The age-herald., 1899-05-26
Joe Riddle Made il in Fast CIip
 of 20 FIaf BICYCLE RACES A SUCCESS Lee Richardson King of Trick
 Riders, Gave A MOST WONDERFUL PERFORMANCE Hickman Won Two-Mile Race, Finishing Eight Inches Ahead of Biddle-"A"
 Team Won in the Basket
 Ball Game
A MOST WONDERFUL PERFORMANCE

Over twelve hundred people witnessed one of the most successful cycle meets at West End Park last night that has ever occurred in the south.
 Nearly every heat run was exciting from start to finish and some very rapid riding was done. In the final of the one mile race Joe Riddle crossed the tape in the lead with the record smashing time of 2:0S flat to his credit This breaks the southern competitive record for one mile by 2 S5 seconds. Frank Frame the famous anna teur rider, made a record at Memphis over a year ago of 2:09 2-5, which stood in the face of all southern racers until last night, when 1t suffered a collapse at the hands of the Birmingham riders. The best record ever made in this city prior to last night was Ped Hickmans time of 2:10.
 There were two races on the programme and these, together with the skllful exhi- bition of trick riding by Lee Richardson, and the basket ball games, furnished one of the most exciting and entertaining ath- letic meets ever witnessed in Birming ham.
 The track was lighted by a circle of Kit son lights and every motion of the riders could be plainly seen by the immense aud- fence. Hooters were out in large numbers and all around the trarck heads could be seen bobbing up as they yelled their fa- vorites on to victory.
 King of Trick Riders
 The twelve hundred people yelled them selves hoarse as W. H. Pickens, Lee Rich ardson's manager. who was also acting as official announcer. introduced through the megaphone the wonderful fancy rider. The band struck up the Charatan March as Richardson made his entree from the lar side of the track, and the crowd went wild as he walked across the arena with the grace of prima donna made his bow, re moved a handsome robe, took from his manager his nfckle-plated Adlake wheel, mounted it and began his marvellous feats. He was clad in pale blue silk suit tastily trimmed in white braid with cap to match. He wore tights with velvet coat resem- bling those worn by military officers.
 The many marvellous maneuvres and wonderful feas he presented were simply his every movement. He rode backward seated in the saddle the regular way; rode standing on hts head in the saddle; on his tSdE "uSSl duQ III every manner cOnCelF- able. As finale to his first exhibition a board 12 inches wide was placed across a carpenters horse. over which he rode his rear wheel. He was encored three times.
 His second appearance an hour later clad in beautiful white silk suit set the crowd applauding again.
 The latter exhibition was perhaps a trife more interesting than the first, for he per- formed several feats that no one in the audience would have believed he could have done, notwithstanding the impression cre- ated by his previous appearance.
 The great fancy rider, after a number of highly merltorious tricks, began to ride backward and after circling around twice raised his front wheel in the air, spun around couple of times with lightning rapidity. landed safely and rode off amid deafening applause.
 His most wonderful feat was that of riding the rear wheel and frame of his machine after removing the front wheel and forks. He rode the dismantled ma chine with the ease an ordinary rider would pedal along on complete bicycle.
 Around Track on Rear wheel
 His last and most catchy feat was that of riding around the track on his rear wheel. Tonight he will go against his eighth-mile one-wheel worlds record of A seconds. made at Madison Square Garden, New York, in January 1896.
 His repertoire of tricks for tonight will differ from those presented last night, and the elaborate costuming, for which he is famous, will be repeated in different suits.
 The first race was one mile novice, and was won by Harry E. Roberts; time, 2:33 1-5.
 Smashed Southern Record
 The second race, one mile open anna
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