The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-09-02

nual grand circuit meet of the West
End Wheelmen at West Side park,
Wilkes Barre, yesterday. 1t was the
first meet to be held these parts un-
der the auspices of the National Cy
cling association, and 1t is safe to say
it will not be the last, judging from
it's success.
Some of the best men in the coun-
try were among the contestants and
as an additional and highly novel feat
ure there was a motorcycle paced
race between two of the most famous
of long distance men, Miller, the
worlds champion, and Henry Cald-
| well, the middle distance crack of Bos-
ton.
Among the most noted of the parti
| cipants were Earl Kiser, Tommy Coop
er, Hardy Downing, the Sims Brothers,
A. c. Mertens. Bob Walthour AL New
| house, +. ID. Stevens, Jay Eaton, Otto
| Mayo, John T. Fisher, Frank l.. Kra-
| mer, national amateur champion;
| George II. Collet, John II. Lake, War
| rem XurbrCk, f. A. Mcfarland, II. +.
| Freeman, owen Kmble, nearly all Of
| whom have or have recently had a
| national championship of some kind
in their possession. Miller proved the
| big favorlte. When he was intro
duced, with mention of his great per-
| formances in the six day races and
in the seventy-two and one hundred
hours races in France, there was loud
and long applause.
TRACK WAS FAST.
| The track was in fine condition and
| the day was perfect for racing, cloudy,
windless and just the proper tempera-
| ture. AleXander's band occupied a
pavilion alongside the judges stand
and enlivened the finishes and re-
cesses as only Alexander and his men
can do.
The feature Of the racing was the
failure Of Tommy Cooper to get a
place. He was looked upon as q fairly
sure winner of the mile championship
but disappointed everybody by falling
down completely. This is his style
however, strong one day and weak the
next. 1t is his turn to be strong to-
day.
In the matter of general interest
however, the motor cycles, or Internal
machines. as they have come to be
called, were the great feature. They
are certainly wonderful thing, ever
for these days of marvellous moving
machines. In appearance they are
like a tandem in action, they are &
cross between bicycle and an autI
mobile. In fact, they are both, fol
they can be propelled solely by tn,
rider or by the machinery withou
the aid of the rider. In a brief way
they are long tandems, carrying :
| N Mt ha on uip hot 10 ttt.p hna alc
The riders and engineer work in unison
the power contributed by all three be
ing concentrated at the high -geare,
rear wheel. The engine does the hare
work; the riders furnish the speed. Th
rear riders attends to the engin', a
we'll as helping to peddle. while tn
front rider sets the pace and does tn
steering.
MILE PROFESSIONAL
The first event. the one-mile profes
sonal. 2.10 class. developed an excitin
finish in each of the three heats AM
the final. The first heat was paced b.
Caldwell and was fast for a half-mil
unbanked track, 213 Us. Merten
paced the next two heats and brough
the string around in lively fashion I
the second, but allowed a loaf in tn
third, as the time, 2.23, indicates. Eato
} and Fisher, who held first and secon
place in the third heat, won the fina
in the same order
, The one-half mile open, amateur, wa
run in three heats. In the first hea
Frank L. Kramer, of New York, tn
; amateur champion, had as his com
: petitors George II. Collett, of Me-
Haven, who won three short distanc
, championships at Indianapolis las
! year. Elmer j. Willman and Russell 7
Pohl, of Wilkes Barre, also ran. Pol
had a spill at the first turn, but pickle
. himself up and actually passed III
champion and Collett but they didn
stay passed for more than few SEE
. onds. Kramer jumped in and took th
= lead easily and came listlessly unde
2 the wire, leading Collett by a wheel
3 Aaron Zurbrick, of Buffalo; ]. I
, Lake, of New York, and Andrew Gafi
e ney of Wilkes Barre, made a clos
and exciting finish in the second hea
l Hurbrick and Lake crossed the tape
the same instant and a dead heat va
! declared. Some thought this would er
T title Gaffney to a place in the final, bl
n they were disappointed when Il
judges announced that he must be COZ
sidered a third when there were tv
$ firsts
! The third heat was a veritable LOT
and the crowd yelled for them to
called back. q. Burt Hart, Villa
Croughn, Charles Neubler and C.
= Brown, all Of Wilkes Barre, were Il
It starters, Hart won, with Brown Sc