The Wheel. - San Francisco Chronicle, 30 May 1887
The Wheel.
[Official Organ L. A. W.]
CHIEF consul, Robert M. Welch; representatives, John W. Gibson, J. D. Arkison, R. C. Woodworth, C. C. Moore; secretary and treasurer, N. A. Robinson.
California will not get the two-mile League of American Wheelmen national championship for the meet at Santa Cruz. It has been assigned to the Pennsylvania division. California applied for either the two or five-mile championship in February last and received the reply that the application would be referred to the Racing Board to be appointed at St. Louis in May. The inference was that the assignment of the championships would be left to the new board, and California rested under that impression. Now the old board has favored Pennsylvania and made no explanation to California. The feeling among the local wheelmen is very bitter, and unless a satisfactory explanation is made the affront will be very strongly resented.
D. W. Donnelly and S. H. Knapp of the San Mateo Wheelmen made the trip from Oak Grove to Gilroy and return on Sunday, the 22d inst. Cyclometers showed a total distance of 130 miles. Total time, sixteen and one-half hours, of which two and three-fourths hours were spent off the wheels in rests, making the actual time thirteen and one-half hours. For forty miles from San Jose up they rode against a head wind, and between San Jose and Gilroy they had fifteen miles of very bad road. Certainly a very creditable performance. Donnelly wants it understood that this was a club run.
What is known as the Wheelmen's Liberty bill has passed both bonuses of the New York Legislature and now only awaits the Governor's signature to become a law. It recognizes bicycles and similar machines as vehicles, and declares them entitled to the same privileges and subject to the same penalties as other vehicles. The object of the bill is to force the Park Commissioners to open Central Park to the wheelmen with no other restrictions than are imposed on horses and carriages.
The Oakland Rambler Tourists were out to Haywards last Sunday.
Representative Arkison, mounted on his old war horse, created quite an impression on the Haywardites with his immense white helmet, a la Stevens.
With Tinkler [Finkler] of the San Franciscos, Adcock of the Bay City Wheelmen and Biederman, the great unwashed, the championship ought to prove a very interesting affair.
A letter from Los Angeles states that the club has grown to forty-five active members and that the 'cycling fever' is raging.
The 'cycler who has been practicing at the Bay District track for the championship has been reported to have made the five miles in 16:08, thereby beating Finkler's Pacific coast record of 17:00.
Woodworth, the Orange Grove champion, has been compelled to "lay off" for five days on account of horse races. It is said that he has strained the cords of his ankle while doing some hard work.
