The times., 1898-04-17
WITH THE WHE{LMEN
Comment and Chat Concerning
Cycling and Cyclers.
PLANS FOR THE MEET OF '9S
The bicycle Track to Be Built mt Ip-
d1annpolis-The Use of Wheelmcn
in Case of War-Whnt Is Going on
Among the Local CIubs-Other
Notes of interest.

Indianapolis, Ind, April 16.-(Special)
The final plans for the bicycle track
for the '9S meet are all completed, and
only the details remain to be COM
pleted. This will be done as rapidly as
possible, and work on what is thought
Will be one of the fastest and best
equipped tracks in the country will be-
gin within the next few weeks. A
G. Newby, chairman of the track COM
mittee Of the Meet Club, and president
of the new track company, together
with Herbert Foltz, chairman of the
racing committee, made a tour of in
vestigation of the leading bicycle tracks
of the Middle West before adopting the
plans for the Indianapolis track The
two men spent three days in Detroit
looking over the plans of the fourIap
track in that city. They were much
pleased with the track, but did not like
the arrangements of the stands and
bleachers. From Detroit they went to
Cincinnati to inspect the Chester Park
track. The training quarters at Ches-
ter Park struck them very favorably.
They were also well pleased with Foun-
tain Ferry, at Louisville.
The chairmen of the two committees
have practically decided on a four-lap
wood track, with seats for $4,000 people,
and if satisfactory plans to that end
can be made, that is the style track
Indianapolis will have next season The
leading track builders of the country
will be asked to prepare plans. and al
ready two or three applications for
specifications have been received. The
building committee, which is the track
committee, thinks well of the tracks
built by Charley Ashinger, and the rae
ing men all think that he can build the
fastest bicycle track in the country.
The piece of ground owned by the
track company is situated about twen-
ty minutes ride from the center of the
city, and is admirably adapted for
track. Four more acres have been pur-
chased, to be used for entrances and
approaches, and the tract of ground
now covers fourteen acres. Just back
of it is Fall Greek, one of the .prettiest
waterways in the State. The streets
leading to the park will be improved
this spring.
The finance committee will begin it's
work this week. Chairman Sahm al
ready has promises for over half the
amount of money that his committee
has been asked to raise. and he thinks
there will be little difficulty in securing
all of the money that will be needed to
give the wheelmen the greatest time
they ever had at national meet.
The information committee has al
ready begun to secure a list of the de-
sirable boarding houses and rooms in
the city, so that those wheelmen who do
not desire to go to the regular hotels
can be taken care of in any way they
see fit. The committee will also make
special preparations for the women who
will visit Indianapolis during the week
for the meet and make them feel per-
fectly at home.
The local interest in the '9S meet is
steadily increasing. Not even the talk
of war can effectually suppress it. The
citizens of Indianapolis are thoroughly
aroused to the fact that they have big
contract on their hands, and they are
going to carry it out in every detail
y big delegation of Chicago riders
will shortly visit Indianapolis for the
purpose of looking over the ground and
making arrangements for the wheel
riders of the Windy City who Will come
to Indianapolis to attend the '9S meet.
diana Division, l.. A. w, has written
Gen. Miles, offering to raise five COM
panieS OF wheelmen, each company TO
be composed of fifty men, 10 be used
in special service in the event of war
with Spain. Mr.. Sherwood already has
several hundred men who are anxious
to go to the front. If called upon, he
would train his men in a special bicycle
drill, so that they could be used as
t..
and scouts. Mr.. Sherwood has offered
his men for service either in this coun-
try or abroad. There have been many
other offers made to the War Depart
ment, and in case of war a bicycle ar
my could be organized Mr.. Sherwood
would do his recruiting from among the
Indiana wheelmen. He is well fitted
for such wor, and is personally known
to Gen. Miles. During the Apache
campaign of 1886 he had charge of a
long line of signal stations through the
Indian country, in New Mexico and
Arizona, and succeeded in maintaining
his line of communications throughout
the campaign. He has given the pres
ent plan of organizing a bicycle corps
much study, and believes that it can
be made a valuable aid in case of war
The regular cycling season in Indian
apoliS will open in about two weeks
The roads are gradually getting into
good condition, and in another month
the season will be under full headway
League recruiting is going steadily on,
and the Wheelmen in the State are
taking the liveliest interest in the meet.
1t is expected that over 5000 Indiana
Wheelmen alone VIII be here for the
week Illinois and Ohio will send the
next largest representation. Kentucky
promises to do WELL and both Michigan
and Wisconsin will have their share of
riders present. Philadelphia, from all
accounts, will have the largest city