The Washington times., 1902-04-13
OF INTEREST TO
FOLLOWERS OF CYCLING
Champion, Hall and McFar-
land at the Coliseum.
Amateurs Preparing for the Season
Willie Fem in Condition-"Plunger
Bill" Rutz Wants a Match.

AS soon as the weather settles the ANA
teur bicycle riders will turn out in force
to train on the track at the big Coliseum
at Fourteenth and East Capitol Streets.
Manager Osgood has completed his
preparations for the care of the local
talent, and they will find more accom-
modations and privileges at their disposal
than ever before. The liberal spirit dis
played by the new management has done
more than anything else to revive inter-
est in bicycling, and the amateurs are
experiencing much the same ambitious
aspirations for championship honors and
track records as in the great days OF
1s94-95 and succeeding years.
Mcfarland, Champion, and Hall.
In spite of the rainy weather Of the
past week, the training OF the cycle
giants, Champion. Hall. and Mcfarland.
has drawn crowds daily to the Coliseum.
Champion has gone to Boston for the
great Brassard race on the 10Th instant, in
which he will meet Walthour, Leander,
Maya, and other crack riders behind the
flying motors. Champion has astonished
the whole cycling world by his training
record here, and his time per mile during
his twenty mile daily workouts has ex-
ceeded that of any other rider Il. prep
aration for the Hub meeting. Hall is
getting in find shape, and his weight is
coming down to the proper limit in a way
to cause his managers to anticipate rec
ord work from him when the season opens-
The Coliseum bIeachers will be erected
during this week. as the contract has
been let to Contractor James L. Parsons.
who constructed the big track. The
Western Union Telegraph Company and
the local phone company will run wires
to the Coliseum. and will be prepared to
send the news of the races to all parts
of the country.
Willie Fem in Condition.
Having trained but very little during his
racing career Willie Fem is astonished
with the condition which steady training
has given him at Atlanta. Fem is far
from being in shape now, but he is iif,-
proving daily, and there is every promise
that he will attain one of the foremost
positions among the pace followers of the
year. Fenn's ability on the wheel comes
to him naturally and in warm weather
he rounds into shape hurriedly. Atlanta's
spring weather has been colder this year
tudu III d uecdut anu InlS mas
retarded Fenn's conditioning. There is
promise Of steady warm weather now and
his training quarters will be moved to
Savannah, where the weather is steadier
and much warmer, owing to the proximity
of the salt water. Here he will remain
until late in May.
Great Brassard Race.
With Bobbie Walthour, Albert Cham
pion, Cesar Simar, Otto Maya, Charlie
Mcconnell, George Leander and number
of others, as competitors for the great
Brassard race at Charles River Park
April 10. Manager Howe has a line field
The race Is of an hour duration and
the winner receives 81 day for six weeks,
o. until May 80, and the right to meet
Harry Elkes in the first race of that
rider upon his return to America.
Bobbie Walthour's success in jumping
from the sprfnting class to the front
ranks of the pace followers within year
may be duplicated by Hugh Mclean. OF
Chelsea, whose work in training has been
OF the highest order.
Johnnie Lake Again.
Johnnie Lake, of Staten Island. has Sc
cured Frank Calvin, the great Hartford
unpaced rider, as trainer and motor man.
Lake is about to close with two very
prominent motor men, and will supply
himself with Il tandem team and single
rider for motor bicycle, which he is
now having constructed. Lake enters the
paced field to gain success this season,
and is very determined.
Plunger Bill Rutz.
"Plunger Bill" Rutz, of New Haven, as
pires to lead the van il the field of paced
racing. Rutz aims to secure the speed by
two months OF hard consistent training.
He has grit beyond the ordinary, and be-
ing fighter at all times, and a very dis
tinct success as a six-day rider, with
second honors to his credit at Boston,
third at Philadelphia, and first at Atlanta.
in all of which races George Leander was
his sprinting mate. Rutz figures upon
attaining prominent position back of
the motors. He received a setback after
the Atlanta race, and in his paced race
against Walthour failed to hold his own,
and has therefore started his training
again at road work, from which he will
gradually round 10 track work again.
Fearless Joe Nelson.
The death of Johnnie Nelson, who met
with his disastrous accident in a paced
race, left absolutely not sign of fear IN
Joe Nelson, who became, if anything,
more determined to achieve success in
his chosen field of work. Young Nelson
is fatalist pure and simple, and he
looked upon the death of Johnnie with
calm demeanor, although, of course,
grieved beyond measure that fate should
have taken Johnnie at such time when
at the top of his career. Grim determina-
tion to gain the place left vacant by John
ME will make Joe a great rider even
without his spleidid form and disposition.
Fortunately for him he was just round
ing into his proper development last sea-
son and by his patient work he quickened
that development until he gained during
the winter his full size, being now a we'll
trained and developed athlete.
Lawson Is Recovering.
Gussie Lawson. the now Terrible Swede,
is recovering from the attack of typhoid
fever of last winter which left him so
weak that he found it impossible to enter
early training. Lawson has made such
name for himself as a pacemaker that he
is promised profitable employment riding
a single for the year to come even though
he should not find it possible to take up
paced work.