The Minneapolis journal., 1903-12-19
HISTORY OF SIX.DAY RACES
FIRST ONES IN AMERICA HELD IN
OLD WASHINGTON RINK IN
MINNEAPOLIS. -.

Six-day bicycle riding originated in
England about thirty years ago, says
Tom Eek, the veteran sporting man.
The first contest was held in the early
seventies at Bingley: Hall, Birming-
ham. It was a 12-hOur-a-day affair,
and such noted riders as George Wal
Ter, George Edlin, Dinkin Derker and
Harry Higham competed in it. A
little while later there was an 18-hour
a-day race at the Aquarium in Lon
don on that occasion Waller rode
one of the old high wheels, with it's
saddle as hard as wood, eighteen hours
without once dism ounting.
In 1879 Jack Haverly of minstrel
fame, and Peter Duryea brought over
team from Europe, and gave Eexhlbl-
tons in New York, Boston and Chi
cago. The team was composed of the
Harrison brothers, John Keene& and
John Cam of England, and Charles
Turrant Of France. Professor Rolli-
son, a trick rider, was also with the
team They rode on flat tracks, and
had siX-day races, riding from three
to six hours day: At that time the
record for 100 miles was over six
hours.
In 1886 every worlds record from a
quarter Of mile to l, 405 miles was
held by Europeans. Roller skaung
was then the craze and managers were
looking for something to run as SIDE
attraction in America They took up
the bicycle riders, and had them race
from two to eight hours day. riding
outside Of the skaters on the; same
track. 1-: .1:&,2~.. .e-&i$ n
In the summer. of 1886 I put in the
first banked or, raised track in a build
ing at Springfield, Ill, and for the first
time the riders and skaters could take
the sharp turns at full speed. .y%:.
The first real six-day race IN Amer
Voc II inc
Minneapolis in 1886. The track was
a banked one, eight laps to the mile,
with small turns. The competitors
we're Albert Schock, w. M. Woodside,
Hardwick, Senator Morgan and
Shaw. The men raced twelve hours
| a day. Schock won. with score OF
| 1,OO9a miles, breaking all the records
| from 100 miles up.
7 inaugurated the six-day night and
dav racing in 1888 at Washington
| rink, Minneapolis. There were three
| mpetitors-Schock, Senator Morgan
! and Louise r. Maindo Of Montreal.
| the greatest woman rider> the world
has ever seen. Schock- won the race,
with a. score of 1,409. miles, beating
Senator Morgan thirty-tWo miles.
| Morgan proved a game contestant. IN
one stretch of twenty-six hours he
was off the wheel but eighteen sec
onds.
| Since the inauguration Of six-day
walking, skating and bicycle races
there has been any amount of talk
in the public press anent men going
out of their heads, breaking down
their constitutions and making them
selves useless for the rest Of their
lives. Physicians even went so far
as to say that if everybody partici-
pated in such events the human race
would die out.
! That all this was mere buncombe
has been proved. There is no danger
Of race suicide, among six-day men
for many of them have big families
| and all have prediction for getting
married. I have never heard Of a
six-day race man dying from the eff
fects of race. In fact, it is hard
to recall the death of half a dozen
142-hour walkers, skaters or bicycle
riders. This sort of work is evidently
conducive to longevity.