The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-01
ELKES TO HAVE RETIRED SOON
DEAD CICLIST WAS no NAVE
MARRIED NEXT FAIL.
Had Diet ern,incd to Give Up Racing on
Labor Day--Funcral Will BE Held IN
Glcns Falls TO.inOrrOw--IIeld Many
Records and Was Very Popular.

Records and Was Very Popular
GlENs FALLS, n. Y. May 3i,--The body
of Harry d. Elkes. the cycle rider who
was killed on the Charles River Park track
in Boston vest erday, will reach here to-mor.
row morning, and the funeral will be hello
at the First Baptist Church on Tuesday
afternoon The Albany Elks, to which
lodge he belonged, will attend in body
Fixes had determined that on Labor Day
he would ride his last race. Then he was
coming back to Glens Falls and in the fall
would have welded Miss Edith Garrett
to whom he had been engaged several
months.
A small class of professional cyclists ha We
been extremely popular with the public
and Harry ID. Fixes was one OF these
Willie .Windle, Arthur Zimmerman, Eddie
Bald and Jimmy Michael were OF the same
class in popular favor, but not one OF them
had fewer enmltleS III the dressing TooHs
and On the racetrack.
Fixes was a rider who scarcely ever lost
his temper. He was modest and genteel
in his demeanor, and while no did not
mix with the sporting element of the racing
field as much as others he managed TO keep
aloof without giving offence lie was
never among the riders "one OF the gang
His whole racing career had peculiar in
dividuality. His father. known everywhere
as Pop" Fixes. was his trainer and man
father as an individual attraction and not
allowed to join racing teams,
Elkes was born in Port Henry, \. y,
on July 2s, 1873. and would have been %
years old next month. From Childhood
he had been a resident OF Glens Falls, and
there he began racing as an amateur in
1893. He won many races near home and
began to venture further in 1925, and then
he first began to become known lie was
always noted for his prowess as slayer
az great sprint hnisher, though his build
resembled that Of greyhound. He was
tall and strikingly slender, though we'll
knit and of comely form. His long legs
early won for him the sobiiquet of "1ankv
Fixes"
In 1893, when he was Is years old Fixes
won seven first prizes and nine second
place trophies as an amateur. In 1894
he rode mile behind pace in 2 minutes
seconds, which was remarkably good
Charles NJ. Murphy. c. II: Callahan and
John s. johnson were. his pacemakers.
He registered as a professional with the
League Of American Wheelmen racing board
in 1897. getting the number 2,OO8 and early
in 1898 he shot into prominence by winning
a seventy -two hour race at Pittsbure
on Jan. 20 and establishing new record
with long distance men of such caliber
as Waller, Schineer, Hall and Henshaw
against him. His record for the time was
miles 3 laps made by Waller the year
before.
On April 10, 1885, he and Tom Barnaby
were in 1OD-mile paced race. Barnaby
fell from his wheel exhausted at fifty miles,
the pace having been far inside the records.
Fixes won the race, and established the new
figures for fifty miles Of l hour IS min
utes, Al s-5 seconds. After that he be-
came known as a record-breaker and star
pace follower He met and defeated such
men as Linton and Taylore, and was
holder Of the paced records from one to
twenty-five miles.
The year 1891 found him established.
as II was more than once remarked, Jimmy
Michael's successor" as the idol of the pub
lie. He had prepossessing appearance.
q dignif1ed reserve and certain grace in
pedalling that contributed to his popularity
as much az did his victories. In that year
his proportion of victories was conceded
to entitle him to the rank Of champion,
hour record several times in the year, re-
gaining it as often as any one surpassed il.
In 1900 Elkes went to Europe for the
first time and defeated there Walters,
Robl, Bouhours. Tnkerlam and I.nten
In December, 1900. he entered the six-day
race in New York. with Mcfarland as q
partner, and the pair won the race with
2,62a miles and laps to their credit. In
1901 Fixes figured prominently as the pace
following champion and always WAS q big
attraction. Walthour. Stinson and few
others we're the only ones that classed
with him.
Last year was an of year with Fixes
He went to Europe. but did not do well
there He had many and frequent falls
and seemed pursued by hard luck, He
rode in Madison Square Garden last winter
and had just begun his riding for this
season.
Among the records still to his credit on
the books is that for thirty miles in AZ min
utes 10 seconds, made on June IL, 1902, on
the same grounds on which he met his
death, and the American record for one
hour of Al miles $50 yards, made the same
day.
FL kes was partner with his father in
the Fixes Hotel Of Saratoga, the firm being
Wihia m A. Fixes Son.