The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-12-10

THE lNTELLIGENCER.
WHEELING, DECEMBER 10, 1891
narbnrou. BIerele Conte.ts.

One OF the chief criticisms of American
sports Is the tendency among the enthus-
lasts to carry to extremes the athletic en-
ercise and amusement which happens to
be the popular fad. This has been the
case In football, which came near fall
ing into disfavor on account OF the num-
erous casualties and fatalities occurring
In parts of the country, where the game
bordered on exhibitions of brute strength
Public sentiment asserted itself in favor
OF modification of the game, and there
is now a tendency in the direction Of re-
form.
This same tendency to extremity and
70 abuse the powers of human endurance
Is now being Witnessed in many of the
notable bicycle contests in several cities
of the country, and is causing the press
to comment In way that should lead to
reform. This week, in New York, one
OF these six-day contests is in progress,
the brutal and even revolving features
Of which are calling out protests from
some OF the papers, several referring TO
the exhibition as being barbarous. A
number Of riders of national repute are
engaged in the struggle for the costly
prizes and the honor of the champion
ship, with the usual results that they are
stralnlng themselves to an alarming de-
gree, and are In danger Of making physl-
cal wrecks of themselves, according to
the testimony of the attending physi-
clans, who say that the kidneys, heart
and brains OF the contestants are injured
by the frightful test of endurance.
The New York Press reports of the
contest as It progressed Tuesday, bring
out some of the features which the lovers
of bicycle racing, which is legitimate and
pleasing sport, should protest against.
1t is not the sport that is Objectionable,
but its abuse, as in the case Of football.
From the Press account of the New
York contest the following extracts will
serve to show the barbarous features
of it;
In a great circle of pain, like tortured
beasts driven on and on till they die or go
mad. the wrstched creatures In the debas-
ing thing that Is called six days bicycle
contest labored before curious crowds yes
terday.
No bull that ever was burned and slashed
in an arena was treated SO cruelty: no
crowd that ever watched him rage a. his
tormentor1 TIL they slaughtered him
cheered at n spectacle more savage.
It was q nightmare made real to SEQ the
beings. thin, crouching, cndayer-likc. fit
by. Had corpses risen suddenly from the
Morgue to begin CHASTITY race the sight
could have been little worse.
The goggles worn by most OF the riders
added only little to the shocking nature of
the thing. II needed no artificial aids 10
make the spectacle a dreadful one: The
men who were riding thus looked no longer
were the faces, and the poor racked bodies
seemed to move ms independently OF any
volltion that possibly could come from tho
skulls as do The limbs OF corpse ina
shock makes II simulate life.
Driven till they were sick and Keeling
with killing nausea; goaded on and on
until they cried like women: forced on
their wheels when they could not remain
awake long enough TO catch the pednl-the
creatures still made show for thousands.
Most OF them are characters who can be
driven to any effort by moral tyranny as
surely as quaGrupod can be driven by the
whip or brand-nerhaps more surely, for
the beast sometimes turns on his torturer.
IneTe Is no courage. COuTugc anu puck
pre something Ear above the pltlablc thing
hat forces then. through their hours of
Tho stomncha OF almost all had given
out last night Many Of tho riders became
sick at frequent intervals. The next or
gnns to 20, say the doctors, Will be the
Kidneys. Then the heart will be affected.
Then Gomez tho brain. So for those kind
md sensitive people who have found IL
tame so far. this opens a new ana thrilling
series OF sensations for tho next few days.
This 10 no fancy sketch. Similar de-
scrptlons of these siX-days contests Of
endurance appear in the papers Of other
cities and are doing much to depopular-
lie this kind OF sport Surely human
life and health arc held too lightly by
those vino encourage such incompetence
and extremity In bicycle racing. So long
os the public demands 1t, 80 long viii
there be fools enough to sacrifice their
powers on The altar OF popular applause.
Bicycle contests, when conducted With
In bounds, are among the most harmless
and delightful OF athletic sports, but
when they degenerate into such exhibit
lions as nre Gbovc described by our New
York contemporary they become harm
ful, not alone to the participants but 70
1he moral senses Of the spectators,