Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-07-25
National Circuit Riders on the
Coliseum Track.
LARGEST ATTENDANCE OF TIE SEASON
Washington Team Badly Beaten
at Chicago.
CURRENT SPORTING NEWS

| The largest crowd that has ever wit
messed bicycle meet in this city assem-
| bled at the Coliseum last evening to wit
ness the opening races of the national
| circuit, held under the directing eye OF the
| National Racing Association. AS early as
| & o'clock the spectators began to gather
around the box Office and from the time
the little window was pushed open until
| after the first event had been started a
solid stream of sweating humanity poured
| into the park. The inner ring held about
| $500 persons, while fully 1900 more were
| on the stands. 1t was jolly crowd too.
| the short delays being taken in the proper
spirit. and everything passed of in such
a satisfactory manner as to call forth COM
mendation for the park officials.
Last night will doubtless go down into
bicycle racing annals as I" 'Majah' Taylor's
night" He was the star Of the evening,
| before the races started and while they
We're in progress, and shone the brightest
| at the conclusion of the meeting. He had
all the crack sprinters of the country beat
| en- to a standstill. and the only events he
couldn't capture were the handicaps, and
his defeat was doubtless due to the fact
| that he couldn't get through the large field
! OF contestants. Taylor has been seen in
| the city before. and at that time there was
only one man who could take his measure
! That was Eddie Bald. But that great
sprinter has dropped by the wayside. and
| now the chocolate-colored boy has the field
| almost to himself. Tom Cooper Is a star
| now, but in those days he was the easiest
| sort of proposition for Taylor, and the way
| he trimmed Tom last night demonstrated
| this fact.
Kramer's Piucky Riding.
| Frank Kramer didn't get into Washing
| ton until o'clock last night, and came d.
| rect from a hospital where he has been
| dootoring the injuries received in the bad
| spill at New Haven last week. Kramer
| brought certificate with him from the pre-
| siding physician, telling him not to race,
| but for fear of dtspleasfng the spectators
| and to help out the park management he
| donned the spangles and went into the
races. The large scars on Kramer's arms
| and limbs could be easily seen. and his
suit covered yards of sticking plaster. I'm
| der these circumstances the East Orange
| showing, but the way he went around the
| track demonstrated that it will take but
| few meets to place him back in his proper
| form, as the only formidable rider that
! Major Taylor will have to defeat this sea-
| son to lead in the matter Of points scored
| The half mile circuit championship race
/ was the event Of the evening. bringing to-
| gether as it did Tom Cooper, Owen Kimble,
| Frank Kramer, Sydney Jenkins and How
| ard Gascoyne. the two latter being Eng
| lishmen. The event was run off in three
| preliminary heats, semi-fnal, two grand
| semi-finals and final.
Fierce Trial Heats.
The trial heats were something fierce
| from a racing point OF view. the riders
| sprinting like the wind at times and then
| loafing in way that would have opened
! the eyes Of the past masters In jockeying.
| Cooper and Taylor did this jockeying act
| to perfection In the semi-grand finals. and
| the game was very much to the Majors
liking. 1t would appear as though the
crack riders Of the country had their best
chance of defeating Taylor by making
| sprint Of it from start to finish. Instead
| they loafed around the track and then when
| 1t came down to a 200 yards sprint the COL
| ored boy simply made show of his COM
| petitors. That was how 1t turned out with
| Cooper last night. He ztg-zagged and crisis
| crossed all over the track for two laps,
| and then when the bell rang Taylor show
| ed him up in the most positive manner,
! winning by fully twenty feet.
Kramer won the first heat of the half
! mile event by fine squirt over Howard
| Freeman. Taylor came out for the first
time against Wilson and Gascoyne and had
| an easy thing Of it. Cooper and Jenkins
were entitled to the semi-finals, Cooper
| went wide on the turn and Jenkins won.
| The semi-f1nal brought together Taylor,
! Wilson. Cooper and jenkins. with Downing
| as pacemaker. The latter carried the quar-
| tet around at merry pace, the colored boy
| always in the rear. but on the last lap
| Taylor gave an exhibition of squirting that
was simply wonderful. The other riders
|
Major went around the field thor
| oughbred racer would run away from a
| cart horse.
| Freeman and Kramer fought it out in
| the grand semi-finals and as Frank was
| not in the best condition he had to lower
| his colOrs to the Oregon lad.
| Cooper and Taylor then went through the
| race. already described and Tom was In
| the nowhere class" This narrowed the
| field down to Freeman and Taylor The
former also did little jockeying. but the
| went around as a higher clip, but when
the sprint came 1t was case Of cash
ing your money on the 'Majah.'
Then came the handicap trials. In which
| Taylor had to do the act of follow your
| leader, Jacobson capturing the first; Free
man the second and Owen Kimble the third
| and final. Freeman being second.
| The Summary.
| Following are the summaries:
| One mile professional, 2.1O class-Won by
]. P. Jacobson; second Hardy Downing.
| Time. 2.22 1-5.
Half-mile circuit championships
| heat won by Frank l.. Kramer; second,
Howard Freeman. Time. LOS. Second heat
| won by Major Taylor; second Lester
| Wilson. Time. lib. Third heat won by
Sydney Jenkins; second. Tom Cooper. Time,
LA Semi-hnal won by Taylor; second,
| Cooper. Time, 1.OJ First grand semi
final won by Freeman. Time. 1.0O 2-5.
Second grand semi-final won by Taylor
| Taylor. Time. 1..6 3-5.
/. One-mile handicap-First heat won by J.
! p. Jacobson go yards). second; Frank L,
| Kraemer (scratch). third; r. ]. Gascoyne
| go yards),; fourth. Owen Kimble 40 yards).
| Time, 213 40.
| Second heat won by H. B. Freeman 40
yards): second. Hardy Downing go yards);
| third. AL Newhouse go yards); fourth,
| Major" Taylor. Time, 215 80.
Final heat won by Owen Kimble (4O
| yards): second. H. B. Freeman 90 yards);
third. 7. ]. Gascoyne 40 yards); fourth,
| Frank L. Kraemer, Time, 2.0e
| Where They Play Today.
| Washington at Chicago.
| Baltimore at Cleveland.
/ PHILADELPHIA at Detfnif