
When 1t was decided to hold this meet
nearly all the racing men came forward
and freely volunteered their services.
They were glad of an opportunity to assist
such a worthy cause as the l.. A. W.,
which was continually fighting for their
interests. There were few exceptions.
Ziegler pleaded lack of condition; Harry
Terrill held back, claiming be expected to
give up the racing game; Mcfarland did
not like short races, and so on, but finally,
with the exception OF lie ler, McF arland
and Downing, all the professionals on the
coast entered. Chapman will have to
come down from Napa and Jones and
Whitman up from San Jose, but they
willingly agreed to come and pay their
own expenses.
Then Mcfarland and Downing stepped
III and said to help the meet along they
| would each ride an exhibition. Where
upon the local professional racing contin-
| gent arose with howl of disse nsion. Who
were these men who would not enter the
actual competitions, but were willing to
| exhibit themselves2 Were they such
stars in the cycle racing tifmament2 Nay |
Nay! Ii there was any exhibition riding
| N hnd no mo
| than they to do it, in fact it was even in
| simulated that the San Joseans offered
| their services for the base motive OF adj
! vertising them selves and the wheels they
rode at The instigation, 1hayhap, of some
| shrewd dealer or luckless trainer.
At any rate the management has decided
that the programme is already too long,
that the public cares little for exhibition
rides, and while they would be glad to
have Mcfarland and Downing enter the
competition events they would not con-
| slider their propositions of an exhibition.
| McFarland's trouble in Southern Caiifor-
MIA recently with Champion Waiter Foster
is said to have slightly influenced this de-
cision, as he has made himself somewhat
| unpopular in consequence.
The local men are also grum bling over
another San Jose worry. the Garden
| City Cyclers will also have benefit meet
| to take place Friday afternoon, January
| %, and have been soliciting the aid Of the
local clubs. This was promised prov!d-
ing the 6. G. C.'s sent their men here to
| help the league meet tomorrow. They
were asked to send Ziegler, but wanted
| MIN to make his first appearance al their
meet. Mcfarland and Downing having
| been declined with Thanks" the only
man they are sending is d. E. Whitman.
They have not sent one amateur rider as
far as the entry lists disclose. The local
clubs believe in reciprocity, and fail to
| see why they should send twenty or thirty
racing men and officials and half hun
| dred or more spectators to San Jose when
the latter place sends but one rider here
and an uncertain number OF spectators.
This feeling is growing in strength, and
unless goodly number OF San Jose
spectators come up tomorrow there will
be large falling off in the local mems
enthusiasm Tor the San Jose meet.
The advance sale of seats for the league
meet tomorrow has been large and big
crowd will attend. There is a long pro-
| gramme OF interesting events to be run
! off and the races will start promptly at 2
o'clock in consequence. The Cycle Board
of Trade has taken two boxes for its mem
| bers.
The Olympic Cyclers will hold meet
| ing at their clubrooms on Post street this
evening at o'clock. Nominations for
| officers for the ensuing year will be made
and arrangements completed for several
| interesting outings in the near future AS
this is the first regular meeting IN several
months members are particularly re-
quested to attend by President Joseph f.
| Coffey.
E. E. Stoddard of the Bay City Wheel
men Is back from his trip to Los Angeles.
George e. Dixon, the popular We odrome
announcer, returned from Sacrame to
| yesterday for short rest from his legis-
Iating duties.