The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-09-30

lengths in a Hfty mile lndlcn IdSe a.
the Salt Palace track, before crowd
that was variously estimated at be-
tween 5000 and 5000 people. 1t was
the most wonderful race that Salt
Lake has ever seen and it was wit
messed by the largest crowd that has
ever gathered at any athletic event IN
the history of the city. Chapman RODE
the fifty miles in As, which is within
a little over a minute of Frank Wal
Ier's record of 14S.1S made at Balu-
more on Sept. 9, 1898.
Never was such an interesting and
exciting race seen in Salt Lake. There
was not a dull moment in the whole
length of it. Now one, now the other
was ahead. The changing Of pace
makers every few miles gave the men
an opportunity TO jockey for positions
each time and the pretty headwork
the showed, the way they fought for
every inch of advantage kept the
crowd up to bowling pitch throughout
the long race.
Crowd Was a Sight.
And the crowd itself was worth going
miles to see. For two hours before the
race began every street car bound
Palacewards had been crowded to the
footboards. At o'clock, an hour be-
fore the time of beginning the races
the big arena had every available inch
of space filled with excited humanity.
And still they were coming. The gates
were besieged with throngs that covered
the streets with struggling hundreds.
They filled the two-bit seats and then
they overlooked into the reserved sec
ton and took il by storm. With every
seat and every perching place which
gave view of the track occupied, the
greed of the management ought to have
been satisfied, hut it was not. Di
rector General Colborn came painting
and perspiring into the arena at 1880
and consulted hurriedly with the Of
fcials.
i've stopped the sale of seats" he
said, but there are thousands outside
that cannot get in. III have to turn
them in here. There's no place else
for them"
Let Them Into the Arena.
And against the protests Of Of
ficials and riders the crowd was al
lowed to stream in. In second the
riders entrance was vomiting forth
people by the hundreds. They came
rushing from the outer darkness as
though propelled by catapult or
ground out by some gigantic hopper.
Not men and boys alone, either, for
full half of them were ladies'. As by
magic the center of the amphitheatre
was damned with people until there
was scarce elbow room left. They sur
rounded the band until the music
sounded as if it came out of the bottom
of barrel, and they forced the Of
ficials to flee for safety to the press
table. Mounting it as upon an island
in the sea of people they chung there
tgether. Understanding until the frail
structure gave way and let them down
again with a crash to the level of hoi
folloi. All through the race the crowd
sat or stood, never once evincing signs
of WEAKNESS and thinking not for a
moment of departing even though the
race lasted all night
Late In Starting.
With the difficulty in handling the
crowd it was nearly $50 before the
preliminary race, a mile amateur
handicap was started. The men were
handicapped for half mile, but by a
mistake in the programme they rode
a mile. The limit man, A. E. Wilson
had but sixty-five yards, and of course /
it was an easy race for Eddie Smith
the scratch man. He caught the others
in three laps and finished three lengths
to the good. Lawrence Beck, twenty
five yards, and ]. NJ. HOLSTER, thirty
yards, had an exciting race for second
place, Beck winning by bare tires
width. 1t was HOLSTERS first race
and he is evidently an acquisition to
the amateur ranks, for dispite the diff
ficulty ne had in negotiating the sharp |
curves he easily ran away from the /
others save Smith and Beck The time
was PA S-5.
Big Race Is Called.
Then came the big race for which |
the crowd had been waiting. The bet /
ting had been heavy on the race all the /
rsfs, rls .,l,t in, I
sons favor. 10 to 8, for many did not |
believe that Chapman could ride fifty /
miles and finish. in any kind of shape 4
Both men We're vociferously greeted |
when they came out for their preiim-
mary canter. There was further delay
in getting the crowd back from the +
track, and then Lawson's motorcycle.
with julius steering and Furman in
the engineers seat came out and start
ed around
Chapman Takes the Lead.
once, twice, it made the circuit. and
the pistol cracked and they were off
There was a roar of greeting as Chap
man sprinted away and caught the
motor, Lawson lacking on behind. The
first quarter was covered in 81 2-5. the
half in 1:04. the three quarters in 1:4G
and the mile in 2:11 2-5. The second
was trifie slower. as each was watch
ing the Ot0eT, ana thurman let them
go as they pleased. The two miles were
covered in s:1S, and then the pace be-
gan TO go faster, for they flashed across
the tape on the third mile in 6:26, and
the fourth in $780,
Then Manager ShefslSi sent in Bra
Fer and Weller on a tandem TO relieve
the monotony of the race. This started
the fun. Lawson caught the tandem
but Chapman was not satisfied to trail
so he sDidnted past, dropped down to
the pole and forced Lawson away from
the pace. How the crowd did veil at
that but Lawson was equal to the
emergency, and he, too. ran around and
took the pace away, while everybody
roared gleefully. Again did Chapman
go around. and this time Lawson let
him keep the pace and he fell back to
the rear of the procession. For the five
miles the time was 10:40 3-5. and Chat
fee and Caine relieved Brazier and Wei
Ter. Again the same spectacular jock
eying for positions took place Six
miles were covered in 1916. and Tllr-
vide and Lawson came in on a tandem.
Fighting For Position.
For several miles it was a constant
hard fight for place, while neither could
have received much benefit of the pace.
The motorcycle came in on the eighth
mile and the fight was fierce, Lawson
finally securing the position in its rear.
Chapman seemed to be bit weary
here, but the Swede was riding easily
and seemed strong. For the next six
mile; ii was steady grind, the pace