The times., 1898-05-29
Qualified for final. but did not finish.

I'm justice to the American cycling
enthusiasts said Tom Linton at Charles
River Park, Cambridge. last week, Il
would like to correct the mIsstatements
sent out by some unreliable press agent
regarding my defeats by Bourotte and
Cissac l consider Bourotte good man,
and we met only once in a fifty kilometer
race at the Pare des Princes track in
Paris, when l defeated him by four laps.
This was our only meeting and / stand
ready to wager any amount that no
record Of defeat by Bourotte has ever
been charged up against me. The best
race CisSac ever put up against me was
at Roubaix, in a fifty kilometer event, in
which not only Cissac and myself start
ed, but Lesna and Champion as well. The
finish of that race showed me a winner
with Cissac second. Champion third and
Lesna fourth. These are the facts and
while l am willing to help along the boys
as much as possible, l do not think that
l ought to sit quiet and let the state
ments that / have been repeatedly de-
feated by second raters go unrefuted.
Amy time either of these men wants
race with me, and stands ready to make
II an object for me to race them. they
will find me ready, but l repeat that un-
til then they should restrict their state
ments to those of strict veracity.'
Beginning with yesterday the racing
season may be said TO have begun in ear
nest. Tomorrow there are a host of
races scheduled and Chairman Motifs
statement that 5000 sanctions will be
granted this year seems well founded
The big match races are attracting the
greatest amount of attention, of course
but the open races in which the Ameri-
cans and the foreigners compete attract
their full share of the interest The for
eigners, by the way. have not yet done
anything to distinguish themselves. Jaap
Eden is the best, but he has done little
of merit. He defeated Ear Stevens, an
erstwhile amateur of Buffalo, last week
but that was all. Robertson seems 20
have a full share of friends who predict
a successful season for him, but when the
Americans get their stride there is little
need of fear on the part of their friends.
Harry Elkes, in his pursuit race with
Arthur Porter demonstrated his ability
TO ride as well unpaced as nacaI cog =
/ thing that few men on the track at the
present time are able to do ia SO-a5
Elkes America has one of the most prom
ising riders in the world. Tom Linton.
who is an excellent judge of riding, thinks
that Elkes is one of the best men at the
present time in this country. and predicts
that before the season is over he will
distinguish himself on the track
The wheelmen of England have been
engaged in discussion for some time as
to what was the best method of marking
dangerous hills at night. All of these
places have signs of warning for use in
daytime, the wheelmens organizations
having placed them throughout the coun-
truy. but, as they could not be read af-
ter dark, many accidents have happened.
The result of the discussion is that all
of the signs will be repainted with lumin-
Gus paint, which, though not bright, is
sufficiently so to be clearly seen at night.
Mamma, if / had a pneumatic before
I had this one on my new wheel. it's all
right to say that's the pneumatic / had
had isn't it?''
Certainly. Johnny"
And If that tire once had a hole in it
and | had it mended l could say it had
had a hole in it. couldn't 20
Yes. there would be nothing incorrect
in that"
''Then, it'd be good English to say that
the tire l had had had had hole in it,
wouldn't it?''
Johnny. you make my headache"
War is a mighty consideration and we
believe that if ii had not been for the
present conflict and its distractions Con-
gress would not have sidetracked the
question of bicycle delivery of the mails
in rural districts The idea has appealed
favorably to many leading men and was
disapproved by only a few who surmised
that the bicycle might be too much at
the mercy of the weather TO become a
reliable mail carrier. All such objection
appears to be fully met by the advocates
of bevel gear machines. the running parts
of which are beyond the reach of rain or
mud. The speed of the bicycle and the
light cost of maintaining the cycling mail
route would seem to make it infinitely