The Wheelmen. - San Francisco Chronicle, 26 May 1890
The Wheelmen.
(Official Organ California Division L. A. W.)
The fine weather during the past week has afforded ample opportunity for wheelmen to get in condition for the century run, which has been postponed til June 1st. Many have taken advantage of it.
California division of the league is booming just at present. Renewals and applications are going East every day.
Arrangements for the annual tournament and race meet at San Jose on the 4th and 5th of July are progressing favorably. It is now an assured fact that a quarter-mile bicycle track will be built for the occasion, it has already been surveyed are work on it has been begun. It is hoped to make it even better than the Stockton track.
The inducement offered by the division of sending the winners of the district championship races East to contest in the national championship races will undoubtedly bring California's best men to San Jose. The board of officers reserves the right, of course, to decide whether the winners of these races are representative mon or not, as they would not care to send any one East who had not proved himself worthy and capable of making a good showing. It is hoped that Elwell, Davis and Wing will meet again in these races, Plummer, Wheaton, Hickinbotham, Southworth, Haas, Townsend and many others will probably try for first place in the district championship.
Plummer went to Napa on Thanksgiving Day last prepared to lower the one and two mile safety coast records, but the track was so bad no fast time could be made. W. A. Shockley holds these records now, but Plummer's friends say they will come down on the Fourth, while it has been hinted that Shockley will come back from Nevada prepared to hold his own. Many new safety riders have developed since last year, so it is possible for some unknown to prevent efther from taking first place. The races promise to be the most exciting and interesting ever seen in California.
San Jose wheelmen propose to keep some of the honors at home. San Jose held her share last year. With Smith for long distances and Al Cook for short ones she ought to be well represented.
George Wetmore's friends are in hopes of seeing him in the long distance races. Julius Smith is also anxious of seeing him there.
A tandem safety race has been put on the programme for San Jose. This will be the first face of the kind ever run in California. There will probably be five or six entries.
None but league members, will be permitted to enter the races.
The hop at the Hotel Vendome promises to be quite a feature of the meet; members of the league wishing invitations for it sent to any friends are requested to forward names to A. C. Wagener, San Jose.
A writer from Los Angeles to the L. A. W. Bulletin has evidently made a mistake. Certain letters that were written from here to the Bulletin, condemning those who were agitating a movement to withdraw from the league and form a California league were taken by him to refer to Southern California wheelmen, who desire a division of California division.
There does not seem to be any opposition to having two divisions in California among the wheelmon of Northern Central California, except they say that if the Southern wheelmen wish a division of their own, they are not entitled to any part of the treasury of California division. This of course, is only fair since the money was all made here.
Wheelmen intending to go to San Jose should join the league immediately so as to get their membership tickets in time. Enough will be saved by having these tickets at San Jose to much more than pay the cost of obtaining them. League membership tickets will obtain reduced rates at the league hotel in San Jose, pass the holders to the races and introduce them to the local consul and division officers, thereby assuring them a cordial welcome and a good time.
The list of events to be run at San Jose is as follows: One mile novice, three mile handicap, one mile safety State championship, five mile district championship, one-half mile State championship, one mile tandem safety scratch, one mile district championship, two mile salety handicap, one mile handicap. This gives an opportunity for all classes of riders.
The Bay City Wheelmen had a club run to Pelarcitos yesterday. The attendance was large and a good time was enjoyed.
W. M. Meeker and Chief Consul Thompson left yesterday for a week's tour through Napa, Lake, Mendocino and Sonoma counties. They will return in time for the century run on Sunday next.
The San Francisco Bicycle Club called a run for 9 A. M. yesterday to Haywards. The club photographer [possibly George R. Butler] was on hand, though he failed to meet the rest of the club. Having met on the ferry-beat R. R. Smythe, who so kindly offered to accompany him to Haywards, which turned out to be his destination, he started. Together they rode comfortably to San Leandro, where the first stop was made, and an excellent picture of the hotel was secured. After this they rode on to the water tank at San Lorenzo, where the camera was again set up and another view added to the list. They then hastened on to Haywards, where they met Messrs. Moore and Boise.
[See also San Leandro triangle]
Here they discussed an excellent dinner, after which they strolled on to a small creek and two or three pictures were caught illustrating the act of wading by the bicyclists. The real charm of these pictures were heightened by the introduction of the classical Smythe posing on a rock and the graceful Moore in the act of catching a sucker. Several other pictures were also taken, a rural bridge and an old cow being among the collection. The roads were declared splendid and the trip voted a riding success, but it certainly could not be said to be a triumph as far as the attendance was concerned.
