Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-06-23

Permit me the privilege oil lew
inches of valuable space in your col
umns.
= l have been "A close student of the
bike" game for years, and one of the
most ardent admirers of Champion
Kramer, but the "champer's" lack OF
consideration for the public who pays
its good money to see him and the
other stars perform by not giving us
an honest and determined ride in
every race, instead of continually
stalling, has caused a change of
heart in many. Furthermore, the
| Switching" which Kramer INDUCES
in, without any interference on the
part of Referee Ross, has lost him
numerous friends This was particu-
larly in evidence in the second heat
of the team match on Wednesday
last. when our "champer'' carried
Rutt fully six feet up the bank, and
spoiled whatever chance the Big
German had of winning. During the
| years that | have followed the game
l cannot at any time recollect Kra-
mer resorting to such unfair and open
tactics, fragrant infraction of the
rules, as means of gaining his end
Referee Ross apparently overlooks
these violations, Intentionally or
| otherwise, and | believe it is about
time that drastic steps were taken to
| preserve clean sport otherwise there
will be a marked falling off in the
| attendance, a fate which the Nelo-
| drome management does not deserve.
| Let us start with the big fellows by
! giving them their just deserts. not
select the smaller fry as a means to
the end" for the right results cannot
be obtained through this medium.
You took occasion to severely pan
Kramer in your columns during the
early part of the past week for his
"pinhead" rides in open competition,
and in another issue of The Star you
stated Kramer could have won the
open Wednesday night if he perse-
vered This is followed up by an
article in Friday mornings Star, in
which the writer stated that match
riding seems to have spoiled Kramer
| for open competition, as 1.-THE strife
and the mad battle for position in the
big open events is so different it seems
| to take the heart out of him" These
statements, you will admit, are not
! consistent.
| To my mind. it would appear that
! an endeavor is afoot to belittle the
| performances of Rutt, who, by his
| honest and earnest efforts since COM
| peting here, has furnished the Newark
! public something new in the way of
real bicycle racing. 1t might be or
| interest to the many readers OF Inc
| Star to know that, eliminating match
races, championship events and the
Newark Thousand Race, which prac-
! tically resolved itself. into a match
race, Kramer has only won one
| open competition race at the Nelo-
drome in practically ten months time,
| On the other hand, Rutt has started
sir r.
| lea, including match races and all.
| With the exception of the tandem
race, in which he punctured, and the
race at New Haven, where he was
| injured, breaking his collarbone' he
| has been returned the winner on ten
! occasions. with three seconds and one
fourth. In three of the five times he
ran unplaced it was in the two
matches with Kramer and the onS'
with Goullet at Boston and two handl-
| cap events.
| Surely this is a remarkable record,
and one worthy of the mettle of
worlds champion. The "Weltmeis-
| ter has shown by his speed, grit and
! determination that he is out to give
us the very best that is in him. and
surely is entitled to the appellation of
champion among champions.
The Velodrome management is TO
be congratulated on having secured
the services of Rutt, whose gentle
manly manner, both off and on the
track, has won him the esteem ana
friendship of many Newarkers, al
though he has been in our midst but
a short time.
Let us be fair and just. ]. P. N, in
all our criticisms, giving honor TO
those whom honor is due.
CLOSE OBSERVER.
Rutt is being treated like prince.
I would say In fact, all foreigners
| who come to this country are gener-
| ally given the best of it. Just have
some of our boys tell you how they
| fare abroad and you will observe the
| difference. Kramer rides fairly and
! ne wins his races on the level Rutt
| has done we'll during his stay here
and he is a great rider, but his COM
| plants against Kramer are not in
good taste at all Rutt is no lamb by
any means, and he hasn't a kick in
| the world to make. 1t is really for
| tunate for some of the other riders
! that Kramer isn't so busy in the open
races, although he ought to be COM
! PEELED to make a more determined
effort When the champion does go
out for glory he'll bring home the
| fag-and don't forget it, either
.
A Kramer booster has a few kind
words to say about the champion
| J. p. N:
oh, what a splendid race that Prix
Cesar Moretti Stakes was, and the
most conspicuous part Of all was
that "our champion" won it, and
won it straight and fair. Now, Rutt,
| what is your excuse this time? That
tace surely has convinced the specta-
| tors that Kramer is still unsurpassed
and still the favorite and also con-
Vinced Rutt that there are better and
also as clean riders as he is. Now,
what is his excuse for defeat?
In the miss-and-Out, J. p. N, there
is quite a discussion over giving Be
dell, No. g. second place. when Spears
should have had it. Now, No was
called out, and he deliberately stayed
| In, so the next lap, No. S, was called
| out, and his brother went out in
stead, he (No. s. staying in. so when
! the next lap was ridden Grenda was
put out, and ] think that was very
poor judgment on the part of the
| judges to not put No. out when he
was called out. There were quite a
few in the grandstand that were talk
| ing about it, and also thought it a
shame when Grenda was called out.
| TWO HARNESSES.
g
A bike fan suggests miss-and- out
race for the Velodrome. Manager
| called to the suggestion: