The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-09-06

Thrilling motorcycle and horse races at
Benning track. a crack tennis tourna-
ment at Chevy Chase. a dozen baseball
games in the city. and scores OF pleasure
craft dotting the river combined TO make
Labor Day, 1870 one big carnival Of
speed and sports.
Under the auspices OF Central Labor
Union. more than 1900 people spent an
afternoon at Benning, and there was
sensation every moment Twelve young
drivers took daring chances in hve mo-
torcycle dash& that were marvels of
swiftness and thrills The cream OF
Washington trotters and PAGERS foughe
out three heart-breaking races.
Every theater in the city had a NAT
inee. and they all played 10 capacity
houses. though thousands thronged tha
out-of-town amusement resorts. and tha
business streets were crowded For onca
a legal holiday passed without a formal
event. and everybody seemed TO enjoy
the novelty.
Every Game Hnrd Fought.
Washington won the tennis match az
Chevy Chase from Norfolk by one set,
and devotees OF the racquet and court
were we'll paid for the trouble OF going
out. because every game was clever. fast.
and hard fought
Though the big crowd went 10 Benning
I IN the afternoon. hundreds thronged the
track in the morning during an athletic
meet and a warm baseball game between
/ Ninth Street Christian Church and CO.
/ iumbia Lodge OF Machinists Union
/ The horse racing had decided class. The
race between Cyclone the specly os-
trich. and Dr. Chase. George GOodacre's
/ crack tr0tter. was the most popular event
OF the afternoon. with the possible ex-
( ception OF the motorcycle races
/ IL was the last number on The pro-
| gramme. and when the swift trotter dis
I tanced his feathered rival in a fine burst
OF speed the crowd yelled with delight.
{ For half an hour before the race was
called the crowd was on its toes. When
1 the start finally came Cyclone got away
first, and kept the lead up 10 the quar-
ter. but DR.. Chase shot ahead as they
turned into the stretch and finished
fifty yards 70 the good.
Ostrich Did Not Try.
The ostrich was hitched TO a light
sulky, and its driver had the sympathy
Of many becausS the bird didn't seem TO
be half trying. and the way it shot over
the first quarter showed it could have
done better.
The motorcycle races ranged IN dis
tance from three miles TO twenty. Ter
rible" Walter GOerke a veteran, driving
an Indian racer. was the hero Of the
! afternoon. His driving was phenomenal,
and he won the start race. a twenty-miIe
jaunt in % minutes and seconds.
Every motor race was sensational, but
this event had everybody In the crowd
tearing handkerchiefs and things before
II was over William Tuebner, with a
AIerkle-Light machine. and wearing a
picturesque orange jersey, rode wheel 20
wheel with Goerke, and only lost BY half
a mile.
Ten machines started IN the race
twenty times around the track. which
was in perfect condition At the first
turn. eighty yards from the start Tueb-
ner opened his oil valve and jerked hts
machine across the track to the pole in
way that had everybody's heart Up in
their mouths.
Jockey for Positions.
GOerl<e did another haIr-raising stunt
at the second turn and shot across TO the
fence in the lead. They finished the first
lap exactly abreast. and tockeyed back
and forth in the second lap without ten
yards between them.
Then Goerke got wise TO the track and
took a bad corner wide every time he
struck It. while Tuebner stuck 10 the
pole and lost ground repeatedly. gaining
it again in the stretches. Though both
machines were reeling off miles in con-
siderable less than sixty seconds, the
two drivers took turns cutting corners.
while the crowd held it's breath. At the
fifteenth mile. the race was still in doubt,
but Tuebner's engine missed once, and
he dropped back.
He gained part OF what he had lost
IN the succeeding laps. but he could not
cut down the last half mile, and they
finished in that order. with Chic Thomas,
driving an Indian, q bad third The
place winners Tapped every one else IN
the race, but there were some pretty
brushes between the others. The other
motor races finished as follows:
other Motorcycle Results.
Thrce-mile novicp-Won by T. Otzel. Indian: J.
Halpin. Harley Davidson. secCnd; Willie Denharn,
Merkle-Llght third. Time 4:I2
Fye-mle scratch-Won by J. B. Andersen. In
dian; I'd Mangod. Indian second: Otzel Indian.
third. Time go.
Ten-mile scratch-Won BY Tlctner. Merke-Lighti
Goerke, Indian. second; Anderson. Indian. third
Time uI2l5.
Fifteen-mile hsndicap-Won b. Tuebner. Merkle-
Light; Goerke scratched.
OF course there was q band al, the
track. and there were lots OF other
things 90 do besides watch the races.
There were all sorts Of nickle amuse-
ments. everything conceivable in the
drink line. and a crowd stayed FOR the
dancing in the evening
While their elders were amusing them
sel-es. the children we're not neglected.
Continued ON Page 3, Column 5.