The times., 1899-05-28
GOSSIP OF THE RIDERS.
News Notes About the BicycIists and
Their Doings.

News Notes About the BicycIists and
Their Doings.
Griffin Halstead son of Murat Hal
stead, has applied for reinstatement to the
National Cycling Association ranks, and
has had his application acted upon favor
ably. Young Halstead was considered one
CT the greatest amateur riders in the coun-
try. He captured eight of eleven firsts for
which he started last season, but had his
career cut short through a bad fall and
through the action of the l.. A. W. racing
board, which threw him professional be-
cause he would not answer the famous list
of forty-four questions. Halstead claimed
that he could not do so with honor, as he
wore watch won at Rock Hill, South Car
olina, which was above the regulation
value, although given as s35 first. The
fall which nearly closed his career in life
came while he was following pace on the
Washington track. He struck the rear
wheel and in shooting through fence
fractured his jaw. knocked a half dozen
teeth out of his mouth. and took all but
few inches of skin off one side OF his
body. The teeth have been replaced with
artificial teeth which defy detection now
and the terrible cut in the left Jaw is SO
nicely healed as to leave no scar. Young
Halstead is the chief of the pages in the
House OF Representatives, and may decide
now to re-enter the game this year, al
though his family was so frightened over
his accident that they forbade him ever to
mount 4 wheel again. Il have been told, >"
said he, that that fall had taken my nerve
away from me. 1t was bad, but yet have
plenty of nerve. and will try again
guess" Halstead and Fred Schade, should
the latter be reinstated also, as he has
asked to be, will again form a tandem
team which will stand ready to meet any
other team of the world in the amateur
ranks. Hausman and Collett have prom
ised to take them on.
Kent and Henshaw, the crack Boston
tandem team, are in receipt of numerous
offers of purses for match races IN line
with the challenge issued by them last
winter. backed by a deposit of a $100-bill
for side bet. Flushing offers 800 for the
New York State circuit opening meet June
for a race between this team and gone
other. Washington also offers liberal
purse for a meeting between the crack
Sims brothers team and the Bostonians.
Waltham and Fall River each stood ready
to give liberal purse for the Butler
brothers and Kent and Henshaw, but the
former team is l.. A. w, preventing both
meetings. both of which might have been
arranged.
Articles have been signed for the ten
mile paced match race between Orlando
Stevens. the quarter and two-mile national
champion, and A. C. Moran, the Senator.
at Baltimore, Friday evening of next week.
Human pace will be employed in this con-
test for the first time this season. Stevens
enters the middle distances with this race.
Harry Elkes, the middle distance cham
pion. will do sprint racing during June,
following the New York State circuit ard
entering for all the open races. Elkes
is training at Waltham where he has a
pacing team of seven men, four of whom
will be regularly employed on the motor
machines to be completed before May 80
and three on a triplet. II is said that
EIkes intended to let his pacing team go.
but that the men held him to his season s
contract.
In England the motor pace was a
curiosity at the outset and people took
great interest in motor-paced contests at
the early meets. OF late it is said that
the opinion has gained ground that the
superiority of the riders was but q lues-
IlOu OIL LuB superiority VI int pacing
tillery 1t is claimed also that the change
of pace was one of the most interesting
features of middle distance contests and
that the dropping OF this feature robbed
the contests OF much of the exciting flavor.
The cycle racing team of Princeton Col
Iege. Captain Ripley and Beaham, entered
for the Baltimore meeting and signed en-
try blanks. After doing so they decided
not to go over from Washington. but upon
being told by the member of the n. C. A.
board of control that suspensions would
follow should they not make good their
entry, the collegians decided to go. The
question so often asked regarding the liza
bility of riders for their entries and re-
garding who would enforce the rules. were
the riders to refuse to live up TO their con-
tract, was quickly answered in this in
stance.
Baltimore's six-lap Colosseum track is in
reality an open track. The seats completely
surrounding the oval are covered, but the
track is in the open air. The shape and
bankings of the track met with the APPROX
al of the stars who competed there for the
first time Friday night last The air was
cool, but not too much so. and the light
ing was never excelled on a cycle track.
Everything was as light as day at all
points on the track Much of the senti-
ment against night racing disappeared in
smoke among the big men who competed
at this open meeting. The quarters for
the men were very complete and the ar
rangements in every way displayed the
master hand around a cycle track.
There is a general feeling in favor OF
sprint racing throughout the country
Track owners and race meet promoters
lean toward the shorter and sharper con-
tests. Few of the big meets of former
seasons at which a middle distance race
was the sole attraction, are being discuss
ed and the leading middle distance men
themselves with the possible exception oi
McDuffee, favor sprint racing as a money
maker. There will, of course, be great
many big races, but sprint races will fill
in the programmes and the stars of this
class will not be excluded, as was so otter
the case last season. Motor pace and tht
decrease in the expenses of the riders have
not diminished the demand for purses ant
meet promoters at present hold back il
the matter.
The superior condition shown by the cy-
Gle champions. Eddie Bald. Tom Cooper
Kimble Mcfarland. Stevens. Freeman
Downing, Harry Elkes and the certainty
that Gardiner will ride faster than ever
is the best recommendation for the com
ing seasons certain success. Newcomer;
- ,bo goIl Mill odd tn ha