New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-21
IN THE CYCLING WORLD.
THE FUTURE OF THE LEAGUE OF AMERl-
CAN WHEELMEN.
DISPOSITION OF THE CONTROL OF RACING
MATCH RACES AND THE PACING GAME
SOME NEW ur-Ds AND COASTERS
>-orEs Am COMMENTS.

SOME NEW HUDs AND COASTERS
NOTES AND COMMENTS
Those who watched the growth and genera! De-
xelonn,ert OF the League of American WAeelineh
from a handful OF good road advocates a rev yeas
ago. TO a National organization with men,'''s mp
@; over eighty thousand realize that the uiie ms
come when some important changes must DE n'auo
In the government OF the ASSOCIATION III 1917 '''
membership in the organization Was more tAan one
bundrcd thousand but this year the number has
dw,nd.ed down 10 a little more than eiSh'y thou-
sand. The thinking men OF the League are ''S''s
much sleep trying TO ind out the cause ior ms
slump. and many Of them have come 10 the coii'l"
sion tha; The racing has he'd much 10 30 VIII" VIC
falling off In rnbership and the decreased teres
taken in the work OF the capitalization by many OF
its members The opinion that racing should De vi
vorccd from the l.. A. W has steadily grown "U''"e
the last two years. When tIc New-1oiK D'Ni'''''
first made It's nght against racing al the Na'"''a'
Assembly nj Baltimore two years ago the other VI
visions thought that this division was merely max
ting \ "bluN" and Chief Consul Potter and his
friends were laughed into silence. Recently seNe'ai
@! the Other States have come out openly j" iaN''
CT Abandoning racing. with New-fork Massa'""-
sctts and New-Jersey banded together on TINS sS"e
and with several OF tho other states ready 10 'o"
such a lead II can be seen that the coming assem-
bly, al Providence in February is sure TO he hNey
one This ant-raciEg programme VIII be 'nc pan"
on which some Of the state candidates VIII VI" VI
lose In tho coming State elections IN 1iSV">7l's
the racing question the other day one oil the "lSe
men o. the L. A. w. said: This talk ABOUT inc
League giving zip the control of racing Is all wrong
To whom are they going 70 give Il? There Is not an
organization In the fold to-day capable OF taxing
hold OF the sport and conducting II as the L. A. !"
has and continue TO do. While 'he League
could ygta Justice to Itself have dropped the spor'
two years ago. 1t could not afford 10 10 II now.
Many abuses have found their way into the sport
In the last two years. and II would look TO me hK"
q piece OF cowardice for the League TO shift the re
suSnsitiiltv 10 other shoulders at this time. "hen
The League gives w the control OF racing II must
turn II over TO other hands in clean ana wAoi"
not be lived up at this time. II would be ,ke
cruel father who tgrneS MS child Sn, OF e d0o %" S
League talk about divorcns the ORGANIZATION liTia
racing they propose t" to, take IKE @ rScr ibe eeI
would not get half the publicity 1t gets to;day ana
h mahs in Crops ss
after it does so the membership Will drop down
The Tribune for the control of racing seems 70 be
the hes, one ye. suggested. Allow each state TO
racing iniefests FOR that district: Then 10, these
men &c, together ana form aona wnX IRON
all other League work. II might be called the M
ISOLATION ard there need be no l.. A. "; attached
10 IT in any way. Racing properly controlled IN this
public. and the sport. which has deterlorated this
year can be brought back 20 public favor The
H. sport sund1y racing w spT,ns up al alG ing
sport and within short time it will suck the lemon
dry Then cycle racing VIII go the way OF pr9i ,
so1 be- @nd SeT e saS Gr
afford to shrh us responsibility. and don't believe
that the necessary two-thrds vote can TO secured
at the assembly 10 drop the sport
Others maintain that the racing gets too much
publicity all the country In other words. that
the columns OF newspapers are full of racing stun
requiring the cutting on, OF good road. improved
highway and kindred subject matter. The fact
IS that the cyclists at large are interested In good
ROAD work. but they can't have improved highways
dinned into their continually 20 the exclusion
of all other features connected with the bicycle.
There has been a National touring committee APP
pointed recently. yet after publishing the names OF
the committeeman nothing further has been heard
from il. II is the same elsewhere. There is
National highway committee Also and u year ago
O. bulletin issued at regular intervals showing
the work being done by that committee. That com
mittee may possibly have done great deal Of good
work this year. bu, II it has the average member
OF the l.. A. w. knows nothing about II. Local
organization is another good work In which the
League is interested. Of which too little Is heard
The League help itself by inducing representa-
tive TO take hold of the work and TO head
the National and State tickets. When maa Is
named for the presidency of the League he should
have a name known and respected from Boston to
When Chef Consus named for the different
districts they should be men OF afairs IN tneir
the League at this time has reached a crisis IN It's
existence. and that any move that II may MAKE MAKE
and reweghed many times before positiy,e acton
any one man. bu, Of the thinking men League
who have been seen and talked win IN the !as'
racing tickets should be showed under at The com
ing State elections there VIII be less tax ABOUT
giving up the control OF racing al the Natioiai
Assembly in February.
There are several things which have injured rae
irg this year and IL Is not necessary 10 mention
some o. the most fragrant n, this time. Everybody
who pat-onizes the sport remembers them 700 WV
idlv The Introduction OF paced racing and the
featuring of such contests have done much to nture
the sport as 1, was before professional promoters
edop.ed the game. Such contests at FIRST became
wonderfully popular and attracted large attend
snces. The popularity did rot wane until Jockeyng
md trickery were introduced so long az the races
vere conducted on sound Tires and fast time was
made .he public supported these contests lavishy
But as soon as the different associations began 10
Jockey each other each striving 70 get AZ uhia'f
advantage resulting in slow time anu tNesoh'e
manocuvrlng the public became disguised. THOSE
present at the National meet At Indianapolis re-
Gently saw some sport Of the old-ume sort, whlcn
pleased them immensely The CHAMPIONSHIPS ai"aS
blias the best riders IN the coui'ts r %as
the racing throughout was OF ne pest sot, ~ a,
NOT until the match race between SAID ana Noope'
cssted These two men had been at loggerheads
for two years. and when the match wis aiiAnhcy,
In WAS
the wear would result. There were 70 have been
three heats of one mile each. The hrIt Mas 30 nv
taan unuaced the second paced. a'" IN. thiiu
necessary 70 be decided by the toss OF a COIN h.ln
md COOPER simply dogged each other around ing
srsck I'm the first heat. Bald winning ~ me niin
eurint by n little less than tuions. INC piD,.o
fhey .xpcc,cd that the next heat. which "hs 20 Da
nac,d would be fast. But the two riders re- useu
T. ,,kc tha mace and ioafed even more thah they
did In the nrst heat They caught on 70 mo I'm IN
ports o, the erandstend and twice came 10 M. iu
ZION n was another sprint Of turlorg WITH bai9
oc1ir wtnning The ten thousand spectators hi'sei
,Scr discomfort and the management was 80 Iul
out .bn. MIR Newly offered sIscni purse ior the
twn riders n ,her would 30 on the track ana ROO