The San Francisco call., 1898-01-01
WHEELMEN NOT
 AFTER CENTURY RUNS.

It is evident that the average road-racoo
 ing cycler of nowadays prizes very light ly the heretofore coveted honor of ac- complishing the first century ride or eacn
 successive year.
 In years gone by 1t has been the wont
 of large number of sturdy road riders
 to start at midnight on New Years eve
 and cover the relay course of 1OO mics
 laid out by the California Associated
 Cycling Clubs, from this city to San Jose
 and back to Alameda on the other sIus of the bay. He who finished hrSt Was
 proclaimed the rider of the first century
 of that year. Many strove for the honor, let the weather be what 1t might, ana on
 stormy occasions from twelve 10 tWehiy
 hours plugging through mud ana ram
 have been required, to the ru1natlon or
 ones wheel and the jarring or ms com
 Note the lessening interest this year.
 But five men have announced their 1nten"
 tiUns of making the 11 tria beas ahes are
 H. Smith and J. H.. Nash, sOlymplcs; f. Jugwetz, Acme, and M. G. Curtis, Ala. | meda. And yet the weather is perfect
 and the roads all that could be desired:
 expected there would be hst or halr L. H. Smith. one of the OIympics' best road riders, explained to me his reason for not taking much interest in the ride.
 Whats the user he said. ;iYou get, no credit for it. Last year l rode what afterward proved to be the first century
 made in the United States in 1887. It was
 made under trying conditions, through clubhouse on Post street dead to the
 world. Did they toss me a laurel wreath tain Hadenfeldt said l was a - fool for
 making such an ass of myself; that l
 would have been better off home in bed. And he was the captain of my club. Well, I wouldn't have minded that so much, until heard that 'Tri4by' Fowler,
 who made almost as good time as did. went h.
 which he was not even a member, and E they made a lion of him and praised him
 make the ride this year it will be for my own satisfaction and not for club glory
 don't think the olympics thoroughly
 appreciated the. merits of Launcelot Smith sa ride at the time Or until after it
 was too late to properly recognize it, for they are always mindful of worthy per formances on the part of their racing men and reward them accordingly. For instance, only last Tuesday night Ed oKragness was presented with a beautiful | gold watch for his century record of 5 | hours 1S'o minutes, and Kragness; Nash | and sLoos received gold medals for their F trtplet record made at the Olympic meet | at the Velodrome October last. So you
 see in MT Smiths case it was apparently F an oversight
 The EncinaI Cyclers of Alameda will | entertain the board of governors of the | c. A. c. c. for the first, time next Satur- day night. The clubroomS are located in
 the second story of the building formerly | occupied by the Alameda Public Library, on the west side of Park street, be- l tween Santa Clara and Central avenues, about equidiStant from both the broad and narrow gauge railroad lines. Pas | sengerS should alight at Park street (the station. bears the same name on both ineS) and in the case of the broad- gauge it marks the terminus of the road.
 Delegates should take the 7:3O narrow gauge boat from this side, as most of the officials will go oyer at that time
 There promises to be a 'hot tine' at this meeting over the Kraft matter,
 there seeming to be an inclination on the ! part of the delegates to reverse their ac- ton Of last meeting reinstating him. or such action, however, there is de- cided feeling that Birdsall and Theisen
 and Percy Mott should be reinstated Arthur C. Thornton, who was captain Of the Olympic Club Wheelmen for two terms and who has lately had his head quarters at Portland. is in the city for the holidays, renewing old acquaintances Ike says 1t rains too much up there to
 make good wheeling at this season of the | year.
 l The path of a manager of cycling races | IS not always strewn with roses. D.
 Lloyd Conkling, who took Sharick, Jones | lulu, writes to a friend here that he has l had considerable trouble. Conkling. worked hard for the interests of his men | securing them concessions and adVan- i tages which his experience had taught
 him, and even. going so far as to rub ! of rewarding him, Conkling writes that | me skipped out of town, leaving several. DlliS Dehlnd and saying l would settle. | He also told around town that Desky and
 had beat him out of $100. Now, Desky | is the best sort of a man, and has done everything in his power to make us com, | fortable and happy. He has done every | thing he promised, and more, too I had l to commence suit against Jones yester- | day for what he owes me-"
 | Desky is the owner of the Cyclomere | track at Honolulu, who took the profess | sional riders down there. Sharick and | Fowler have returned, and Conkling | Jones and Whitman will stay, Conkling | says in his letter that Fowler treated him | all right and that Whitman is as square | as a die. Sharick has escaped him bv i leaving, but he is going to stop Jones' | passport if he attempts to leave the | islands until Allan squares up with him. The cycle baseball tournament begins | Sunday, January g, and, meanwhile, the | clubs are Practicing daily. Tomorrow 1 two hot preliminary games will be | played, in which there will be good deal
 of club feeling, The Olympic Wheelmen l and Olympic 'Cyclers will meet at 10 | A. M. at the Velodrome and the Bav | Citys and San Francisco Road Club at 2;S0 P. M. at Sixteenth and Folsom l streets.
 | The governors of the ball game will | meet again next Monday night at the | Bay City Club, Al Golden Gate avenue, 1 to discuss matters pertaining to the l tournament, particularly the amateur | standing of some of the. players. The Bay City Wheelmen held it's annual | theater party at the Tivoli last evening" | Fifty of the members were in attendance | and had merry time.
 H. W. sPALDING.