The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-07-14


b. J. Epp, Chicago.
Nothing could have been more sue
cessful than the road race around Lake
Como held yesterday afternoon under
the auspices of the local Century Road
club. The racing was keen, the ar
engagements perfect and the enthusiasm
intense. That it was perhaps the hot
test day Of the year was the only draw
Aack, and the time made by the men
q the face of the terrific heat, was, the
epudition Of the track cons idered, little
snort Of wonderful
Forty-one riders answered the start
er's gun, and the contestants were sent
froa the mark with absolute precision
In previous years, mach hard feeling
has been engendered by a suspicion that
the scoring was not as perfect as it
might be, and many riders have been
known TO protest vigorously against the
decision of the judges. Yesterday none
of this unpleasantness was in evidence.
She system of scoring was absolutely
accurate, and the exact position of every
rider was known almost the instant he
crossed the line. In order to guard
against mistakes, a triple check was
kept on the riders, and at the close of
the days racing it was found that all
Of the Independent scores tailed in every
respect.
PLUCKY ST. PAUL RIDER.
NJ ]. Dempsey, the 81. Paul rider who
won the first place prize deserves every
credit for the pluclly ride he made. In
the first twenty-five miles he was not
heard from, being engaged in overhaul
ing the riders who We're ahead OF him.
He started from the forty minute mark.
and there were sixteen men in front of
hun, some Of whom were much speedier
than had been anticipated He crossed
the twenty hve-nlile post away down in
the list, but at the end of fifty miles
he was second only Karl Johnson, Of
Minneapolis, being in front of him. The
two had a bruising race OF 1t to the
finish, but the superior staying power
of the st. Paul man finally enabled him
To. cross the winning point nearly eight
minutes m advance of his rival.
James McII-ath was another whose
showing won him the applause of all
who knew him. Starting from the
thirty-minute limit, when he was feel
ing almost too III to mount a wheel he
lost almost the entire advantage of ais
handicap in the first twenty-five miles
no the encouraging shouts Of his friends
he replied with Respondent shakes Of the
head, but in the second fifty miles his
strength returned and on one occasion
he overhauled the scratch men, and
gained almost q lap on them. That he
Kept up this good work the list of posi-
lions shows:
The scratch bunch were up against a
hard game and they knew it. and started
off at an awful clip which took them
around the first lap in five minutes and
the first nine laps We're negotiated in
less than fifty minutes. With Tom Bird
Well in the lead the scratch men conf
pletod the first twenty-five miles in
1:09'S5. They We're at this time travelling
at a tremendous pace and had killed off
most of the men who had started less
than twenty-five minutes in front CT
them Alternating in making the pace,
the party slowly crept up on the others
gaining a lap in about every four. This
continued up to the twenty-ffth lap, when
the Chicago men stole a pretty march
on the local bunch
BIRD DROPS OUT.
Harbert, apparently in difficulties. had
fallen back almost a lap, picking up
Blum as the latter swung around a cor
ner In advance Of the other scratch men.
and before anyone realized what had
happened the two commenced a tremen
dous sprint, which brought them around
10 the judges stand a quarter of a mile
IN the lead, Bird attempted to 20 after
them but the task was too great, and
she next lap saw the gap Increased to
5.most half mile. Continuing to gain,
Che Chicago crack finally gained q Ian
en- the st. Paul rider who save up. ut
early overcome by the heat He ex-
planned his prostration as due to the prac-
tice of a number Of boys stationed at
one corner Of the course, who with the
Best intentions in the world, drenched him
with water every time he came around.
rms proved extremely weakening in the
3ace of the blistering weather and Tom
was hnaIy forced to give up, and. with
nm out it was a foregope conclusion
that Blum would capture the time prize
which he did with ease.
The usual list Of minor accidents was
recorded, and some Of the riders expert
enced the hardest kind of luck c. R.
Distler, for instance, when he was riding
strongly and gaining rapidly on the field
was struck by a bucket which a friend
lhrew with the Idea of cooling him off
with the contents. Unfortunately the
bucket itself accompanied the water and
struck Distler in the face. throwing him
from his mount and inflicting INJURIES
which prevented his continuing.
X. NJ. Nystrum, OF this city. one of the
limit men, was seized with cramps after
leading the field for the first twentv-fve
miles and being well up at the nftv. He
was complmented by the officials Of the
day on his excellent showing. w. A. Pow
ers experienced a bad fall after going
four laps and was forced to give IN. az
was also Win Calender, who came To
grlet through a puncture. Quite few
OF those who experienced delays from
TINS cause found brand new tacks in their
tires, and Ben Heiger was lucky enough
TO discover one in his lust before the
starters gun was fired. Drach, Of Chi
cago, was disqualified for loaflng and
pacing his teammates whenever onnor~
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