Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-08-12
TWO EXCELSIORS
AND ONE indian
IN final DASH

los ANGELES, May 30.-Four bat
tile scarred men and machines. all who
survived Ct the ten starters, shot up
TO the i>os Angeles NJ G, clubhouse
tonight at dusk and John Hancocked
the final control sheets which rung
down the curtain on the annual club
endurance run, 9$7 miles this year,
and the greatest man and machine
wrecking motorcycle contest which
ever has been STAGED on American
reads Three of the four veterans OF
the three-tay conflict with the worst
ms untain and desert trails which
could be picked to compose an endur-
ance course, rolled in with that
mighty good feeling that always goes
With the road riders knowledge at
> has perfect score. The blue
ribtcn trio was composed of Wells
"nnnett end Paw S''-;., - - . r-.~oI-
siors and Fred Ludlow on a 1917
Indian. Along with the honor diVls-
ion, tut in slightly less joyful frame
OF mind. came ]. A. Fletcher on a
1915 Indian. Fletcher had a dent in
his score for being late at control on
the first day, and was reported to
have earned 21-point penalty.
No Perfect Scores Expected
That there should have been any
perfect scores Was considered remark
able by those intimately familiar with
me battle ground, for none were ex-
rected. The club contest committee
frankly admitted that the pathfinders
had been ordered to lay out a hard"
course for this years run, and that
was stating it very mildly and velyety
indeed. Those who were wise enough
to feel out" the course before the
run started brought back reports that
1T was a killer" both for man and
machine under the fast 25-mile-an-
hour schedule laid down This was
amply proven both by the statements
of the men who finished, and the re-
tirement records of those who fell In
action. The opinion is unanimous
that this years run was by far the
toughest in every respect that has
ever been held in the West, If not In
the entire United States 1t is no
secret that the fast schedule and the
reports brought hack by the men who
tried out the course were responsible
for soaring off more than a couple of
prospective entries.
As the shadows of a chill and bleak
night began to scamper before the
first rays of approaching dawn in the
eastern sky. muffled figures doomed
un at the clubhouse cut of the stygiar
darkness. coming from the four winds.
ard he-alding their aDDroach in the
Suh'nY-like stiffness of the morn with
that familiar rat-tat-tat which invari-
phly mems one of two thinps. a Cat.
Ing gun or motorcycle. They came
soc and tandem. in cne's and two's
some seen to take the long trail in
rursu't Of gold and glory, others to
witness the start and wish the con-
tenders luck, End still others to place
the seal of cfficialdon1 on the pro-
ceeaings.
There was busy stir around the
clubhouse. end small groups gathered
here and there in the dnsk of dawn
scpe srecu'atine on what So-and So
would nrobablv Dr.. CT in the case of
the contenders themselves, trying t.
remember il they bad FORGOTTEN any
thing and talking over plans With
teammates. The skv was leaden and
orineus looking. hut no self-aupoint.
ed ,we'ther pronhet ventured to sug.
cost rsin--no indeed. not IN Southern
California on the threshold of Junei
Or the Eve Of Battle
The STAGE wes eat for the re'easine
81 the s-aall Tut brave bar4 If gaso.
Inc nlainsnen on tboir adventurous
end hazardous eynediticn President
a. H. InnPlnv sat Of the table on the
'awn with the che king cut sheets be
tcre him end u'ntoh IN hand Snhad
ule cards for tbn eir4t dav and ridino
numbers we're distributed to the ten
men who hrd en- isted for the frav
"he-e were two teams, Indian and Eek.
"eistcr nomiratinoF squads of three
each, whilai the ether four starters
rode 90 indinfdnnlr 80