THE WHEEL. - The Capital City Race Meeting - A Club Reunion. - The San Francisco Call, 01 Oct 1893

From Wooljersey

THE WHEEL.

The Capital City Race Meeting - A Club Reunion.

The wheelmen are keeping themselves in great fettle for the races which will take place in the near future.

The races at Sacramento to-morrow will be well attended, and, as a majority of the fastest riders in the State have entered, it will not surprise the fraternity if some records will go under. On the 8th inst. a reunion of wheelmEn will be held at San Jose, and a run to Haywards will follow. In reference to this Robert R. Russ, captain of the Olympic Club Wheelmen writes:

"It was suggested at San Jose on Admission day last, the occasion of the meet of the Associated Cycling Clubs, that a joint run and reunion at Haywards of all the clubs about the bay of San Francisco would be an interesting and enjoyable event.

"By common consent of the club captains consulted the initiative was left to the Olympic Club Wheelmen, and it was in a measure understood that the second Sunday in October would be a convenient and suitable date.

"This date, October 8, following the meeting of the board of governors of the Associated clubs in this city on the evening preceding, seems especially appropriate.

It is suggested that the city clubs take the creek-route boat of the Southern Pacific Company, which on Sunday mornings leaves the foot of Market Street at 9 o'clock, instead of 9:15, as on week days.

Landing at the foot of Broadway, Oakland, the clubs will proceed to the clubhouse of the Acme Athletic Club, then to the house of the Reliance Athletic Club, where the start for Haywards will be made.

Captain De Witt Van Court of the Acme Athletic Club will act as chief marshal for the run, and to him club captains will report for position in line and other information.

At Haywards the Garden City Cyclers and the San Jose Road Club will be met.

It has been suggested that in view of the dissatisfaction which is so likely to result when an attempt is made to cater for any great number of persons "en masse" it would be well to leave it to the captain of each club to manage in advance for lunching his men at such one of the many excellent places of entertainment to be found at Haywards as his club may prefer.

At the same time the Olympic Club wheelmen are willing to arrange to lunch such clubs as may so desire, provided that request is made not later than Thursday, October 5, stating the price "per capita" it is desired to pay for lunch and the number of men to be provided for, it being understood that the Olympic Club wheelmen are guaranteed against all cost or expense by any club for whose account lunch is ordered.

The subject of this sketch, who was born in 1867 in San Francisco, is a Native Son, life member of the Society of California Pioneers and German Benevolent Society; also in the Olympic Club as a life member, member of the League of American Wheelmen, and was until quite recently a member of the Bay City Wheelmen, which he joined in 1885, and from which he branched out and organized the so-called Columbia Square Wheelmen, of which he was elected captain. This organization disbanded shortly and formed the Olympic Cycling annex, comprising as its prime movers R. R. Russ, H. S. Russ and the Hunter brothers, the former (Bob Russ) being selected as first lieutenant, which office he retained for a few months, when N. Robinson resigned in Russ' favor. Russ never failed to attend a club run nor meeting of any kind in connection with this organization since its existence, and if all were enthused as much as he the Annex would be more than three times its present size. As captain he has instituted races, barbecues, century runs, which are at present on his road book, for his present term of office. He has been riding since 1884, and as an all-around athlete he has competed for the Olympic Club in a tug-of-war, assisted by Kolb and a flew other prominent members, at their grounds. He is the son of A. G. Russ, the capitalist, Mexican War veteran and pioneer of 1846, one of the oldest families of San Francisco and in connection with the Russ House, and nephew of H. B. Russ, the present treasurer of the Olympic Club. R. Russ takes great pleasure in swimming, in fact every line of sport; has recently figured prominently in connection with some big fishing excursion to the Cordell Banks. He is also quite a sharpshooter with the rifle, and has to his credit but a few antlers from the "Four Pointers” bucks which he laid out. As an angler, he is also a good disciple of I. Walton. In conversation he is very openly spoken, modest and makes hosts of friends wherever he goes. He is known as "Railroad Russ," since his name has three Rs. The boys still joke with him over that Tocaloma Club run, in which he figured so prominently. He is a prominent member and hearty supporter of the Olympic Club and is always to the front when assistance is wanted.

Lewis C. Hunter has been actively identified with the Olympic Club for ten years, and has been an enthusiastic wheelman for the past three. He was one of the organizers of the Olympic Cycling Annex, and has been an earnest worker in its behalf ever since its inception.

When the [San Francisco Bicycle Club]] was merged in to the Olympic Club and a reorganization effected under the name of the Olympic Club Wheelmen, he was elected secretary-treasurer; which position he occupies at the present time.