Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-07-11
Champion and Mclean to
Race Here Tuesday Night.
COLISEUM MEET JULYl5
GREAT SPEED AND ENDURANCE
CONTEST PROMISED.
Both Racers Have Nine H. P. Tandems
National Circuit Meet Here on
Wednesday, July %.

Inc dlhCuIty the Coliseum mas mad IN Sc
curing star cycle attractions for the weekly
meet nights seems to be past, as next Tues
day. July IL. there will be a great contest
between Albert Champion, the present
leader for championship honors, and Hugh
Mclean, the speedy New England rider
On the following Friday night of the same
week there viii be the biggest amateur mo-
tor-paced and sprint meet ever arranged in
the District with possibly a couple Of pro-
fessiOnal motor PAGERS to add interest, and
then on Wednesday, July %. the first meet
here of the grand national circuit will be
held. with all the great riders, including
Frank Kramer, the present champion
sprinter; Eddie Bald. the ex-champion and
probably Major Taylor. if he reaches this
country from abroad in time.
Renew the Boom.
These three events will renew the boom in
cycle racing that Manager OsgOod started
SO vigorously, but which has had setbacks
through the inability TO secure proper at
fractions for the weekly meet night.
Mr.. OsgOOd was fortunate to secure
Champion and Mclean. they will make
better race even than Freeman against
Champion. as Mclean is speedier rider
than the OregOnian. But in order to get
them a heavy guarantee had to be given.
The Coliseum mana cement did not hesitate
TO do this as 1t is convinced that If any
race Is worth going to see the public will
turn out in great numbers to witness Cham
pion smashing his own world-beating
records. Champions purpose in coming
back here is to overthrow his marvellous
work when last here. This seems very pos
sible. as he is riding now better than ever.
Mclean is a better man than HinsOn,
whom he defeated several times last sea-
son. Hinson retires from the game for
good Saturday night. and his manager.
Colonel Sheehan. selected Mclean to fill
his place. For the first time here. both
stars will each have two nine horsepower
motors for their tandems An amateur
motor-paced race will be given.
Shortage of Stars.
The situation that has resulted dis
agreeablS for the Coliseum here the last
two weeks is easy to comprehend. There
are eleven Coliseum tracks in active opera
tion now. counting those at Charles River
Park, Revere Beach, Hartford, New Haven,
Worcester. Providence, Manhattan Beach,
Atlantic City, Baltimore. Washington and
Pittsburg. and when Philadelphia opens
there Will be twelve At the present time
there are but fifteen motor-pace followers
worth booking. comprising Champion, Nc
Lean. Fixes. WalthOur, Freeman. McFar-
land. Hall. De Guichard Moran, Caldwell.
Nelson, Monroe, Butler, Leander and Law
Son. Some of these are not over strong
drawing cards. but they help to swell the
list. With eleven or twelve tracks having
one to two meets a week and but fifteen men
to book from, it is easy to be seen that GER
tain of the tracks must suffer. In fact, the
New England tracks are mOnOpOiiZing all
the good pace followers, making it impOssi-
Bile for the southern and western tracks TO
get attractions unless they are willing to
give up prohibitive guarantees. Tracks like
Charles River Park and Manhattan Beach
do land office business with gate receipts
amounting to from 81 900 to ZOO a meet
highland they have been holding seldom less
than two meets week at all the New Eng
land places. With such bait before them
1t is plain why the riders prefer to stay in
New England rather than go where their
share of the gate receipts cuts but small
figure compared with the big dividends
they draw from the two or three resort
tracks.
Control the Best Men.
Moreover the owners Of these tracks can
afford to regularly employ the best pace
followers and that is the case at the pres
ent time. Manager Howe of the Charles
River track controls Fixes and Walthour
P. o. Sheehan of the Providence Coliseum
has Hinson. DeGuichard and Mclean; Wat
son Coleman OF the Revere track has
Moran, and Elmer of Hartford has Cald-
well
These managers as long they need
their stars long they make
matc-es for their own tracks will not let
them get further away than Manhattan
Beach. II they do. they ask a guarantee
that means they want all the gate money
Howe. the manager of Fixes and Walthour
refuses to let them come to Washington for
less than 500 each, or co per cent Of the
gross receipts a race. The same or almost
eXorbitant terms are demanded by the
other managers. If such guarantees are
given the riders il means that one race be-
tween two men will cost track like the
Coliseum here not less than $500 for the
motor PAGERS, about $50 more for motor
tandem event and from $50 to 500 addition
al for amateur prizes. in all about 5000.
AS 500 and audiences don't grow on bushes
1t can be seen that the lot of the manager of
coliseum track is not happy one
Unexpected Obstacles.
Still there would be money to be made
out of the meets if there positive as
surance that there would always be a good
race. But fine stars may be booked, big
guarantees given and great audience on
hand, and then, 10 and behold, there's rain
or the motors get ION the bum as they
say. and then the audience is either sent
away with rain checks or chafes and fire. is
because of delays. Meantime the lu:kless
manager tears his hair and VOWS he'll throw
the whole thing up. And, too, the audiences
get fractions. and perhaps at The very next
meet therein be perftc CT dream of race
with only half house 10 witness it.
It's a hard proposition 20 get evenly
matched. good men, every week. and then
pull off a without delays or m!sha ps
Mr.. Osgood believes that is an arcadian
dream, Judging from his own experience
Nevertheless ne goes patiently onward
nagg!ing with the managers Of stars IL
the effort to bring them here. even If he
has to guarantee that they'll be fed or
nothing but angels food while here, anC
hoping that each meet VII hc sattisfa CT DRY
to the generous crowds he has succeeded IL
drawing to the track. All he asks now is
little forbearance ne believes that afte
July %. 1t will be possible to get one goot
meet week. possibly two, until as late a
the middle of October.
When the season is over and gone il vii
be realized that he will have given Wash
tngtOn the best meets ever held here. u
TO the present he has conquered every OBJ
stacle but the responsibility Of rider
who fail to keep their dates here and tn
delays and waits due to bum motors.
An Explanation.
The meet announced for last Wednes
Gay night between Lawson and Wilson wa
spoiled by the manager of Lawson, VIII
failed to provide himself with motors 4
,iy he 81