The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-07-22
SUPERSTIT|ONS
OF BIKE RIDERS
liver Lawson Pins His Faith in
Pair of Repaired Han
die Bars.
SIC bicycle racers superstitious?

That is a question which many a fol-
lower of the track has asked during the
half dozen years that the Salt Palace Sau-
Ger track has been running. Most theatre
cal men-in fact, most men who appear
before the public as entertainers, both
in the theater and the world of sport-are
superstitious. Does the rule apply TO the
sprinters and the pluggers who bring
thrills to Salt Lakers twice a week down
on the saucer?
To a certain extent it does. If YOU ask
casually any of the riders about it, he
will deny that he has a single supersti-
ton. IT, however, you get close to these
same riders you will find that many
one of them places reliance on the small
est sort of things. AS class, they be
lieve implicitly in the influence of fate.
For example, take liver Lawson, the
most remarkable of all the riders who
have ever appeared here, and one of the
few very best men that ever rode a bicy
Gle in competition. For seven years liver
has used the same pair of handle bars.
Several times these bars have been brok-
en-, but he has always had them repaired,
instead of getting new pair. The bars
have been repaired so often that they are
very much bungled up at present, and
yet liver said the other night:
IF 1 should lose those handle bars l
would quit riding"
But you could get a new pair just like
them, couldn't you?' was asked.
Yes, L certainly COulU, OUT WOuiQ quit
riding If l should lose these"
Ernest Pye, the plugging Australian
who has made a good impression on the
track this year-his first appearance in
in putting his left shoe
on first while getting ready for a race.
He would not think of entering race
without going through the ceremony of
putting on his left shoe first His trainer
is responsible for the statement that twice
III y Lost n gG 1off CHI ND
although pressed for time, has refused
to put on his right shoe before the left
could be found. He also believes in new
er going back for anything. If he leaves
which he should have while performing
on the track. he will not go back under
any circumstances. Ii someone cannot be
found TO go back and get it for him, the
article will be left in the dressing room,
although it may be of great value to him
while racing.
Floyd Mcfarland has no superstitions,
so far as has been discovered. He be-
Heves that running around the track in
the morning, instead of riding around 1T
on the bicycle, is the best kind of train
ing, but this could hardly be called q
superstition. Asked yesterday as to
whether or not he was superstitious about
anything, he said:
Eyes, about one thing-money. I'll do
anything for that
The riders at the track have the great
est regard for Jimmy Michael, one time
king of all riders At the same time they
feign to be amused at Jimmy's belief
that he must not pass a horseshoe, no
matter where he might see ii. 1t was
stunt of his always to pick up every
horseshoe he saw along a road and take
it home with him.
AS a feature event for next Tuesdays
races at the Salt Palace. Manager Chap
man has matched Floyd Mcfarland and
Ernest Pye for an Australian pursuit
race. the two to start from opposite sides
of the track. Pye demonstrated conclu-
sively that he is plugger when he did
most of the work in the team pursuit race
between Australians and Americans a
week or so ago. He will ride tonight In
a match race at Ogden against Fogler,
and the result of the event will be
watched with interest here.
Frank Kramer is due to arrive in Salt
Lake on the 5th of August. according to
advices received by Manager Chapman
of the track.
The Utah Light & Railway company
has nut up a purse of $500 for a two-mile
handicap race to be held at the track
next Tuesday night.
Manager Chapman of the track has set
the date for tWenty-four hour race. 1t
will be held August and Z.