The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-04-23
Rich Cash Prizes Hung Up For
Wheelmen.
DECORATION DAY PROJECT
SALT LAKE AMATEURS WILL
BECOME PROFESSIONALS.
]. P. Gum, the old Salt Lake Pro-
fessional, Is at the Head of the
Race Movement California
League Will Probably Control
Track at Salt Palace.

Salt Lake City now has race nee
in sight at last, and j. P Gum, the ole
Salt Lake professional, is the prime
mover in the affair. He is making ac
tive. preparations for a meet to be helC
at Calder's park about May 80, anC
proposes, if possible, to make it one Of
the good old kind that were so attract
i've in 1895.
Gum is a believer in cash prizes. and
he intends making the prize list one
that will be attractive for the profes-
SIGNALS. He will have two amateur
events on the programme, but the prin-
cipal contests will be between the cash
prize men.
He claims that no racing man can
afford to spend time and money for
training and other expenses unless
there is some remuneration in sight,
and in order TO secure a large entry
list of competitors, some inducement
Will be offered.
Gums view is one that is shared by
the principal race meet promoters of
the country at the present time, and
almost all the successful meets of the
past few years have been given with
cash prizes for contestants.
There are very few amateurs in this
section who will not be willing to turn
professional if a good season of cash
prize racing is offered, and the May 80
meet Will undoubtedly be the forerun-
ner of others of the same kind.
The track at Calder's is badly in need
of resurtacing. and it is Mr.. Gums
intention to have it put in shape at
once, so that the riders may start in
training for the coming meet. The
last turn has been found in past meets
to be insufficiently banked, and, in a
measure, dangerous for fast work.
With this defect remedied, barring To-
cation, is all that could be desired.
The first race will be a novice race.
and it IS safe to predict that it will be
necessary to run this race in several
heats. Never before in the history of
cycle racing in Zion has there been so
many untried riders waiting TO make
their debut. There are at least a score
of ambitious ones, who have never an
peared in a track contest, who will be
eligible to this event, and the fact that
nearly all of these have new 1899 racers
indicates their intentiCl to try their
mettle
Bald, Cooper Taylor and the great
zimmerman all Won their first honors
in "A novice race, and it is not at all
improbable that the coming champion
of Utah may win his first spurs in the
novice race on May so.
Since the disaffection of L. A. w.
members in Utah, and the gradual di-
Vorcement Of western racing interests
from L. A. W. control, the question as
to what rules will govern Utah racing
has been under discussion. The Cali
fornia Associated Cycling clubs Sc
ceded from the l.. A. W. several years
ago, and since that time have practi-
cally controlled racing in all the Pa
clfic coast states. Texas. Arizona and
New Mexico have come into the c. A.
c. c. control and British Columbia has
done likewise. Colorado has practical
ly been lost to the L. A w, and will
probably hold all its events this year
under the sanction and rules of the
coast league
The c. A. C. c. has been petitioned /
by some of the largest tracks in the
east to extend its protection and rules
TO them, but it has wisely refused to
undertake such a task at the present
time. That the principal governing
body of cycle racing west of the Mis-
sissippi viii be the c. A. c. c. the COM
ing year there is little doubt, and prob
ably Utah viii fall into line. Mr.. Gum.
who has been on the coast the past
two years, favors the rules of this as
ISOLATION. and if sanction can be OBJ
tanned, il is altogether probable that
the coming Callers park meet will be
contested under the rules of the west
ern )ciation.
The c. A. c. c. favors local option
regarding Sunday race meets; has
adopted a liberal view toward profess
sional contests. and liberality in other
matters that meet with the approval
of the western interests more fully
than do the stringent blue law rules
of the eastern L. A. w.
The L. A w. is making strenuous eff
70 1ar11 f1,n &
apparently meeting with little success.
Jack Sharp has been reappointed han
dicapper for this district. but he is
himself rather dubious as to the ulti-
mate success of the L. A. w. in con-
trolling racing affairs in Utah. In case {
the c. A. c. c. agrees to father the
Utah racing interests. it will probably
be necessary to appoint a local racing ,
board representative, and Sharp has /
been mentioned as q capable official Z
for this place. If he could be induced to 8
accept the appointment would meet
With universal favor.
c. c. Smith. whom the old-time race
meet SPECTATORS will remember as
Pap" Smith. the speedy 90 amateur, is 7
entered this season in the Calder's park :
is supporter of the l.. A. |
w, and is endeavoring to induce Gum
to stand by the L. a. w. A canvass Z
9L the racing men SHOWS an almost Y
unanimous feeling in favor of the Cal a
fJrnla association rules and the out
come viii be watched with interest. The t
racing men are in a peculiar position, n
Tor, if they race under the i A. w e
Jules they are liable to be barred from y
:. A. c. c. races, and as the latter as y
ISOLATION is the only one supporting e
sunday races, racing men do not care s
% take chances of missing the good
purses which will probably be put up y
It coming Sunday meets.
a match race has been arranged be :
ween Harry Haigren and c. H. Cut
ing, to be run off early next month. p
rhe distance Will he five miles and o
Jutting has allowed Haigren e
of one-quarter mile and thirty 10
ards on a quarter-mile track y side
vet of $40 has been laid on tnc result
faigren is a promising young rider,
vh0 made his debut last year.
G.. W. Clayton. a St Louis rider. is z
n the city Quitting for a bicvcle trip Z
o San Francisco. The tourist season =
; now on, and an unusual number of =
verland tourists will probably soon 0
commence TO pass through on their Q
IN tho cnaet | q