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6-day bicycle race expenses
In 1891, T.W. Eck promoted a 6-day race at Madison Square Garden with
a raft of second-rate bicycle "stars" from the US, the UK, and Europe. His chief assistant was "Senator" Morgan, whose nickname was just as illusionary as "Major" Taylor's: "W.J. Morgan, known as 'Senator' Morgan (a title obtained at a Pennsylvania fair through making a Republican speech, although himself a Democrat, in favor of General Beaver in 1884) is a Welsh-Englishman by birth, having been born in the mixed county of Monmouthshire, England." http://la84foundation.org/SportsLibr.../SL1802005.pdf As a racer, "Senator" Morgan set distance records in 1886 and then turned writer and promoter. James Beaver, a repeatedly wounded one-legged Civil War veteran who rose from lieutenant to brigadier general, was a lawyer in civilian life and was elected governor of Pennsylvania 1886-1891. Early scorn from the cycling press toward the proposed 6-day race soon turned into praise, partly due to the $242.90 spent on refreshments for the press, probably overseen by the $40.00 press agent, Hennessey. The live band cost almost as much as building the board race track. Advertising was the biggest expense, amounting to just over $4,000. I love the $12.25 spent on starting pistol ammo and signal gongs. *** "HEAVY EXPENSES. The expenses exceeded the highest estimate previously made, $13,000, by 1,324.53. Here are the several items as given out by Manager Eck:" [sorted by amount--the original list is a hodge-podge] $1,887.89 Advertising 1,539.51 Carpentry [building the race track] 1,400.00 Music [live band, of course] 1,292.80 Bill posting [tacking up posters all over New York] 1,200.00 Heating, lighting, and regular salaries [ $7,320.20 ~55% ] 854.95 Steamship and railway fare [riders from US, UK, Europe] 635.40 Lithographs [poster ads] 623.00 Scorers 542.85 Hotel bills of riders and trainers 499.50 Ushers, doorkeepers, etc 475.00 Short distance riders [keep audience interested] 371.00 Judges and referees 242.90 Refreshments for press [liquor for flacks] 200.00 Services of W. J. Morgan [helped Eck, 2nd rate rider] 197.50 Fancy riders [trick riding entertainment] 191.28 Supplies for rlders, tights, &c 189.25 Printing Tickets and circulars 136.05 Badges, ribbons, numbers, &c 129.00 Rent of scoring machines [special displays] 126.75 Rent of tents and cots [where riders slept for days] 100.00 Expenses T. W. Eck. postage &c [suspiciously round figure] [ $5,514.43 ~41% ] 98.00 Printing signs and transparencies 97.45 Cuts and photographs of riders 67.50 Ticket sellers 53.75 T. W. Eck's traveling expense 50.00 Decorations 43.95 Telegrams, messengers, ice &c 40.00 Press Agent Hennessy 27.00 Rent of clocks and wagons 12.25 Pistol cartridges & gongs [starting guns & signal gongs] [ $489.90 ~4% ] --------- $13,324.53 Total "This amount [$13k expenses] deducted from the receipts left $11,381.97 net receipts. The Garden people took one-half of this, or $5691, which left $5691. Out of this was deducted $140.50 for Lawyer Gannon, who represented the contestants. Then Manager T. C. Eck came in for his 25 per cent., or $1,387.62. This left $4,162.88. Out of this had to come $1360 for special prizes for riding a certain number of miles and for covering 1300 miles. The amounts paid to the fancy and short-distance riders being: Richard Howell,$200; Arthur Robb. $125; Jack Prince, $50; Lumsden, $25; O'FIanagari, $25; Stage, $25; Wood $25; Maltby, $110; Canary, $100." "The remainder, $2,802.88, was divided pro rata among the first six men [the six who finished the 6-day race]. The men received the following amounts Martin, $1221.84; Ashinger, $929.89; Lamb, $550.34; Schock, $491.95; Albert, $433.56, and Boyst, $345.93." "Total, $3,973.51." --Sporting Life, Oct. 31, 1891, p. 5 http://la84foundation.org/SportsLibr.../SL1805005.pdf One way to look at this was that first place won $1200 in an era with no income tax, when $120 (one-tenth of the 1st place prize money) would buy a high-quality bicycle or horse, roughly the equivalent of a new car today--except that even at the height of the bike boom a few years later, only one person in ten owned a bike and even fewer owned a horse (which was much more popular, but much more expensive to maintain). If the other 8 starters were paid anything, it isn't mentioned, but they didn't finish. None of the 14 "pro" starters held any world records, nor were they thought to be able to keep up with the famous "amateurs" like Zimmerman, Windle, Osmonde, Ede, Berlo, Taxis, and so on, who raced for pianos (Zimmerman won at least two pianos), men's suits (also a strange but common wager), diamond jewelry, medals, bicycles, cyclometers, and other prizes that included even rabbits, none of which they were allowed to convert to cash. Just as pros today face drug tests at the drop of a hat, so did the "amateurs" of the early safety era face demands that they show possession of pianos and other prizes whenever an L.A.W. official felt like pestering them. One good amateur tale involves a race in which the prize was a check--which was not technically money unless cashed. But the rabbit story is the best: http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive...9C946096D 6CF Cheers, Carl Fogel |
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#2
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6-day bicycle race expenses
well done. good flow. holds inter....uh attention.
sounds familiar. |
#3
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6-day bicycle race expenses
say Carl, the Times Archives, when is 'bicycle' first mentioned ? bicycle racing ? and off course, the automobile ? |
#4
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6-day bicycle race expenses
BENZ ONE: http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive...619C946097D6CF no heralding the new epoch ? Great Ford ! |
#5
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6-day bicycle race expenses
und Herr Otto, nicht Var !
eeyeyahhaha but do they ever run Otto's into the ground as drunken oafs, ax killers, rapists... are we connecting the dots here or what ? |
#6
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6-day bicycle race expenses
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