Omaha daily bee., 1899-08-27
IN THE WHEELING WORLD.

II IN THE WHEELING WORLD. q
The annual meet of the League OF Ameri-
can Wheelmen at Boston did not materially
affect the struggle for race control between
the old organization and the National
Cycling association. While the former had
things its own way at Boston, the National
Cycling association held a rival meet at
Wsltham and easily divided the honors OF
the sport. Both meets were we'll patron
lied and were a success financially. The
National Cycling association had the bulk
of the professionals and put UP a card much
superior to that of the league. This fact
provoked much adverse comment and gave
fresh courage to those members of the
league who insist that the organization
would be better off by relinqulshing the
slim hold 1t now has on professional racing.
A Boston correspondent reports that those
in authority in the league have decided ITO
settle the question OF control at the annual
meeting In February, and unit! that time
war will be waged against the promoters
of the National Cycling association. Vice
President Foltz unwillingly admits that the
fight for control has gone against the league,
although he stated the other day while In
Boston that he thought the prominent men,
bers of the League Of American Wheelmen
felt relieved and glad to know that a settle
ment OF the racing question was really in
sight, although the settlement means the
adjustment of the League of American
Wheelmen racing department. Such an
acknowledgment coming from so high an
authority only indicates how the feeling is
among the League OF American Wheelmen
officials in regard to the much-mooted Ques-
ton, and It goes to show that instead OF
working for the betterment C; the sport
the League Of American Wheelmen has been
working against it. Upon harmony depends
success, and rather than allow the National
Cycling association to accomplish what 1t
has set out to do the older body has con-
tinually harassed the younger one, keeping
1t down as much as possible. 1t seems very
much like a case Of the dog in the manger.
The League of American Wheelmen sees
there Is no chance OF 1t ever enjoying the
proceeds OF cycle racing again, SO 1t tries
its best to keep the National Cycling asso-
citation from so doing. Individually the
members of the League of American Wheel
men openly declare that it would be better
for the wheelmen IL the National Cycling
association had control, but no one seems
courageous enough to come out and say
so when the League of American Wheelmen
Is an assembled body"
Charlie Mears, chief consul of the Ohio
division of the League of American Wheel
men, has been ruled off the race tracks by
the League of American Wheelmen racing
board. Mears, as everybody knows, was a
prominent candidate for the craftsmanship
of the board, and that fact, together with
his prominence In Ohio and his recently
gained notoriety in National League affairs.
makes the announcement a great surprise.
Mears was a stanch League of American
Wheelmen man in everything, for a long
time, but finally seeing how affairs stood
he topped to the side OF the OUTLAWS" on
the ground that the League of American
Wheelmen had all that 1t could do II it
handled the good roads question properly,
and that the racing game needed more time
and thought than the League Of American
Wheelmen could give 1t. Mears is editor
of the Cycle Gazette, and his support came
Just at a time when the "Outlaws' needed
1t. He then became as stanch an National
Cyclist association man as he had been an
League of American Wheelmen partisan.
He did not, however, leave the League Of
American Wheelmen entirely, for he con-
tinued to hold his office, but some OF his
utterances were so strong against the
League of American Wheelmen's policy as
to sufficiently warrant his removal. How
ever, the racing board did not take any
action until after Mears had acted as one
Of the officials at the Waltham meeting last
week, when he was suspended for a year
flor refusal to enforce the racing rules and
unfair conduct" Just the exact nature OF
Mr.. Mears' offense is not known, but Chair
man Gerlach's statement is that "he re-
fused to enforce the racing rules" which
looks as If, although an officer in the League
Of American Wheelmen, he has decided that
the parent body is in the wrong, and VIII
not be bound by its rules in the future.
A new idea in lamps. that is as valuable
as it Is original. has just been executed by
a New England concern, although the de-
vice is not yet on the market. The scheme
is one that will enable a rider to turn the
top of his lamp so as to throw the light
to one side or behind him. The arrange
ment is in connection with an acetylene
burner. and in perfecting 1t the Yankee
maker has improved upon a French idea.
Those who visited cycle shows last year
might have seen a lamp that caused gen.
eral puzzling. 1t was an acetylene lamp
with the burner set horizontally, so that
the flame fiared to the front. 1t had a
porcelain-lined reflector behind 1t. but in
front there was no door or protecting lens.
1t was exposed to the wind, and yet would
not blow out. The Yankee maker has
adopted this idea and made his regular gas
lamp with a detachable top, SO that a GUS
toner may buy, as a supplementary part, a
top provided with one Of these exposed
burners and screw 1t into place. BY means
of an ingenious joint the French style OF
top may be swung around SO as to point In
any direction and be used as a searchlight,
to throw a broad glare upon any person or
object on either side Of the road, or behind.
In the detail OF construction the New Eng
land manufacturer has made one more point
OF advance on the French idea, by surround
ing the burner itself with a perforated
thimble, which is a safeguard against the
wind.
Arthur Gardiner, the Chicago cyclist who
recently announced his retirement, has de-
cided to return to the path. After his de-
feat In the middle-distance paced race at
Manhattan Beach over a month ago the
professional crack left his companions and
announced that he intended to abandon the
game and settle down to a business career.