The Easter holiday racing was sad]; marred by the dreadful accident to A. W. Harris, the popular Leicester professional, while competing, in.the ten miles scratch race on the new track at Aston, Birmingham, on Monday last. Owing to the wood rims of his machine collapsing, while travelling at top speed, Harris was hurled on his head,' striking the cement surface with fearful thud, resulting in the fracture of the base of his skull, The poor fellow succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday morning at the hospital to which he was carried. He never regained consciousness.
Iam sure many colonial readers will share in the universal regret felt here, for Harris.was always a most-popular rider. He hnd recovered a. great deal of his old form, when, as an amateur rider, he was right in the front rank." He was one of the few who had the good fortune to capture, out and out, one of the famous Surrey Cups, as liv won this event three consecutive times, As a record breaker he was Aistances. Being put, from time to time, to articularly brilliant, many of the classic
his credit. Poor Harris is mourned by every one, even those who only knew him by name and reputation. te Wretched weather, as a rule, prevailed here during the holidays, and the ardour of the many thousands of wheelman who, tempted by the somewhat alluring outlook on "Thursday, went roving about the country, was considerably damped. "Rain has been a plentiful ingredient in the mixture of weather experienced. A very large number of important race-meetings wore held, and fairly well supported by the public, despite the rain, The results show that our most prominent racing men are at present: professionals, Burden, A. E, Walters, Platt-Betts, F. W. Chinn, Osborn, A.'A. Chase, and F. C. Armstrong. Stocks has not commenced to race yet but I, hear he is going grandly in trial spins. The amateur ranks have not yet had time to fill out, but I. MeW. Bourke, Baroand, and E. J. Callaghan are bound to shine throughout the coming season. 'Then -we have on these shores several professional. foreigners, including Impens, a Belgian crack, who is a very fine rider Cissae, a sterling, French speelman, both of whom. will probably remain with' us during the season. we Several attempts ab record were made, but: failed with: the exception of Barden's half-mile standing start, unpaced half-mile 61 3-5seos:; three-quarters, Imin. 343-Ssees; and mile:2 mins. 8* 2-secs.—all British records, standing start. I believe, in a subsequent half-mile, Barden still further reduced the time to 60 2-secs., which is claimed as world's record, standing start. Banton is undoubtedly riding extremely well.
'A New Zealand paper some time ago announced that a five miles race between fa cyclist anda railway engine had been arranged in England; also that the track would be five miles long, and, entering into details, that the cyclist would be given a flying start. I may say that such an event could only have originated in the busy brain of some scribbler short of copy. At least, we in the cycling world here, have heard nothing about the above intima tion that such a match has been organised. Until a cyclist can ride five miles under five minutes, it would be no race. The railway engine would simply romp home. ate The cycle-and-tire-company promoting boom is easing off here. The fact is the public have had more than enough of the ancial gentlemen who take up any new thing they consider likely to "draw" the investor. Sound concerns, however, continue to meet with the support they deserve, and shares of very many of these stand at high premium. There was a regular ps in Birmingham this week when a bank which advanced money on cycle and tire securities refused further dealing in such. The amount of gambling the past year has seen in connection with the trade is simply astounding. ae We have a few biz things in cycling clubs at this side of the world The Sheen Park Club, one of the fashionable cycling organisations that sprung up Inst year, hax now a membership of some fifteen hundred This will take a lot of beating:
Good Friday was a wretched day here, wind and rain doing their level best to knock the enthusiasm out of us cyclists. Yet no fewer ti 500 cyclists passed one point on the London road near Epsom, within the short space of a quarter of an hour! And a gowlly-paction of these were ladies. This is no mere calculation. The cyclists were carefully counted and checked. So you see we havea few enthusiastic riders among us still ers first invaded England, their peculiar ideas of cycle construction were severely criticised, and hints were very plainly iven that their fads and fancies would not at all suit the tastes of riders here. But with the cock-surednoss that characterises the American rice, we were coolly informed, in effect, that we must be educated up-to the transatlantic views. Well, Ldare say our good Yankee friends have' since discovered that even their booming methods have failed to force their ideas upon us. Tt is noteworthy tov that the Amoriosn Consul in Dublin, in his report, points out the shortcomings of his countrymen in their views as to how a bicycle ought to be built. It seems remarkable,"" writes the Consul, "that our manufacturers of bicycles do not attempt to fit the machines they export to suit the tastes and necessities of those for whose patronage they desire to compete." Mudguards, ear-cases, and wood tims, single-tube tires, and "faddy" frames—these are the chief points in which American machines. fail—and kers insist. on forcing us to approve "¢wropt in mystery."
Cyclists in Ireland have hitherto enjoyed the privilege of being allowed to ride after dark without a lighted lamp upon their machines, and—I write from personal expetience—a very dangerous privilege this is.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.