The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-04-23

to to s E 596s su s3:ooo
vr;.;,v,s teeing his citizenry
"AN''i' the piquant thrill of
seeing the hooters hoof down Cha
main street 80
When Mr.. Pyle countered with a
+bl1nderous threat to detour his ath-
letes over the village roads, the
MAYOR, being a courteous and opllg-
ing soul, volunteered to show the
promoter and his animals the de-
tour himself in person and with no
unseemly hesitancy.
Reaching Oklahoma, another
break in the serenity of the en-
4ernrise occurred. Three of Mr..
PvIe's runners, Erickson, LOssrnan
and Fegar by name, threatened
to go on strike unless daily prize
money was offered, as had been
promised in the original agree
ment.
"HIS agreement it develops was
tentative and not of the pro-
roter's making. The cities through
which the runners plodded had been
counted on to provide these allure
ments.
It seems that Mr.. Pyle had taken
this for granted; but, unhapplIy,
few of the cities rose to a proper
aesthetic appreciation OF the occa-
sion.
AT any rate there has been no
daily cash prizes and unless the
more populous centerS OF clvlllza-
ton vet to be reached manifest a
greater spiritual interest in the
spectacle there is not likely to be
any.
There have been other outhurstS
of unpleasantness along the line
including legal action by former
member of Mr.. Pyle's professional
football team who attached and COL
lected a $4,000 guarantee, and an
old fashioned shower OF antlquated
eggs directed at the harasSed hoof-
ers by an enraged Missouri public
which felt sighted because an ad-
iacent and rival community mad
been given the preference OF enter
tanning the menagerie.
+ II +
Nor was this all. The wife OF
one Frank johnson, a steel worker
of Granite City. ILL.,, petitioned
old John Law to stop the race on
the ground that it was inhuman,
irreveIant and unimp0rtant.
Ut seems that Mrs. Johnson's help
mate came crawling home after
running 900 miles with two collap-
sible legs, a permanently blistered
skin and mountaineering stomach.
Presumably the mans head was no
better than when he left.
And now comes the most distress
ing news of all. It is reported that
the bank roll of Mr., G. G. Pyle has
sustained injuries Of a most serious
nature. To be specific, he is report
ed to have dropped $4,000 already,
exclusive of the money which he has
posted for the first finishers, a sum
totaling $4,000.
This news comes to me from Arne
Souminen, the Finnish runner who
has just withdrawn from the race
because of two recalcitrant ankles
and desperate desire to live few
months longer. Souminen does not
go into details. He merely writes
that the promoter has dropped that
much and is in a fair way to drop
more.
"Pyle overestimated the financial
possibilities Of the thing" writes
Souminen. "The cities aren't put
ting up any big money to see the
runners and the advertising isn't
producing any important cash re-
turns. 1t was from this source that
Pyle expected to collect heavily
Souminen thinks at least a dozen
or so will survive to reach New York
May 10 is the day set for the finish
Souminen thinks it will be closer tC
June 1, and he thinks the race OF
what is left of it lies between Pete
Gavuzzi, the British-Italian, and
John Salo of PasSaic, N. j., both
of whom are holding out we'll.
I regret to say Souminen makes
no report on how well Mr.. G. G.
Pyle is holding out, but if it is true
that he is losing that kind of
money he is undoubtedly taking
more punishment than anybody in
the race, and everybody seems to
be taking plenty-incIuding the
public.