NOTES BY DEMON.

Otago Witness, 14 December 1893, Page 33

NOTES BY DEMON.

The boisterous weather of last Saturday morning completely put a stop to all hopes of holding the sports promoted by the Duffedin Amateur Athletic Club. That the sports had to be put off was unfortunate, as the competitors ■were in splendid fettle, and the cyclists who had entered for tho different events were well into their work. The track was in very good going order and everything favoured good times. While the racing next Saturday will be eagerly watched and should result in some keen and interesting competitions, the open events will be partly robbed of their interest. R. Crow and E. R. Godward, who were looked upon as sure to furnish some of the very fast work of the meeting, will be away at Timaru, competing at the races under the auspices of the Timaru Tourists' Club, and doing battle [for Dunedin in the 25-mile Championship of New Zealand. Wilson has entered for some of the Timaru events, bub thinks he has a show at the Carisbrook on Saturday, and elects to stay. Despite the absence of the two before-men-tioned riders there will be good fields for the three events, and from what I have seen of the various men in training, there is no moral in any event, and the pace will be good from start to finish. The feature of Saturday's bicycle sports at Napier was the records established by Reynolds of Auckland, who cut down all the New Zealand times for from three to 10 miles. The third mile was covered in Bmin '( 4~ssec, the fourth in lOmin 51^sec, the fifth in 13tnin 4-2£ sec, the sixth in 16min 30£ sec, the seventh in 19min 21gsec, the eighth in 22min 18sec, the ninth in 25min 16 3-ssec, and the tenth in 28min 3Jsec. Reynolds won the Provincial Championship. The wind blowing was against record-break-ing. Cowell won the Bracelet and Mile ; and Caughey the Ten-mile and Three-mile Handi 1 caps. It will be seen from the foregoing that R. Crow has not been allowed to hold his 10-mile record made at Oamaru last week for long. This rider has during the last few days made a wonderful improvement in his riding, and puts in a large amount of work at spurting. He intends to make a big bid for the 25-mile Championship at Timaru on Saturday. G. R. Wilson has been doing his work on the track during the last few days on a 72 gear, and certainly shifts his machine along very nicely. He will not be far out at the finish oa Saturday. A Melbourne cable states that on the second day of the Melbourne Bicycling Club's sports 20,000 people attended. The principal events resulted as follows : — Austral Wheel Race. Two miles.— G. F. Woodward, 170 yds, 1 ; S. A. Bucknall, 260 yds, 2 ; A. E. Loweland, 300 yds, 3. A good race between the placed men, all of whom are Victorians. Woodward just won on the post. Time, smin ifsec. Ten-mile Championship. —L. B. Scharfe 1, Spiro Turner 2, O. B. Kellor 3. There was a brilliant finish in this event, not more than a yard separating the first and third. Time, 28min 26jec. In course of conversation with Mr Pennycook, of the Balclutha Cycling Club, I learnt that his club is in a flourishing condition, and that while club runs are not fixed to be held at stated intervals, the members frequently take long spins together at holiday times. Mr Pennycook intends competing at the Dunedin Cycling Club's sports at the Carisbrook grounds, and while in Dunedin made himself familiar with the corners of the track. "Cyclofile" comments in the Sydney Referee on the action of the New Zealand customs with regard to the seizure of prizes won by the New Zealand team of cyclists at Sydney. He gives a detailed account of the whole matter, and shates that Mr Bell, of the Sydney office of the Union Steam Ship Company, who took charge of the trophies as a favour to the cjclists, is now responsible for the amount of fine inflicted by the court, and calls on cjclists of both New South Wales and New Zealand to raise a refund to Mr Btll. Concluding, "Cyclofile" says: — "^L am informed that Mr Hayward did not lend that assistance to the people over there which he shcu'd have. One correspondent alleges that on his being applied to he simply said that those] who got the parcel into the customs might get it out. He only wanted his trophies out of the lot." The Timaru Tourists intend to give a two-guinea prize to the man who pasfes the post first most times in the 25-mile Championship. Good entries have been received for the Christchurch Cycling Club's meeting which is to be held on Monday next. There are 21 entries for the Half-mile Handicap, seven for the Three-miles Championship of New Zealand, nine for the Half-mile Championship, and for the other events the entries are satisfactory. At the Ariel Bicycle Club's meeting, held at Ashburton last week, the attendance of the public was satisfactory and the racing good. The results are as follows :— One-mile Maiden Handicap.— W. J. Allen, 90yds, 1 ; W. Woods, 95yds, 2 ; J. T. Andrews, 90yds, 3. Time, 2min 49sec. Half mile Handicap.— A. W. Joss, 50yds, 1 ; E. S Rainbow, 80yds, 2; T. G. Jamicson, 100 yds, 3. Time, lmin 16sec. Two-mile Roadster Handicvp.— J. Rapson, 165 yds, 1; W. Woods, 25} ds, 2. Time, smin 36isec. One-mile Handicap.— A. R. Barker, 60yds, 1 ; T. Clarkson, 50yds, 2 ; J. Wilson, 170 yds, 3. Time, 2min 37Hsec. Five-mile Championship of New Zealand. — K. Lewis 1, J. Boyd 2, T. Clarkson 3. Time, 14min 53} sec. One Mile and a-iialf Members' Race.— J. T. Andrews, 220 yds, 1 ; W. Woods, 220 yds, 2 ; R. Couch, 220 yds, 3. Time, 4min B|sec. Three-mile ILvnpicap.— J. Rapson, 400 yds, 1 ;

A. W. Joss, 380 yds, 2 ; J. Boyd, scr, 3. Time, Bmin 1 4-ssec. Consolation Mile Handicap.— E. J. Craighead, 20yds, 1 ; B. R. Griffiths, 40yds, 2 ; T. Ci. Jamieson, scr, 3. Time, 2min 59sec. Finance Union, a money paper dealing specially with Irish investments and speculations, forecasts a dividend to be shortly declared on the shares of the Pneumatic Tyre Company. The contemporary hints at upwards of £175,000 as net trading profit alone, which, with royalties, &c, added, will make up a sum of £300,000 available for dividends. They think that a final dividend will be declared which will bring the distribution on the shares for the year to 200 per cent. Wooden rims will probably attract the attention of racing men next season, as they will stand work much better than the very light rims that have given much trouble this season. While the cyclist should take the utmost care of his mount, he should remember that nothing is more injurious to a machine than constantly taking it to pieces. Even when one is enough of a mechanic to thoroughly understand every part and fitting of a cycle, it is extremely inadvisable to pull the machine asunder. When one has no knowledge or experience — and these are generally the people who will insist on seeing the ' ' works " — the result is extremely damaging to the machine. Columbus avenue is the popular stamping ground for the cyclists. Its smooth asphalt pavement is to blame for this. At any time after dark one can study the variety in all its moods. There is the girl who is jusb learning ; the man that thinks speed is the only desirable thing, and does not miud by what contortions he achieves it ; the fellpw who thinks a good balance is a thing for pride, and moves along at a hardly perceptible pace ; the man who scorns a safety, and still rides aloft at the top of a 6ft in diameter circle ; the party out for exercise, the party out for fun ; the thoughtful party who rides irom duty, and the youngster who has borrowed a wheel — they are all there. But the impressive sight is to see a large party returning down the avenue late at night when all is still. Such a company, 50 strong, came down the other evening, and the effect was weird enough. Not a word was spoken, and, as they leaned forward, treading the machines with a steady motion, they might have been phantoms walking the air, for the wheels, invisible in the darkness, rolled along without sound, and there was bat one light among them. — Boston Journal. The Chicago Referee says Harry Wheeler had his much-sought-f or trial against a horse at Mount Holly fair, the horss being the famous pacer Saladin. All went swimmingly until the half-mile, which was covered in lmin Bsec, Wheeler riding easily, when the pacer threw an immense chunk of dirt in Harry's eyes, placing him hors de combat, and the animal won in hollow fashion. The latest method for smuggling opium into England was recently discovered, when some pneumatic tyres were found to be stuffed with the drug.