rode along in second position until they were nearing the home stretch and well out of gale; suddenly there was a dusky streak and Frank Kramer got second place. Major Taylor won by two lengths and he was moving faster when he crossed the tape than he was down the home stretch. The reason—tremendous applause.
“On the whole Major Taylor is King-Pin among the sprinters. There is only one other man now who appears to have a chance of defeating Taylor, and it will take all of the great Eddie (Cannon) Bald’s very best speed and tactics to do it.”
Immediately after my match race with Kramer I signed up for another with Jay Eaton, famous champion of another era, who was widely known as “Indoor King.” I was fully aware that I had my work cut out for me with the clever and speedy Eaton. I knew that a loss to him would offset even my fine performance against Kramer. However, I had no fear of him so far as speed was concerned and I figured that I was as clever otherwise as he, although he was a very tricky rider. On top of that Eaton had worlds of experience and realizing all these things I admit I was a little anxious on the eve of the race. Nevertheless, I tore after Eaton and felt like a new man when I led him over the tape and satisfied myself that he was more tricky than speedy.
This race was held on the famous Vailsburg (N. J.) track. As was the case in my match race with Frank Kramer the purse in my match with Eaton was $500, winner take all. My race with Eaton followed his sweeping defy to all the professional riders of the country. It was inserted in all of the papers over the signature of Fred W. Voigt, Eaton’s manager and read as follows:
“Jay Eaton’s Defy to All Professional Riders. I will match Jay Eaton, ‘The Indoor King’ against any rider in the world with or without single paced, one-mile heats, best two in three heats. The match to take place on the Vailsburg track upon receipt of two weeks’ notice from challenger. No one is barred, and the challengers will be taken in order of acceptance of this defy, and the winner of the match to receive $500. The only stipulation I make is that the challengers post $100 in the hands of the official referee which shall serve as a forfeit that the match shall take place and subject to the conditions named above. Signed: Fred W. Voigt, Manager Jay Eaton, ‘Indoor King.’ ”
A New York newspaper carried the following story about my race with Jay Eaton on the day following the event:
“Major Taylor Easily Defeats Jay Eaton ‘Indoor King’ in Special Match Race. Major Taylor, the champion colored rider, is the fastest bicycle rider in the world, which was again demonstrated yesterday on the Vailsburg Track when he defeated Jay Eaton, the ‘Indoor King’
