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Story
December 12, 1908
The Star And Newark Advertiser
Newark, Essex County, New Jersey
What is this article about?
In the final stages of a six-day bicycle race at Madison Square Garden, riders exhibit stimulant effects, sprinting desperately but weakening. Palmer leads fiercely; Demara, Rutt, and MacFarland are top contenders amid injuries and betting shifts.
Clipping
OCR Quality
98%
Excellent
Full Text
SIX-DAY RIDERS "DOPED" FOR LAST SPAINT OF RACE
Almost every rider who was put on the track at Madison Square Garden today to relieve his partner showed the effects of stimulants. As they were placed on their machines and started off on the oval they would burst forth into a heartbreaking sprint, only to falter and fall back after half a mile of sprinting.
The appearance of one or two of the men was enough to excite pity from the most hardened spectators. They looked like ghosts as they rode on silently in the smoke-clouded half light. The jocular spirit of early days in the grind had entirely disappeared, and they pedaled around the never-ending track silent and grim, but intent on hanging on.
The effects of the stimulants on the riders were plain. "Pedlar" Palmer, the courageous little Australian, rode like a madman, and furnished the pace for the other riders for hours. Notwithstanding the terrific strain that he has been forced to undergo, he raced around the oval at a twenty-mile gait, until the thousands of spectators burst into tumultuous applause.
Demara will surely be one of the contenders in the final sprint tonight. His rivals will be Rutt, of Rutt and Stol, and MacFarland, of MacFarland and Moran, unless some accident changes the position of the leaders.
The followers of Walthour and Root still hold a forlorn hope that this team may regain the coveted lap that separates them from the leaders. But those who have kept in close observation of the men hardly hope that Walthour and Root will try to get the lap.
Drobach is in very poor condition, as is Moran, whose shoulder was strained and cut by a severe fall during the early hours. MacFarland, his partner, looks drawn and weary, but he never fails to follow any speed that the others may establish.
A sensational rumor during the early morning hours was that Stol, the partner of Rutt, was suffering from stomach trouble. This had the effect of raising the odds on MacFarland to 6 to 1 in his favor. The same odds prevailed on Rutt and Stol. Demara and Hill, strange as it may seem, were placed at 1 to 4 in the betting, but it was predicted that the odds against them would drop a great deal before the end of the race.
Almost every rider who was put on the track at Madison Square Garden today to relieve his partner showed the effects of stimulants. As they were placed on their machines and started off on the oval they would burst forth into a heartbreaking sprint, only to falter and fall back after half a mile of sprinting.
The appearance of one or two of the men was enough to excite pity from the most hardened spectators. They looked like ghosts as they rode on silently in the smoke-clouded half light. The jocular spirit of early days in the grind had entirely disappeared, and they pedaled around the never-ending track silent and grim, but intent on hanging on.
The effects of the stimulants on the riders were plain. "Pedlar" Palmer, the courageous little Australian, rode like a madman, and furnished the pace for the other riders for hours. Notwithstanding the terrific strain that he has been forced to undergo, he raced around the oval at a twenty-mile gait, until the thousands of spectators burst into tumultuous applause.
Demara will surely be one of the contenders in the final sprint tonight. His rivals will be Rutt, of Rutt and Stol, and MacFarland, of MacFarland and Moran, unless some accident changes the position of the leaders.
The followers of Walthour and Root still hold a forlorn hope that this team may regain the coveted lap that separates them from the leaders. But those who have kept in close observation of the men hardly hope that Walthour and Root will try to get the lap.
Drobach is in very poor condition, as is Moran, whose shoulder was strained and cut by a severe fall during the early hours. MacFarland, his partner, looks drawn and weary, but he never fails to follow any speed that the others may establish.
A sensational rumor during the early morning hours was that Stol, the partner of Rutt, was suffering from stomach trouble. This had the effect of raising the odds on MacFarland to 6 to 1 in his favor. The same odds prevailed on Rutt and Stol. Demara and Hill, strange as it may seem, were placed at 1 to 4 in the betting, but it was predicted that the odds against them would drop a great deal before the end of the race.
What sub-type of article is it?
Adventure
Personal Triumph
Survival
What themes does it cover?
Bravery Heroism
Survival
Triumph
What keywords are associated?
Six Day Race
Stimulants Doping
Bicycle Riders
Madison Square Garden
Race Contenders
Betting Odds
What entities or persons were involved?
Pedlar Palmer
Demara
Rutt
Stol
Macfarland
Moran
Walthour
Root
Drobach
Hill
Where did it happen?
Madison Square Garden
Story Details
Key Persons
Pedlar Palmer
Demara
Rutt
Stol
Macfarland
Moran
Walthour
Root
Drobach
Hill
Location
Madison Square Garden
Story Details
Riders in the six-day bicycle race show effects of stimulants, sprinting intensely but faltering. Palmer leads at high speed. Contenders include Demara, Rutt, and MacFarland. Walthour and Root lag by a lap. Injuries and rumors affect betting odds.