Arizona republican., 1914-04-05

By Scoop
 It is customary to pull a lot of re- sume stuff at this time in the final stages of great competition, whether it be of a pair of silkily trained fighting men or of ten fast motorcycles. The awed hush that is to be plainly heard just before the starters pistol cracks, or before the time keeper clangs his gong, is traceable in the stuff that the sporting writers handle.
 Stock phrases, stereotyped sentences occur with wearying regularity. The rehash of stories of practice or train ing is the main thing to each final pre- liminary story.
 There were but two chunks of real new news at the track last evening. One was that Earnest R. Highfill, Of Tucson, winner of the Tucson Oracle race of New Years day was seen try ing out Harry Crandalls Yellow Jacket Merkel. The other was the announce ment that each rider must go before Dr. L. Boido shortly before the race starts and be tested for punctures to his internal mechanism, loose bearings or leaky valves
 Highfill was the van guard of some more Tucson fans who arrived late last night by automobile. They are Walter Johnson. promoter of the Tue son Vail race which Baker won, Thos Pugh and the Reynolds brothers. Un- less Highfill looks a little out, George Sadler will hold him in one corner while the mechanics strip his machine in another, for the 100 miller. The Tue sonian would not deny last evening that he might be persuaded to enter, but said he had no machine. It was suggested to him by rail bird that perhaps one of the Merkel team would die before the race, and would he ride then? Highfill smole a smile which the novelists call sinister, and changed the subject.
 There will be no fainting from the strain of the grind. No man can enter the 100 lap race this afternoon at two thirty without pr. Boido's consent.
 Gossip among the riders last evening was something intricate. Rumors bets, tongue-flayings cussings- -out-all flew thick and fact. Last minute entries were dug up by the score. Everybody had a favorite. Baker, Johns, Inda, Elliott, Boido, Crandall. All were men, tioned for first place. Strangely enough that mysterious Harley, which was said to have done wonders before arriving in a crate for John Berg, was not included among the list of possible winners. '3.S10
 Of course the fight between Johns and Baker will be the sensational part of today's race. This is the first time these two rivals have been able to get within racing distance of each other for a long time-with terms equal. Johns declared he would trim Baker if he had to ride both tires and most of the rim of his Excelsior. Baker says he will let Johns beat him only in case of a complete annihilation of the red In dian. So there you are. What you gonna do about that? There is no picking them, but we will venture a trifle of prognostication.
 Being maniacal about speed, Johns will set the pace. He will probably make Baker look like his iron horse is tied to several posts for the first twenty-five miles. About the seventy five mile mark, Johnny may have lapped Baker twice. But when the Ex- celsior stops for tires or gas and oil, Baker will shoot into the lead Unless Don can get back in stride and trim his enemy in the last twenty miles of the race, he will lose. It is unlikely that Baker would enter long race like this one without assurance that his hack will hold together. Johns is very careful about his machine while he is tuning and practicing. but he will not regard it's feeling much when once he has dug those spurs in. Therefore Johns stands better show than Baker-of busting
 Since that warm autumnal day when Baker went out of the San Diego to Phoenix race last fall, he has never lost race or a competition of any sort He has ridden the ten miles and the five and the hour races in the Arizona state fair track. He won all three. He has won the Tucson Vail race and two endurance runs have ended with the big Phonician among those who re- ceived perfect scores
 Ergo: Baker will win. .--...-.
 What if both these cracks go out ?'' hear you ask.
 Echo answers nix. But I will place two names before you: Boido and El-