The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-06-01
At Charter Oak.


 that Hartford wheelmen have is the Charter Oak mile track, outside the Gentlemen's Driving club course, which is no better generally than the road way. The mile track is not the course for bicycle races, as all riders know, however good it may be, and Charter Oak is poor track for bicycle meets under present conditions. As it is the only track, however, the racers are obliged to use it, and the result is that the horsemen are dissatisfied. They feel that they should have the exclusive use of the track for workouts and 1t Is no more than natural that they should. They interfere with the wheel men and the wheelmen interfere with them. Under those conditions both are inconvenienced. What is needed is a half-mile track, either at Charter Oak or somewhere else near the city. Last season the new proprietors of Charter Oak track announced that they were going to build such 0 course, but they apparently have not .'got at it" There were also vague reports that other per- sons were to build a half-mile cycle course, but this did not materialize. One thing is certain that Hartford can not regain it's bicycle prestige unless such a track Is built. It should be un- der way now.
 Waterbury's Tournament.
 Entry blanks for the diamond (mid- summer) tournament of the Waterbury Wheel club have been issued and copies have been sent to all the clubs within the district from which racing men may enter. The tournament takes place Saturday and Monday, July and f. on the Y. M. c. A. track, at Athletic field in Waterbury.
 On Saturday there will be ten races, which include the one-mile champion ship of Waterbury, the ten mile pur- suit race and the one mile open. For the first of these races a silver cup is given as prize, which must be won twice to become the property of the winner. A roll top desk is given to the winner of the ten mile pursuit race. Diamond rings, watches, silver ware and similar articles are given as prizes in the other events.
 For Monday seven races are sched- uled, and included in these is another ten mile pursuit race, the one mile open and the one mile invitation race.
 Altogether there are fifteen races, the prizes for which figure up In value to nearly one thousand dollars. The man. agement of the meet reserves the right to invite contestants who are duly en- tered in other races on the programme to compete for these prizes, the event to be a trial by men invited to run with pace maker against a time to be an- nounced on the day of the races. The contestants may provide their own pacemaker, there being no limit to the number of pace-makers.
 The races are to be among the best given in New England this season, and the prizes are right up to the limit all lowed by the l.. A. w. The previous races given by this club, the admirable management, the excellence of the track and the prompt payment of prizes will insure big list of entries for the two days events. The entries close June 25.
 A Quasi Vehicle.
 The judge of a court at Grand Rapids, Mich. has rendered decision which is regarded as unique and which will un- doubtedly result in the case being brought before the supreme court of the state. A woman cyclist, while rid ing on the streets of the city, rode into a rut and was thrown from her wheel sustaining serious damage. She en- tered a suit against the city for dam ages, but was defeated, the court de- ciding that when street was safe for four wheeled vehicles the city could not be held responsible for accidents be- falling bicycle riders. In his classifi- cation of the bicycle the court reaches the following interesting conclusion, which is portion of the decision:
 "A bicycle differs materially from any other form of a vehicle, and is, in fact, only a vehicle when being actual ly ridden: at all other times it's classi- f1cation is changed. When not vehi- cle, when not being ridden, it is often est found to be baggage or luggage. As a vehicle it can only be ridden law fully where other vehicles can travel and is prohibited from the sidewalks as baggage, when not ridden, it may be rolled or carried upon the sidewalk or elsewhere the same as a satchel or car pet bag or other bundle, and occupies less space often than such bag or package. As vehicle it cannot be propelled through the walks of our parks; as baggage, it may be rolled anywhere; as a vehicle it cannot law fully run along a railroad, though as baggage it is checked upon the cars the same as trunks and boxes. So in this case we have to deal with a kind of quasi vehicle, that from it's peculiar construction and use may have a strong influence upon the law from that appli- cable to usual damage suits.''
 Bicycle College Records.
 Included in the best amateur bicycle racing of the year will be the five races which comprise the Intercollegiate as- soeiation championships. They are scheduled to be run off in conjunction with the athletic championships al Berkeley Oval on May 27 and 2S. This will be the last year that the college bicycle championships will be decided in this way, the Intercollegiate Athlet- ic association sensibly recognizing the conceded prominence of cycling as an independent sport and adopting new methods for 1899, and next year there will be a separate cycle meet.
 This years events are five in number They are quarter mile, half mile, one mile, tandem and five miles. An aggre- {. T.