The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-12-11
CYCLING.
Wives Helped
Husbands
IN SIX-DAY RACE.
Eddie BaId's Theatrical Cost
Him a Cool $4,000.

weary riders. thoroughly worn out in
mind as well as in body. They are the
men who succeeded in standing the
strain and in winning the prizes that
seem poor compensation for the hard
ships they have experienced during the
144-hour contest A six-day race, in
which the contestants are expected to
average about % hours of riding each
day, cannot be otherwise than brutal,
and sensible people, those who thor
oughly believed in sport when properly
conducted, had hoped that the plans of
the promoters might be thwarted and
that the race might never take place.
The men succeeded in overcoming the
objections Of the authorities and so
pulled off the race as arranged. There
is no denying the fact that these six
day races are popular In fact, every
test of sheer physical endurance al
ways possesses a peculiar interest to
many. This was shown by the thou
sands of persons-men and women alike
who paid admission into Madison
Square Garden and watched, in some
cases for hours, those tired riders pedal
around the track for glory and for gold.
Inc race lHlS year, however WAS
better handled in every way than the
grind OF 81. Many Of the disgraceful
features that characterized the '97 race
were altogether eliminated. The New
York board of health had its represen-
tatives at the garden to look after the
condition of the men, and when it was
seen that it was positively dangerous
for rider to longer continue, he was
Condemned so to speak, and debarred
I211+ oil
that, nearly all of the men had become
childish before the race was over. Sad
as it is TO think of men with hands so
badly blistered that they must be plas-
tered, men mentally unbalanced
through loss of sleep, yet there is some
thing amusing in their childish acts.
One rider persisted he could do well
only in tan shoes; another wanted a
fresh box of cigarettes given to him
every hOur-although he never smoked.
And so it went and the trainers, in or
der to keep their men on the track, had
to cater to all these whims.
AS Mrs. Bob Fitzsimmons figured in
the Corbett- Fitzsimmons fight at Car
son City, so in two or three cases the
wives, and in one case the sweetheart
of a. contestant attended to the physical
comfort and welfare Of the men of
their choice. Charlie Miller, If ne is a
gallant man, will undoubtedly attrib-
ute much Of his success to the fact that
Miss Genevieve Hanson. a Chicago SRI
to whom he is engaged, was at the
track almost constantly and was first
to greet him each time he dlsmounted
Miss Hanson first saw Miller at Chi
cago six-day race and yesterday became
his wife. Waller, who finished in Sec
ond place, was looked after by Mrs
Frank Waller. She personally superin-
tended all his training, prepared with
her own hands his food, and is highly
Interested and devoted in every way.
Fred Schineer, another rider who did
not figure so prominently, was looked
after just as faithfully by Mrs. Schin-
Ger.
Miller and Waller were the popular
favOrites, but had the public known
the motives that prompted Pierce, the
Canadian, to participate more would
undoubtedly have been specially inter
ested in his work. The Canadian is a
poor man, with a sick wife upon his
hands. The physicians say that only
trip to the west can save his wife's life
and it was in the hopes Of winning a
sufficient sum from the race that he
entered, for he is himself thoroughly
opposed to six-day racing, but manful-
| ly said before the start he would be
willing to go into the race to ride to
his death if he knew by so doing his
! wife could have her health restored.
| Pierce was dOdgedly determined to win
| if possible, and only sheer physical in
ability prevented him from landing the
! big prize. The courage was there; but
strength was lacking.
There is sure to be an interesting
story growing out from this six-day
| race. In Chairman Motifs latest bull
| letin, which appeared last week Fri
/ day, each man appearing upon the
| track as contestant either in the six
day race or the special events was fined
! sums of varying amounts. The racing
! associations of Europe under whose
auspices the sport in that country is
| conducted do not recognize the Cy-
/ clists Union, and fines and suspensions
made by the L. A. w. must be met be-
fore the suspended men can compete
upon those tracks abroad. In that way
the foreign riders, when they return
/ to their native land to resume cycle
/ racing there, will find they must settle
| with the L. A. W. before their entries
| are accepted. Eddie McDuf1ie and Jim
/ my Michael are two of the latest re-
cruits to the ranks Of the outlaws.
| 1t is now Eddie Bald, ex-actor The
! Buffalo man and leader of the outlaw
1 ~ IL eillc Ldu lIleu HIS IOTluile upon the
| stage, and unfortunately has met with
| a setback of an unexpected character
! Worcester people-or rather, a very few
| Of them-saW Eddie Bald as hero in
/ "A TWig Of Laurel" at the Worcester
| Theatre, two weeks ago last evening.
| And there Bald exploited his graces as
an actor. But the play was not a
| bread winner, by any means. Barn
| storming for three weeks gave way to
| a weeks engagement in Boston, where,
( It was hoped, past losses might be
! made good. The Boston bean-eaters,
| so Eddie says, could not appreciate a
| good thing, and when Saturday night
| came around, there was a deficit in the
| treasury. 1t was limited that Bald was
the principal 'angel" and that about
| $4,000 or $4,000 have slipped through his
! diamond bedecked fingers. When Ed
die Bald told a Spy man at the Bay
! state House that he did not intend for
saking cycle racing for the stage, he
spoke truthfully.
Maj. Taylor has an older and a big
ger brother out in Indianapolis, who is
| liable to make things warm for the
white men next season, so the major
| says He is stronger than I am"
| said the major the other day, land that
he can beat me from a squirrels jump
| to the Rocky Mountains, I honestly be-
| ieve, if he would only train. But he
| does not like to punish himself. No
] brother may be, no matter how much
| # rider Jimmy Michaers brother
may be, no matter what broth
aac .ft, e.,1Ig