Page:The fastest bicycle rider in the world - 1928 - Taylor.djvu/141

 at that time and he was one of the principal instigators who aimed to debar me for life from bicycle racing tracks of the world.

With these facts in mind one can readily appreciate how I felt as I walked on to the track at Milwaukee on July 13, 1900, to race Cooper for the purse of $1000. I felt that after months of waiting I was about to realize one of my most cherished ambitions—that of getting a chance to show one of the men who would have ruled me off the bicycle tracks of the world in an unfair manner, the way to the tape. If ever I was anxious to win a race I most certainly was on this occasion. I felt it was the most important race that I had prepared for up to this time—that is how much there was at stake in it.

However, the fates had decreed that Cooper and I were not to hold that all important match race on the Milwaukee track that day. After both of us had jogged about the track a few times there was a conference of officials concerning the construction of it. This was brought about in no small degree by a fall sustained by Cooper during his workout. The upshot of the confab was that the track was condemned as being unfit to ride upon. The officials of the track asked me, in view of this fact, if I still desired to ride against Cooper. I replied in the affirmative and said I was ready to start to if Cooper was, but the race was declared off.