El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-06-25
Jimmy as a Champion.

| Every circuit man takes delight il
recalling the days of A. A. thinner
man, the greatest of all champions
| The stories told often keep a party
engaged all of an afternoon or through
out one of the long railroad journeys
| One day last spring a party wal
gathered at the Baldwin Hotel in Sar
Francisco, and the conversation turned
upon Zimmerman.
"There was a rider" said Dave
hafer, always great admlrer OF the
'Ske "He was q man after my
own heart Plucky and true sport
clear through. My men bucked him
for a year, and [ tell you now that do
not believe there is man today who
is the equal of Jimmy in ability as a
rider. They are more speedy now, but
Jimmy had the head
HOW JIMMY FOOLED THEM.
An incident was recalled of the man
per in which Zimmerman fooled some
of the best of the men at that time. A
card game was going on one night,
and near midnight Jimmy wandered
in, his hair hanging down over his
forehead and q look i'll his eye that
told of just few wet tables. Trainers
in the game thought they saw a chance
to win, and Jimmy was induced to take
a few more, enough to make him half
seas over. The next day he showed up
at the track.
He was asked how he felt.
"Rotten, thank yOu," said Jimmy,
as he started.
"It was thought that Dirnberger
would win sure" said trainer. THAT
day Dim berger was there to win, and
his teammates were there to aid him.
First, Taylor jumped and jumped until
he had tired himself out. Then Bliss
took a hand, and he made a start for
home several times. Finally, when it
was thought the 'Skeeter' was done
out, Dirnberger made an attempt to go
by.
THAT was all he did do. I can see
to this day as he bent his
head over the bar and kept that same
position just about half length ahead
of Mike, all the way to the finish. Try
as he would, Dirnberger could get no
nearer the 'front.'
DEFEATED BY JOHNSON.
The defeat of Zimmerman by John S.
Johnson at the nOtional meet of '93, on
the Chicago track, brought forth much
of interest.
sympathy" said another speaker.
''That incident was one of those in
which he showed this very clearly. You
will remember that he started on
nearly fiat tire, and johnson defeated
the great man.
"Brother-in-law McDermott did not
relish the defeat at the hands of John
son, and W hen the cheering was at its
height he rushed on the track to show
the people that the tire was soft. The
act was childlike in the extreme, and
probably McDermott would not have
done such a thing had he stopped to
think
''Tbe people Kissed the unsportsman-
ike act, and F'itzsimmons rushed out
On the track to grab the wheel, Jimmy
wanted no sympathy from any one. He
would far rather have all think it fair
defeat than to tell any one he had rid
len on soft tire"
RACE WITH WOODEN SHOES.
AT Detroit, just previous to that
meet, Zimm erman met Sanger. When
asked regarding his chances against
the big Milwaukeean, who had but just
from England, he said: 81 may
split even. but if he can beat me he is
Nelcome.'
Sanger defeated Zimmerman that
ay three times, laughing at his great
Id versary as he came down the stretch,
Dr., rather, watching him out of one
eye and apparently playing with him.
congratulated Sanger on
5he victories of that day.
AT the Chicago meet, which follow
I'd, Sanger was determined upon re-
Deatipg the dose. He fell, and was SO
badly injured as to lose more than
month of racing. Sanger was never
himself during the year that followed.
placed 1O3 frsts to his
credit that season, and was the greatest
champion of the cycle racing path ever
recorded in history.