The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-06-26
FAMOUS WHEELMEN.

| "
Probably the most famous cyclist in
| the world today is Jimmy Michael, the
| midget cycling wonder, who for years
| has been acknowledged the fastest
man behind the pacing machines. The
| championship of four countries, which
| really means the championship of the
| world, has been Michael's honor on a
number of occasions. Born in Wales,
| Michael started riding in '94, winning
| the championship in Cardiff. He dis
continued his job as a butcher boy in
| order to take up cycling, and his won-
derful speed at home gave him courage
| to visit England in '95, where he cap
| tured first honors in every event. Dur
| ing the year of '96 the diminutive
| cyclist was the champion of France,
| and after defeating all the crack riders
came to America in the fall and scored
a notable victory over Starbuck at the
Quill Club meet.
Later in the year Michael lowered all
worlds records from two to ten miles,
| and it might be said at this time that
no rider has ever held as many records
as the Welsh Rarebit." At different
times the figures from two to one hun
dred miles, both against time and in
competition. have been credited to the
! name of Michael. Behind human pace
in '97 Michael defeated Tom Linton,
an oldtime rival for the championship
of the world. He also scored over Nc
Duttie, Lesna and Chase, who was con-
sidered the best middle distance rider
of England. Before the largest crowd
that ever attended a bicycle race in
Madison Square Garden, Michael low
cred the colors of Frank Starbuck, and
the little fellow has the honor of hav-
ing defeated every rider in America
who essays to follow the pacing ma
chimes. During 80 Michael, with a
bank account of probably $4,000,
thought the horse racing game more
suitable, and during the season min
gled with the followers of the sport
of kings" The end of the year found
his bank account somewhat depleted
owing to his riding and betting on
slow horses instead of on fast ones,
so that in 1900 he again took to the
racing game. He met with excellent
success last year, while this season, as
a member of the Columbia team, he
has already scored a couple of notable
victories. He Is prepared to meet any
rider in the world in IA paced race of
from twenty 10 HIty miles.
AS an amateur, Johnnie Nelson, of
Chicago. repeatedly lowered records
and gave promise of great ability when
he would graduate to the professional
ranks, That this promise has been
fulfilled is proven by his extraordinary
work of last year. when he won more
races than any two riders in the busi-
ness. Nelson comes from Swedish
parents, is twenty years of age, and
is rather small in build.
During the year of 1900 Nelson scored
the phenomenal record of thirty eight
victories out of total of forty-sX
races, lowering the colors of every
paced rider in America, excepting
Elkes, At Bridgeport on July 4th, he
| beat the worlds record from three to
thirty miles, while later in the month,
at Charles River Park, he was COM
PEELED to again lower records in order
to defeat Michaels, which he did by
the narrow margin of twenty yards.
on the coast in the spring Nelson
lowered Major Taylor's one emile COM
petition record of 1:4l 2-5 to 1374-5,
after the dusky riders figures had
withstood over five hundred paced
races since '9S. This season Nelson
promises unusually well, and during
the week beginning June 10th he de-
feated Champion on Monday night,
Tom Linton on Tuesday night, and
Stinson on Wednesday night, a record
without a parallel in cycle competi-
ton. Nelson rides Cleveland in all
his races and uses a l05 gear.
The best representative of France, so
far as distance racing is con-
cerned. is now in America in the per-
son of Edouard Taylore. better known
as French Taylore." This Is his third
invasion of America, and his record
proves beyond question that he should