The San Francisco call., 1897-04-07
OLYMP|CS
ACCUSED
Bay City Wheelmen Retail
ate as to Charges in
the Protest.
UNSPORTSMANLIKE CON-
DUCT ALLEGED.
Two Relay Riders Said Not to Be
Members of the Protesting
THE WINNERS RFJOICE OVER
VICTORY.
Sunday Track Racing Will Begin or
the 18th Inst.-Entrias to
Close on the ION.

| In the midst of their jubilee over the
winning of the big relay race and becom-
| ing the permanent owners OF the Varney
trophy, the victorious Bay Citys have
found time to return the shot aimed al
them by the disappointed Olympic Club
riders, and, unless the protest of the lat
ter organization be Withdrawn, there is
promise of lively time III wheeling
circles.
| To be brief the tune of the Bay Citys is
this: 1--WE may have been guilty of slight
technical violations of the rules, though
We deny il, but if we were, there were
Others"
In fact the doughty winners of the cup
say fiatfooted tnat the O.ympics were
| gully of lar more fragrant violations of
the rules than were they, and that under
the circum stances the best course of the
| Olympics would have been silence. II.
l.. Day, captain of the Bay City Wheel
men, voices the feelings and words of his
confreres in the following language:
am sorry that the Olympics have seen fit to
start controversy of this kind, for it will only
result in their being convicted of far more
glaring violations OF the rules than any club
that participated. They say that we had pace
makers on almost every relay and that several
riders crossed the tape with Kenna at the fin
way. Not one OF our men was paced. but we
did have numerous men on every relay, but
for what purpose
We desire 10 have our forces thoroughly
organized, and the reason of having the men
staked out at all points was to have them
handy should our men need fresh wheels or
permissible a i'd of any kind. Not one of those
who acted as trailer or assistants paced our
men. and we can proveit.
AS to Vincent pacing Krafts that is all bosh
krafts is man who needs no pacing, and
never asks or wants It,
When he begins to dig out there are few men
who can hold him, and Vince nj merely fol
lowed our German friend until he thought it
time to light out-which was after he had
covered three miles OF his relay-and then the
trailer was left far behind. AS TO Kenna's
finish, we have no particular excuse to make.
He was riding wheel that partially dis
abled ard the trallers kept as close possible
to preclude the ch ance OF his being lett with
out a wheel should his own break down. He
was winner beyond the shadow of doubt,
and he could have broken down twice and
been compelled to change wheels and still
won
We committed no genuine foul, and the
claim OF the Olympics will not be allowed, l
am sure.
Our trsilers had orders to give the ir wheels
to mem bers of other clubs when our men did
not need them, and think this shows that
we rode fair and manly race. They say that
they don't want the cup. ! suppose they
would hand il back u us if they should sue
ceed in having us disqualified; but you may
believe that we would not accept it under such
circumstances We want nothing that we
cannot and do not win on our merits.
In contrast here is the conduct of the Olym-
pics. They had two men and perhaps three
who were not regular mem bers of their club
and had no right TO ride in the race. The
Olympic Club is a corporation and lis consii-
tuition and by laws prescribe how members
shall be elected. Simply because men wear
the Olympic Club emblem AMI have the prIvi-
| lege OF using the olympic Club rooms does
not make them mem bers.
Cook, who rode the second relay for them,
| was never elected a member of the club nor
/ m nv fln 1vic oil ansin ,,,it
| nor was Wing, who took the last relay. We
can prove that they were not Olympic Club
| members.
The rules OF the race were explicit on the
| point of membership. 1t was the same way
| two years ago when Edwards, who had been a
member but ten days, rode his relay.
We try TO be sportsmen and to ride manly
races, and we shall continue to do so, no lat
ter what may be said or done by disgruntled
! clubs.
Chairman Adams of the road racing
com mittee of the California Associated
| Cycling Clubs left the City yesterday Tor
| Chico on short business trip. Before
| going he stated that as soon as he re-
turned he would take up the matter of
| the protests of The Olympic Club Wheel
men and the Re lance Club Wheelmen 10
| City Wheelmen, the winners. He also
8 tateG that as president of the Olympic
Club Wheelmen n he should urge that club to
withdraw its protest, and also felt conf
| dent that the Reliance Club would 10 the
same. Nothing was to be gained, he said
| by protesting and TO him it seemed a very
unsportmanslike proceeding.
Meanwhile the Bay Citvs have the cup,
| and have duly celebrated the winning of
it. 1t will be remem bered that a large
party OF Eastern professional track-racing
men went East the morning of the relay
| race. At their request the result of the
race was wired to them and the telegram
| caught the train at Fresno. In the even
| ing the Bay Citys received the following
reply: Congratulations from all on
board. Bay Citys forever"
The club has several members now resi-
dent in the East, all of whom were wired
the result OF the event and telegra phei
congratulatory messages in return. One
of the most enthusiastic, II. A. Gold ard ,
now situated in Toronto, Canada. wired ::
We'll. Great Scott. Hurrah. Hurroo.
There is q man in Toronto who is setting
| them up"
The club on the night of the race sent
the following letter 10 the Acme Club
! Wheelmen of Oakland, which was person
ally signed bv fifty-eight mem bers:
Greetings from the Bay City wheelmen to
the the only team team we feared @ in the country. and
| the finish that has not entered protest.
President Swain of the associated clubs
stated yesterday that, although the present
| series Of relay races was ended by the Bay
Citys winning the Varney trophy three
times, il was more than likely that the
association itself would put up trophy
to be contested for yearly, that the race
might be perpetuated.
The first attempt at Sunday track racing
| will be N a de on April Is under a sanction
issued by the California Associated Cycling
Clubs to the Velodrome. The events and
| prizes will be as follows:
| One-half mile handicap, amateur: prizes,
| $25, SIS, 81 SO and $5. Two-thirds mile
| handicap, professional; prizes, $40, $40 and
$40. One mile open, professional; prizes, $40,
| $50 and $40.
The entries will close Saturday, April TO-
An adjourned meeting of the board of
control of the associated clubs will be held
next Saturday evening at the Olympic
Club. Hereafter meetings of the board will
be held the first Saturday in each month,
instead of bi-monthly as heretofore. Since