The San Francisco call., 1897-02-23
Coulter Celebrates His Reappear.
ance on the Coast by a
Clever Exhibition.
BACON'S SPEEDY MILE-RECORD
TRIAL
A Splendid Meet at the Velodrome
Track, Marked by Fast Time
and Lightning Finishes.

The Velodrome cycle track and grounds
are evidently popular resort with the pub
lie, for, despite the many counter attrac-
tions on the cards yesterday, a big crowd
assem- bled there N the afternoon to wit
ness the bicycle races. The people were
well repaid, as the sport provided was of
an excellent character, marked by fast
time and exciting finishes, with never
hitch to mar the days pleasure.
In the tive-mile match race, paced, be-
tween w. E. Becker of Minneapolis, the
National champion for the distance, and
Horace Slater of Arizona, who is said to
D. have liking for long distances. Becker
put up the most remarkable performance
seen here in many a day. AS a match
race the event did not amount to much,
as Slater suffered sn accident to his wheel
early in the Journey and was compelled
TO drop out. But Becker kept riding on
and on. lap after lap, constantly calling
TO his pacemakers to quicken the pace.
when they were already going at killing
gait. and finished amid deafening sp-
plause in the startling time of 1854 3-5,
which lowers the previous worlds record
nearly half minute. The former record
was 1920, held by the Welsh champion,
MichaeI, and was made at Manhattan
Beach, \. Y, last fall. at that time this
was considered a most remarkable per-
Torrance, iar eclipslng as it did all pre-
vious rides al that distance Michael has
since ridden it in 9;12, but that was
against time and not in competition as
was Becker ride yesterday.
The pacing was done by two triplet
teams and a tandem, the former being
manned by R. Dow-Boyden-F Freeman and
McCrea- -SullIvan-C. Dow. and the tandem
team being Chapman-Alen Becker went
the first mile in 1:5S, two in 3 :54 3-5, three
in 5:55, four IN 7:54 3-5 and five in 1854 3.5,
the last mile being ridden in exactly two
minutes.
This gives him the professional competi-
tion records for all intermediate distances
up to five miles.
Becker has been on the coast couple
of months now and has been looked upon
as a star performer. When ne won the
tive-mile National cham pionship at Louis
vile last August at the annual meet of
the League of American Wheelmen all
the cracks of the country competed against
him. He has held the Velodrome shield
while here, and won a five-miIe race on
Christmas day at the Velodrome against
the Terrill brothers, Wells, Whitman and
Bovee, all crack professionals. at the
distance he is probably better than any
man on the coast to-day and possibly the
best in the world.
Only a short time before his ride yester-
uay ne com peteu IN Jne mile open profes-
. sional event and won the second heat and
almost had a final, when he swerved and
fell near the tape. The bruises he then
sustained evidently affected him but little
judging by his later performance.
The Velodrome shield race opened the
days programme and was won by G.. T.
Dow of Seattle In 2: l6 As. He had chal-
lenged Whitman of Los Angeles, who has
held the shield for the last three weeks.
Whitman originally won il from Dow
The result yesterday was a surprise to
many, who thought Whitman the better
man.
The half-mile handicap amateur was
run in i've heats and a final. those who
qualified being A. Thiesen, E. F. Russ,
Morris M. Cook, George w. Tantau and
{. d. Gooch. This foretold the result of
the final in a measure, as Russ outclassed
his opponents, and he won as ne pleased
IN 1:O3 3-5 from scratch, Gooch second,
Cook third.
The only professional event on the pro-
gramme open to all was at a mile, run in
three heats and a final. Slater of Arizon..
won the first heat in 2 :27 3-5. closely fol-
lowed by Byrne OF the Imperial Club.
The next heat went to Becker of Mime
apolis, with Freeman, Bay City, good
second; time, 2:30 3-5. The third heat
was won by Downing of San Jose in 2:27,
Dow OF Seattle being second. These quall-
fed for the final and the finish was some
what OF surprise. Becker mad the race
wei In hand until he fell near the tape.
There was then a general scram bic to
avoid running over him and his. lallen
wheel and Byrne landed across the line a
winner, for the first time in many moons,
freeman being second and Downing third.
The time OF the final was 2:10 1-5, which
is remarkably fast for six-man mile race.
Z. X. Coulter, the unpaced- mile cham
pion, was down 10 ride in the open pro-
fesslonal event, but did not feel we'll and
was scratched. Later he came out for
half-mile exhibition, unpaced, and did it
1t in 1:04 4-5 which is fast going under
the conditions. Coulter will soon round
NEW TO-nAx