Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-08
,LINGENFELDER IS
EQUAL FAVORITE.
MANY BETS THAT ALHAMBRA|
LAD WILL WIN
DE ROSTER SHOWS NO SIGNS OF
MISGlViNGS
Local Fans In Many Quarters Show
as Lively Interest in Graves
Bake Match as In
"Pro" Race
BY d. w. sEMPLE

Considerable money Is being wagered
on the coming match race between
Jake de Roster, the Terrible French
man." and Eddie Lingenfelder, the
"Alhambra Daredevil" which will oc-
cur at the Coliseum motorcycle track
next Sunday afternoon. Time was
when none of the local fans dared
wager a penny against De Roster be-
cause of the apparent tmpossiblllty or
any other speed demon on a motor
cycle to threaten his hold on the
worlds chmpionship. But since the
advent of Llngenfelder to the racing
game and his remarkable demonstra-
tions both east and on the local track
since last spring, matters have taken
on a different complexion, and now
there are hundreds of fans who are
ready to lay even money that Lingen-
fielder is De Rosters master.
Lingenfelder, since his remarkable
escape from death a week ago Sunday
in the race in which he succeeded in
lowering De Rosters colors for the
moment has received his N. S. U.l
chain-driven racer which is said to
be seconds faster than the belt-driven
white streak upon which Eddie has
heretofore made all of his worlds
records. With this new racing ma
chine, It is figured out that Lingen-
fielder is every whit as well mounted
as Is lne anu A6 dAAAo
from this basis, the wise ones are
giving it as their opinion that Eddie
has lust an edge over Jake in ring
generalship and In ability to get the
most out Of his machine.
Jake continues to preserve that
uulet calm that has characterized him
ever since he has reached the top
pinnacle in racing circles. He is a
hardheaded Frenchman, who mas all
the confidence in the world in his abil-
ity TO deliver the goods whenever his
antagonist threatens his honors, yet 1t
can never be said Of him that he mas
been much of a braggart VINO mas
promised impossible things. Whenever
anyone has thought seriously enough
of his ability to take Jake's measure,
Jake has uniformly made answer with
an agreement TO meet the new aspirant
and give him a practical opportunity
TO prove it. Every rider in the world
who figures as possibility mas been
given this opportunity, and yet Jake s
record is nearly as clean as II ever
was. Indeed. Lingenfelder is the only
man. either east or west, who has ever
appeared as really serious con-
tender, and 1t is barely possible that
Jake has some inner misgivings as to
whether he is really a match for the
Alhambra lad or not. If he does feel
that way he has not manifested these
,nisgiyinEs by the least sign, and he
appears to be as willing to meet Lin
genfelder as he was to meet Mitchell
Derkum. Samuelson or any or the
other cracks who have held world
honor aspirations.
The match between Graves and
Bake for next Sunday, too, is attract
ing no little attention among the local
speed fans, and in some circles Is being
looked forward to with even livelier
interest than is the big professional
nj I,A ogfa arVa
this summer demonstrated that he is
the equal OF any amateur in the coun-
try by finishing right at the front In
every event in which he entered, leav-
ing many of the eastern amateurs well
in the ruck on every occasion that he
met them. Graves has never had
eastern track experience. but has dem
onstrated that II has never been neces-
sary Try as hard as the professionals
or his brother amateurs may have
tried, none of them has been able to
lower the mile record that Graves
made last sprin~ on the local Coliseum
track, and II is said of him that he
has shown better ability in getting the
greatest speed out of his machine of
any rider who ever mounted n saddle.
Graves is not onl-- fearless rider,
with almost superhuman nerve, but he
has mechanical ability that allows him
to understand every secret of his en-
gine and its gearings. When he strad-
dies his machine It is n foregone con-
clusion that he is ready to the minute,
and II Bake succeeds in doing what
many admirers expect him to do by
defeating Graves in next Cunday's
match, It will be n great feather in his
cap. not only as n rider. but as a
mechanician.
Tt is expected that n record crowd
will be at the Coliseum Sunday after
noon to witness these two star events,
as two issues are at stake which thou
sands of speed fans want to see settled.