Evening star., 1899-07-08
CURRENT CYCLING CHAT.

| by w. H. Lewis, while a creditable feat.
| cannot be regarded satisfactory by those
! interested in local bicycle racing. That the
| race was clearly won by c. L. Miller there
| is no doubt. and while the referee decided
against Miller, disqualifying him and giving
| the event to Lewis, the decision did not
| strike all persons as being fair and impair
! tial. 1t may have been the misfortune of
| Miller that his brother was in the race. but
! If any other rider had made a jump and
| Miller accepted page from him it is doubt
full If the decision would have been rem
dered. -A.1r
! To those who are not fully acquainted
| with the matter Il might be stated that
the there were - thirteen e entries in the race. e
| each heat to qualify for the final. and the
| third man in the Fastest heat. Those ell
| gible for the final were w. H. Harrington.
| w H. Lewis, C.. Ii Miller. Otis Miller and
| H. A. Rhine. The Miller boys sep
| arated. and were not IN the same heat, each
| one qualifying upon his own riding merits.
| The final was perhaps as big loaf as
! any race everlseen at the track, and this
| fact in itself is another thing to make the
| race of July unworthy of the name of
championship event. The men simply rode
like snails around the board track. and it
was not until halfway round the last lap
| that the sprint commenced, and for the bal
| ance of the distance the riding lively.
The finish was. the only redeening por-
| LiOl Oh lHe entire race, ana II was as close
and pretty as one would wish to see.
| Miller won but he secured the victory on
! his merits, and the decision of Referee Con-
| molly was not so favorably received
might be the case, Perhaps the best thing
| that can be done under the circumstances
| is to run another event of the kind off dur
| ing the present season, and let the winner
| have the honor and credit without any
| cloud IL certainly seems though Lewis
would prefer to have the credit in a clean
and open race, and not have it said that he
secured the title of District champion
merely through a technicalfty and not on
| account of his merit. On the other hand
| the defeated riders in the contest would
| have absolutely no excuse whatever TO offer
| for the failure to win.
| The West Dent race meet scheduled for
next Thursday afternoon promises to be
| the most interesting event so far this sea-
| son. 1t is strictly colored meet, in which
| all the contestants will be the dusky riders,
| while the audience will probably consist
| of more white people than of the other
| color. The colored meet always attracts
| attention. and there is more fun to one
| event at a meet of this sort than can be
obtained at an entire meet of any other
| kind. The zeal and enthusiasm, coupled
| with the energy and speed displayed by the
| riders, are mirth-proyokinS to the last de-
gree.
| The program embraces a total of five
| events, including one-mile novice. All of
the events are confined to the amateur
| class, though it is sometimes hard mat
| ter to distinguish colored amateur from
a professional. The main race on the pro-
gram win be the one-lnile race for the
| coored championship of the District. This
| is the first time that race of this sort has
| been held, and it can be predicted that
every entrant in the meet will ride for this
honor The colOred riders seem to be more
eligible for this event than the white cy-
clists, and they seek the honor with a
| greater vim. The races will be held in the
afternoon and the list of events and prizes
are:
One-mile novice. amateur; prize, gold
| medal, valued at S15.
! One-mile District Of Columbia champion
| ship, amateur; prize, gold medal. valued
at 500.
| Two-mile handicap. amateur; prizes.
merchandise valued at SIS, $40 and So, for
| first. second and third men
One-third mile ooen, amateur; prizes,
merchandise valued at 500 $40 and So for
| first, second and third men, respectively.
One-mile tandem race, amateur: prizes.
merchandise valued at $50 and $40 for first
and second teams. respectively.
| The events will be run under the sanction
| of the National Cycling Association. and
all of the officials will be colored people, a
| departure from the custom of previous
years. when white officials were requested
| to serve.
1t is understood THAT Fred Schade, who
/ rode his first Iace Tuesday as an amateur,
will organize a circuit in Virginia, North
| and South Carolina for events to be run
| off the coming fall The circuit will take
| in all of the Htowens in the states named
which have a TRACK suitable for cycle rae
| ing. and which, have been heretofore used
| for this purpose. In anticipation of hold
| ing such circuit an effort will be made to
have North and possibly South Carolina
made a part of district C. which embraces
! Washington. Maryland, Pennsylvania and
| several other states in this locality.
| 1t is also announced that Schade will
shortly go north and enter match contests
/ Sgainst Collects Hauseman and the other
| alcRteur cracks 2around New York, who
are without any great rivals in that sec
| ton. Griffin Halstead will also probably
| take the trip ;aorth with Schade, and the
/ two ought to maseIquite good showing