Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-04-12

81 can go q little faster yet II I'm
pushed. Jake De Roster after the
races.
Jake De Roster is still champion mo-
torcyclist of the world. Primed as he
believed he was, ito the minute, to
wrest the honor away from him, Faul
Derkum, the Pacific coast champion,
made a glittering failure in the effort
but pluckily swallowed his defeat and
later, in one of the most spectacular
races yet seen on this tremendously
fast track, all but deposed De Roster
from his pedestal In the last race of the
day.
1t was a day of happy surprises, of
disappointments and of intence excite
ment. Nothing seemed to go accord
Ing to the card, as if the stars or fates
were straining themselves to make
things go wrong, and yet the program
as whole was productive of far more
excitement, of more nerve thrills and
more heart beats than If things had
gone according to rule.
A splendid crowd which nearly filled
the three big grand stands and which
overran the arena had gathered to wit
ness what they believed would be the
most exciting race of the present meet
when Derkum and De Roster faced the
tape for their match race that would
decide the championship OF the world
and establish a new worlds record.
Match Race Hoodooed
The match had been placed fifth on
the program, but this arrangement was
changed in order that nothing in the
shape of an accident to either of the
two racers might operate to delay or
postpone the big event. When this
event was called at the end of the first
race the crowd cheered their glee and
4r.t@ fnx. hn .f1-
preme test that the expectant throng
felt was about to follow. Then every
thing got off from tiptoe and settled
back into disappointment, when, after
several tryout laps of the track, Der
KUN discovered that his engine was
not sparkling and came to stop. Then
followed hurried effort on the part of
Derkum to get his engine working and
another race was finally called in order
to avoid delay. Then again the match
was called and the two men went to
the scratch, the pistol cracked and the
band played, but inside of five laps
Derkum turned off his throttle, the
band stopped playing and De Roster.
too, came off the track.
After some more delay Jake De Ro-
sier, the Indian rider, proffered Der
KUN one of his machines in order that
the match might go on without dis
appointment to the crowd. This very
considerate offer was as frankly ac-
oepted by Derkum, who naturally felt
much chagrin before the big crowd,
hundreds of whom had known him
from a mere strip of boy. and who
had gone to the Coliseum to see him
win a worlds championship. The ma
chine loaned by De Roster was the fa
nous Indian that negotiated five miles
in $3.50 at Ormond Beach recently.
The two Indians, with De Roster and
-twr aud
but the race was little more than a pro-
cession. That unthinking portion of the
crowd that seems to delight at the emf
barrassment of local man, proceeded
TO boot its derision. For the moment
1t looked as IL a series of misfortunes
were destined to lower Derkum's popu-
larity to the danger point. as De Roster
galloped home four laps ahead of the
local boy, the red devil gaining his
fourth lap right at the finish tape in
desperate swirl of speed. De Roster
was Justify cheered and Derkum was
given hardly the faintest handicap, IL
Illustrating the fickleness of crowd
which is always quick to veer its opin-
ions without ever thinking of inquiring
the cause.
Derkum's Hard Luck Continues
AS matter of fact, it developed,
when Derkum dismounted from his ma
chine, that his handle bars were so
loose that they turned completely
around in the head of the frame with
but little difficulty. 1t also developed
that mis- engine was shutting off every
time that Derkum endeavored to throw
his clutch into the 'high." With the
same commendable frankness and
sportsmanlike spirit that they had al
ready displayed, De Roster, Risden and
his bunch of Indian mechanics, when
W wit ha
machine, set to with a will and pro-
ceeded to straighten out these defects
I'm order that Derkum might use this
machine in the other events on the
card In place of his own machine,
which, it was recognized, was out of
commission for the balance Of the day.
BY the time that the fiye-mile open
professional race was called this work
was done and Derkum gamely again
went to the scratch, unnindful of the
string of hard luck that had run
against him because of defective MAJ
chimes under him and due to no fault
Of his own.
Fates Work Overtime
But the fates and the stars never
let up and the bad luck that had pre-
ceded still stuck to him in this next
opportunity offered him to compete
with De Roster, as it later did in the
maj OF uLLtSI-iuli6 event. Wn6n he
gave Jake De Roster the gamest fight
Of his life and all but wrested his
world honors away from him.
In the fiye-mile event De Roster,
Derkum, Mitchell and Lingenfelder
faced the tape. the three first named
on seven horse power machines and
the latter on four horse power, Der
KUN riding the Indian machine loaned
him.
The bunch got off well together, but
De Roster in his gaudy red suit was
seen to almost Immediately flash to the
fore, and for a number of laps he cons
tinued to gain on the bunch, Derkum
speeding along behind and Mitchell
and Lingenfelder trailed out Shortly
DerlSum was seen to pick up his speed
and then gradually to gain on De
Roster, wiping out his lead lap by lap,
until he was almost on even terms,
both men racing by like fantastic
speed devils from some other planet.
1t began to look as if the unthink-
ing ones who had been so quick to jeer
might be given an opportunity to swal-
low their derision, for Derkum was
riding in the form that his friends