The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-07-22
FAST TINE EXPECTED
LONG STRING OF PROFESSIONALS
AND AMATEURS FOR THE
BICYCLE RACES
NAT BUTLER TALKS FREELY

the City and Are Housed at the
WindsOr-They Came Direct From
Ottumwa, To-, Where Two Rec
Ords Were LOwered-NatiOnaI
Championship Fixed at One Mile.
Unless Jupiter Pluvius interferes with
the well made plans of the promoters Oh
the cycle races which are to be held at
Lexington park this afternoon under the
sanction of the League of American
Wheelmen, St. Paul wheelmen will be
treated to some exhibitions of very fast
riding by the long string of professionals
and amateurs that have entered the
races.
Five of the circuit riders who are to
participate arrived in the city yesterday
afternoon, and are quartered at the
Windsor hotel. The string includes Tom
and Nat Butler, Angus Mcleod, Charles
Mccarthy and Harley Davidson. The
men are all in excellent shape, and have
been riding in fast form since the open
ing of the national circuit at st. Louis,
July 18th. The party arrived in st. Paul
yesterday afternoon over the Milwaukee
from Ottumwa, To-, where two records
were broken, and some very fast races
put up early in the week. The men were
all in excellent spirits, and barring a gen.
eral fatigue incident to a days travelling
on the train, the five men were in good
form, and took trial spin over the Lex
ington park track yesterday afternoon.
Nat Butler, a very gentlemanly young
man i'll negligee shirt and straw hat, was
seen by a G o e man at the Windsor
last night and said
1.-The dirt track at Lexington park is
one of the best tracks of it's kind that L
have seen. We have found more cement
and board tracks than dirt. the former
being as rule considered much faster,
but your Lexington park track appears
to be in fine shape for good time tomor%
row.
81 think a mile record of LIS, or even
1:20, is possibility Of the future, If in
deed not of the present season. With the
acquisition Of the steam pacing machines
and their successful operation some Won
derful things will be done on the wheel
Major Taylor, before he left US, was max
ing very fast time, and it was a swift
game at all times between the colored
rider and the other members of the string
for leadership. Some days he would win
and the next day my brother, Mcleod,
Mccarthy or myself would come in first.
LII getting IIiO WOIlQ Illl6 ISCOtu UOW IL
to lbs it is largely a matter of getting
the proper pace, and since the artificial
method has proven successful, the close
of the present season may see track rec
ords somewhat changed around
cat Ottumwa my brother lowered the
mile competition record from 2:02 2-5 to
POI, and Mcleod beat the worlds record
on a ten-lap track. The people down
there went wild over the races, and we
11o
Iowa wheelmen.
''Dreher, the speedy Cleveland rider, fell
In one of the heats at Ottumwa and
broke his collar bone. He was one of tie
fastest men in the string and had made
an excellent showing during the time that
he was with US Carman, another fast
Canadian rider who was to have entered,
met with an accident on the Canadian
circuit day before yesterday and, I I'M
derstand, will not be here. You can look
for some remarkable performances on the
wheel during the remainder of the sea-
SON." said Mr.. Butler, as he hurried off
to bed in response to a rejOinder from one
of his trainers.
Harley Davidson has been in Canada
for some time past, and in order to make
the st. Paul meet he has been on the
road for two days. He put in a good
portion of the day yesterday in securing
a much needed rest.
A match race between Angus Mcleod
and Nat Fuller for a special purse hung
up by the promoters has been arranged
for and will be pulled off if the patronage
Is sufficient to warrant the additional ex-
pense. The event will be one mile tan
dem paced, with the last quarter Of Ian
run alone.
A. D. Smith decided yesterday after
noon to place the distance for the ma
tiCnal championship event at one mile.
In this race only the first and second
men in each heat, with the third in the
fastest, will qualify for the final
Charles HOfer, 3. B. Bird and J. J.
Schwartz are among the local profession
ais that will compete in the open events.
1t will be a matter of interest to local
Wheelmen to know that Charles Hofer
mas sufficiently recovered from the sprain
that he received at GAINESVILLE to enter
in tod&Y's races. There is an OId-tin1e
rivalry existing between Hofer and Bird
Tor honors In the professional field. and
the circuit men will not have things all
their own way. All the races will be
paced by SINGLES, tandems and triplets.
Harley Davidson is an old-time favori+a
with Twin City wheelmen. and If bo
puts his former spirit into his work he
may carry away some of the prize money!.
and not for q minor position at that
Another new feature that has been added
TO the programme is ar exhibition mile
by Tom Butler, to be paced by tandem
and triplet.
The finishing touches will be put on the
track this morning. The course is as fest
as It has ever been, and unless there is
heavy downfall of rain. it is almosr p
certainty that some track and state roc
crds will be lowered
The events will be started at 2:3O n. m
and pulled off with as little DELAY as nns-
sible Seibert's full military band will
add to the interest of the races and ren-
der carefully selected programme of
popular airs. The street car company has
arranged for special service on the inter-
urban line.
COLUMBIA AND DEFENDER.