Page:The fastest bicycle rider in the world - 1928 - Taylor.djvu/45



Aside from the unpleasant experiences which I encountered from time to time because of color prejudice, my success of my first year's work as a professional was very satisfactory indeed, not only from a point of speed but financially as well. I won several thousand dollars and gained valuable experiences, besides making many new friends, by riding all my races entirely unassisted, and doing my utmost to win every time I got up. I was especially determined to go after the Championship of America in the season of 1898.

There was a plan on foot to bar me, as a colored racing cyclist, from future racing on all tracks under the jurisdiction of the L. A. W. It was grounded on the fact that the League had refused to admit professional membership, but placed a tax of $2 on them and compelled them to register, also it did not admit Negroes to membership.

Naturally I was somewhat disturbed by these conditions until I signed up with the American Cycle Racing Association which was headed by Wm. A. Brady, James Kennedy and Patrick Powers, to ride as a member of a racing team with Fred Titus, "French" Edward Taylore, and under this management I was sent South to engage in about two months of training, but owing to the racial prejudice my stay in Savannah was somewhat brief, as this New York newspaper will show.

"The Cyclists of Savannah, Ga., are congratulating themselves on the fact that Major Taylor, Champion Cyclist was driven out through a White-cap letter sent him during his recent brief stay there, but such is not the case. Taylor left Savannah by order of the American Cyclist Racing Association with whom he is under contract as told in the Evening Journal last week.

"Major Taylor did receive a letter supposed to be written or rather printed, as an effort was made to conceal the identity of the writer, by the city's crack triplet team with whom he had some words while training on the road. The letter which bears the postmark of Savannah under date of March 2nd, is now made public for the first time. It is as follows: 'Mister Taylor, If you do not leave here before forty-eight hours you will be sorry. We mean business. Clear out if you value your life. Signed, White Riders.'

“This letter concludes with a very poor attempt on the part of the writers to portray a skull and cross bones.”

In 1897 the L. A. W. decided to permit me to register for races under their sanction. But this by no means ended my racial difficulties