Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-16

explained by telegram received late this
afternoon by Mr.. Osgood from Col. Shee-
man. dated Pittsburg, follows:
Could not get motors morning train.
Cannot ride tonight. VIII ride Baltimore
tomorrow and Washington Friday, If you
desire. SHEEHAN"
In spite of all the announcements in the
afternoon papers yesterday that the race
could not he held one of the largest crowds
ever drawn out for meet at the Coliseum
assembled at the big track last night. AS
usual 1t was representative assemblage
of the best people of the city, with eager
anticipations of exciting sport since Cham
pion was to be the principal contestant.
None of them had apprehended any diff
Guilty and apparently had not consulted the
press. as all were much surprised and taken
aback. Some were angry and vented their
spleen toward the luckess manager; others
regretted that tonight they had a previous
engagement; the majority said they would
come back If they felt sure there would be
a race. while a few stanch adherents of
the Coliseum track and management loudly
and strenuously maintained that the local
people were not at fault, and that the rid
ers and managers at the other tracks were
engaged in 'slamming it into" the Wash
tngton, Baltimore and Pittsburg tracks.
Other Tracks Suffer.
Finally the management made its last
apologies, the crowd dwindled away and
the Coliseum rested quietly in the moon
light for the balance of the night. Since
| misery loves company. 1t is some consola-
| ton to the Coliseum management to know
that the Baltimore and Atlantic City tracks
! so far as the Champion and Mclean series
OF races are concerned, are in the same DO
sition as the local bowl Their original
| night has had to be postponed, entailing
| trouble and loss. because experience shows
| that postponed nights always fall short Of
| the regular nights in the matter Of attend
| ance, although as the Champion-McLean
| event Is such an exceptional one 1t may be
| that the delay will only serve to draw out
| much larger crowd than was anticipated
1t Is rank injustice to charge the state of
| things that has existed at the Coliseum
this summer to the management. No man.
/ ager on earth can prevent motors from go
| Ing wrong or delays from arising. Cycle
| riders are very Independent lot, and fire.
| quently they go out of their way to harass
| manager by inflicting unnecessary de-
lays upon the audiences Then again.
| motors that have been keeping in tune and
| shape for a long time will suddenly and
unexpectedly become incapacitated, involv-
Ing long delay and patient labor to rectify
the conditions. Then, too, the impossiblity
of getting cycle stars and not HOLSTERS
for every weekly meet should not be charg-
| ed to the dscredit Of the local directors of
the meets. Riders cannot be made to come
ing made here they will ask terms that are
simply prohibittve and that no sane man
ager could accept.
Beset by Difficulties.
One or all Of these difficulties have beset
| the Coliseum this summer. and as a matter
| of fact the local track is not an exception
| In this regard. because all over the country
| In more or less serious degree, these same
conditions prevail except that at some
tracks there Is no difficulty in getting rid
| ers. These, as has been stated before in
| this column, are the New England Colise-
| ums, that are doing a thriving business in
| localities anording audiences five times as
/ great as could be drawn out here for the
pest event that could be obtained for Wash
| ington. II Is no wonder then that these
| tracks have a monopoly of the riders as
! long as they want them
The local management has realized that
| a successful season can only be had by Civ
Ing the public what Is wanted in the way Of
| cycle stars and fast races between men
equally matched and affording contests