The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-08
PLUGGER BILL UNLUCKY
THE VETERAN RIDER DEFEATED
BY LITTLE HARRY GIBSON.
Races at Newly Oval Last Night-COn-
tests Among Messenger Boys
One of the Features.

There were two features to the bicycle
races at Newly Oval lest night. First in
Importance to the cycling world was the
almost pitiful defeat of that old campaigner
and plucky fellow, "Plugger Bill Martin,
who is as Manager Reeves announced,
Nobody knows how old" by Harry Glib
son, the sixteen-year-cld wonder from Gin
cinnati. Second, and of no Importance to
the great cycling world at large, but of
vast moment to the downtown urchin, was
the scramble OF the messenger boys There
was No. SO in his red fiannels, sawed off
into racing costume, making better time
in mile heat than he ever knew in deliv-
ering a message just around the corner
There was the lad who holds the record
of travelling between the Western Union
office and the postofice two blocks in
4o:OS 20, making a mile in less than three
minutes. The prevailing instinct was too
strong with most of the chaps. however
and they loafed scandalously on the track
wabbling up and down the hill, confident
as when on the street that their salaries
were going on just the sans.
Martin and Gibson were the stars of the
evening, their ten-mile paced race being
the concluding event on the card. The old
campalgner, clad in his familiar pink, with
the seams and scars of many a spill MAX
Ing typographical map of his sinewy
hmDs, was cordially greeted he came
out Tor warming up, and the trim little
Gibson, almost a pigmy to Martin, was
given a glad hand, too. The sympathy of
the crowd, which was a very fair-s:zed one
considering the chilly night, went TO the
small lad, although the nerve and endurance
or Martin at other races on Newly Oval
had made him prime favorite at all times
Martin, riding a wheel geared to l22 had
for his pacemakers a quint, two quads and
two men in reserve in the camp, while Glib
son, on 102 gear, was contented with two
tnpiets and a quad, with five men in camp;
and it seemed the younger showed the best
judgment in his selection of pacemakers.
for "Plugger Bill' repeated his unfortunate
experience of the National L. A. w. meet
when he had to leave his pace machine
and fly for the leader. Last night, on the
final lap, Gibson had gained too much of a
lead and when Martin pulled away from
his poor pace he hadn't the ghost Of a
show to overhaul the Cincinnati boy The
time for the ten miles, 2l:12, was good for
the night. which was rather raw and poorly
calculated to maintain steam in a cycle
racer.
lin leu lor tHe HrSt rev miles, jog
g1ng along few yards ahead as the miles
were called off, one mile, the third, being
made in 1:53 3-5. The fifth mile found Glib
son in front, Martin forging ahead in the
next mile, and after that Gibson was never
overtaken, completing the last mile in 1:4e,
with Martin trailing about fifty yards to
the rear Martin shot ahead of his pace
maker just before entering the back stretch
for the last lap. During the progress of the
race Manager Reeves amused the crowd by
revealing through the megaphone bits of
'Plugger Bill's" personal history, relative
to his age, the shortening of one leg
through an accident, etc.
THE RECORD BY MILES.
The record of the race by miles is as fol-