The times., 1898-12-11
EIkc. and His Record.

Likes ana HIS RECORD.
Harry Elkes defeated Edouard Tay-
lore so easily in the hour race last Sat
urtlay night that it appeared as though
Jimmy Michael must have been the rider
instead of the STRIPPING of a boy who has
been one of the middle-distance leaders
this year
He is conspicuous example of what
hard work will do when rightly applied.
1t was, perhaps, three years ago that this
young man, then an amateur. went to
Jacksonville Fla. for his health. He is
now a tall thin young chap, and those
days showed him to be even more con-
spicuous by his elongated appearance.
With a dotins father, a man who had
himself been an athlete of no inconsidera-
bic ability young Fixes begun riding his
bicycle. He soon developed remarkable
ability for unpaced riding, and one day
started out to establish new records for
amateurs. his first attempt being most
successfully conducted. Then he started
to set new figures from one to ten miles
for urpaced work. and on an old track
near Jacksonville, which was built of
boards which We're beginning to rot and
to protrude at most inopportune points.
he successfully lowered every unpaced
record from one to ten miles
In those days, as the present. the work
of the amateurs was underestimated.
EIkes' records were passed over with a
query as to who this unknown was, but
no further interest was shown in the mat
ter. The chairman of the racing board.
George u. Gideon, began to look into the
matter, and because of d personal enmiiy
another Southern rider. who had prev
ously held these records. made charge
against Elkes of riding wheel for which
he was paid. The fact that the young
man preferrirg this charge was guilty of
the same offense perhaps led to the in
spiration, Chairman Gideon began to
look into the matter. and it was some
time before the records were allowed but
eventually they We're accepted, and Harry
E1kes. for the first time in his life, had
his name placed on the record books of
the League of American Wheelmen
Shortly after that he came to New York
and with his father rode tandem in the
New York State races. IL was a >pecu-
liar sight TO see father and son logged
out in racing costume. but more unusual
still was the sight of father and son
struggling for supremacy in six days
race. as they did at Boston. and subse-
quently AT New York. In Boston Harry
won second place. ard in the New York
race both father and son withdrew. The
following year Elkes entered the sx-day
managed to get some of the money. tax
ing the precaution. however TO take plen-
ty of rest during the contest
The opening of the season saw I'm in
Boston and as he had reason to believe
that he was pretty clever unpac d rider
he issued challenge to the entire coun-
try. which was not accepted Then he
went West and at Pittsburg. on January
2f-es, won the 72-hour race, defeating
Waller. Sehinneer and many others In
the ~ hours he covered ,322 2-S miles
which is the best record for this distance
now In the country. Previous to this
however, he defeated Jimmy Warburton,
, son of the famous "Choppy'' Warburton.
of England. in pursuit race at Madison
Square Garden. catching him at eleven
laps. Early in February, at Philadelphia
he defeated Louis Gimm. the erstwhile
twenty-four-hou record holder, in a %