Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-18
NATIONAL CIRCUIT MEET


chasers. The men will be in fine shape for
the meet, as they will have had a COM
parative rest. There were two national cir
cult meets run off this week, in fact, three.
The circuit chasers were at Meriden. Conn.,,
last Saturday. Tuesday, Wednesday and
Thursday the circuit lasted three days
at Springfield, Mass, and today the cir
cult chasers are in Boston, Mass. This is
the last meet prior to coming TO this city,
and the men will have the benefit of full
weeks rest. September %, the Monday
following the meet in this city, the circuit
races will be resumed at Trenton. N. j.
From then until October ID and IL there
are no more races on the circuit, and these
two days will witness sport at Racine, Wis.
Last year the circuit meet practically
closed in this city, and it will be seen that
this year there are two other places to be
visited before the close of the season, max
irg this city the third to the last place.
AS the standing of the men is rather close,
and there are lots of aspirants anxious to
make a better showing, there ought to be
some exceedingly close racing. The lead
ers Will endeavor to remain at the top, and
the riders lower down on the percentage
table will endeavOr to make better show
Ing. This practically means that there will
De a good attendance of cracks in this city,
the close of the racing season on the circuit
being entirely too Lear to take any risks.
d u
dozen men has been at work on the track
at the International Athletic Park. The
course has been rolled and scraped to a
nne point, yet on account of the dust a
good rain was desired to make the course
as good as possible. If not enough rain
tails by this evening and tomorrow there
will be several sprinkling carts put to work
ana the track we'll watered and rolled down
press the earth. The idea Is to make the
track as fast as can be made, so as to give
good time at the meet for the racers. 1t
generally follows that the better the con-
made in the events on the program and
the public likes to see fast race 1t is
uresome to witness a race in which riders
go around like funeral procession.
IN ADDITION to fixing the track the work
OF placing additional seats in the place has
been started. row of four Seats capa-
Die OF accommodating several hundred peo-
pie. Will be erected IN The space on either
SIDE OF the private boxes, while the central
entrance to the track will be closed up,
and the press boxes used for the accommo-
dation of spectators. The press boxes will
ce located on the infield, in front of the
ers and starters will be herded into pen
In the infie,d, nearly in front of the bleach
erS.
Inc method of scoring the men on the
circuit is interesting, and this season the
flder who has the highest number of points
at the close. made entirely on the circuit,
VIII be declared the champion of the sea-
son. rms is an honor eagerly sought for.
Last year the finish was a tie between Bald
and Cooper, but this season the latter an.
pears to be hopelessly in the rear, not rid
ing In MS usual good form at all. In the
scoring OF the men there are several meth
ods, but the most generally accepted one
Is 10 give four points for first place; two
points for second, and one point for a
t place In every race. Just at present
Bald is away In the lead, with Arthur
Gardiner second and Tom Cooper with less
than one-half of the score of Bald
Inc racers are expected to arrive in the
city about the middle of next week,
Cooper will most likely stop at the National
or Metropolitan hotels. while Bald and
Gardiner and the other members of his
party will take Wizards Hotel. They are
expected to be the first arrivals in town,
and the others will soon follow them.
Cooper has some decided views on the
racing situation, and he does not entirely
Ike the way in which the score is kept II
acknowledge that there were tables last
year. says he. alleged to give an i'm
partial score of the leaders These were
purely private and showed nothing at all,
The one that was taken by many as semi
Official was the handiwork of prejudiced
writer's and gave far from the right ar
rangement of victories. Though I beat
Bald both in heats and finals far more
times than he defeated me, these folks
were not willing to concede me the SUI
premacy. The need Of an official table can
not be too strongly dealt upon am
speaking in behalf of all the riders in the
country. me cioseness of last year Is not
maple TO come for many seasons, though
1 look forward to great work this year.
The League of American WheeImen. II n
IS to make bluff at running race meets.
at least should ponder carefully over this
matter. -'
Il have been a sufferer from the lack Of
some critical standard or table and I do
not propose having another season ripen
without asking for what is needed. If the
racing board Of the league had devised an
ofhcial table there would never be this
squabbie over the championship of the coun-
try. l think l am entitled to the claim
more than any other man. In the absence
or the standard that should be provided
there is splendid opportunity for INV
rivals to come out and claim Supremacy
over me.
Il will try to show where the league falls
short In this particular. Suppose the lead
eIship of the country We're left to the ma
tional championships. These are or We're
al least last year elk in number, ranging
from quarter up to five miles Suppose
two men should split up the events. League
ofhcials leave it to these events. but make
no provision whatever for what is Just as
likely as not to happen. I got three of the
big races at Louisville last year, had one
taken away from me on an alleged foul.
ard Butler got the two remaining If the
national circuit is to be a great succession
OF events why not have some means Of
declaring the leader when the racing game
Is over for the season?
How about official hardicappers? There
ought TO be some such officials to preside
over the entire circuit. Local officials AL
ways give the home talent much the best
of it when 1t comes to flandicaps and the
men on the back marks don't stand any
sort Of a show.
What do I think of Sunday racing? T
Will simply say that If the majority of the
racing men of the country and the meet
promoters are in favor of the plan, why.
we should have 1t. In some parts of the
country 1t means bread and butter to the
tourney managers, and as long as it ia a
matter of local option, why should any
rational man stand in the way? Th,
league or no other body can ATTEMPT to die
tate when the facts Of the case are so
manifest that no one can help seeing the
course that ought to be pursued. If the
league hopes to keep its grasp on the game
1 would say that President Potter and the
members of the racing board would show
long heads should they abstain from paw
ing any attention to petty violations of the
rules In matters Of Sunday racing in the
western states.
Meets should not come together too Of
ten. A racing mans constitution is like a
thoroughbred horse. He must not be work
ed to death Riding is hard work. Won can
bet, though 1t does not look so dffT1cuIt
from the graadstand. A fast mile some