Evening star., 1902-08-07
CYCLE RACE TONIGHT
Nelson-Butler Event Will Be
Run Off.
NELSON rs A WONDER
MANY RECORDS RECENTLY
BROKEN BY THE LAD.
Major Taylor Will Race Here With
the Circuit Riders We'd
nesday Next.
NELSON rs A WONDER

Rain prevented the motor-paced cycle
meet between Joe Nelson and Nat Butler at
the Coliseum last night, but it will take
place tonight, weather permitting, and as
both men have had a good rest since their
last race they may be expected to do better
in the way of speed than they would have
done last night.
When the postponement until tonight was
announced at the track last night Butler
insisted that he could not stop over, but
the Coliseum management refused to re-
lease Buffers motors unless he raced to-
night, as the contract for the riders pro-
vided that they should give a postponed
meet in case of rain Wednesday night.
Butler was therefore obliged to accede, and
the race tonight will come off as scheduled.
Buffers manager had arranged a meet for
him with Walthour at Springfield Mass,
tonight but the detention here will cause
poStponem6nt there. Manager Osgood
last night telegraphed Manager Blaney of
the Springfield track that he was deter
mined to hold Butler, and not permit him
to default on his contract here, as Cham
pion and De Guichard had done July 10.
In addition to the professional events to-
night there will be an amateur motor
paced race between Johnnie Hill and VIII
Ward, and also half-mile handicap.
Nelson is a Wonder.
Both Nelson and Butler spent the day
working out on the track, which is in espe-
cially fine condition.
Eighteen-year-ol Joe Nelson is a wonder
for the little sehoolboy, midget in stature
but giant in strength, cut deep into world
records in his great twenty-five-mile race
at Pittsburg last Saturday. The Pittsburg
officials did not have the record slate handy
at the time and the new find in cycling re-
ceived no credit for lowering the records Of
the great Frenchman, Champion. whose
f1ve-mile record he cut from 655 to 6.37; Of
Harry ElkeS, whose ten, fifteen and twenty
mile records he lowered, and of Champion
again, whose fastest finishing mile went
glimmerng. Nelson lowered the ten-mile
record of Elkes from 13. Al % to 1899. the
ffteen-miie record from q. 10 1-5 to 20.5S
and the twenty-mie record from 2S.33 to
2S16. He took three four -ffths of second
off Champions finishing mile, doing LIS 3-5.
In this last mile Nelson dropped his pace
at the tape on the homestretch, supposing
that 1t was the finish, but in reality he had
to finish the back stretch, and unpa ced
he went through in lis So. His probable
time without the slip would have been 116,
and of that time his managers believe him
capable at any time.
After the Big Riders.
Nelson now asks for races against Elkes.
Walthour, Champion, Mcfarland, Free
man, Mclean. De Guichard and others,
that he may demonstrate his speed. His
manager, r. Ed SpoOner, has written to
the various promoters asking that they ar
range races in the near future.
His work at PittSburg brought to young
Nelson the encomiums of the press. His
style is very much like that of Johnnie
Nelson, and he rides with an ease which is
not seen in other riders of the path. The
Pittsburg papers say that he was by far
the prettiest rider seen there this year, and
his gritty following of his pace was gen.
orally commented on. Nelson is provided
witt n 11p1 tod Cta in
never been questioned, for he has never
been known to quit in a race. He is pro-
vided with a novel pacing machine of the
ten-horse power variety, which has proven
more reliable than any other machine on
the path.
The grand circuit riders will race again
at the Coliseum next Wednesday night
Major Taylor Kramer, Bald and all the
other star sprinters have entered for the
championship contest.