Except for the two years spent mired in a depression and some of his final years, Taylor’s movements could be traced almost daily from all the above sources—his first race in Indianapolis, his last amateur race where reporters spoke of other more “promising” riders, the investigation into his controversial first-class stateroom on the Kaiser Wilhelm, the old-timers’ race. On several occasions, we had to devour 500-page books just to find one important tidbit or interesting quip. Others produced next to nothing; a valiant attempt to learn more about Harry Worcester Smith, Taylor’s jockey friend, by reading a 1930, 1200-page tome proved to be a spectacular waste of time.
The file of those who helped us unravel Taylor’s story is thick and filled with the names of people who showed incredible munificence. We still remember the first time we met Keisha Tandy, the lovely young woman at the Indianapolis Museum to whom we are greatly indebted. Flanked by security guards, she led us down a long museum passageway deep into the bowels of the building. A special key was produced and a tall steel door creaked open. Once inside, she handed us blue plastic protective gloves, then spilled out a treasure trove of Taylor memorabilia—letters to Daisy and Sydney, photographs, medals, scribbled notes, newspaper clippings, postcards written in graceful calligraphy. We immediately sensed an awesome responsibility as we fingered through the stack. The stack has since invaded our basements, overwhelmed our thoughts, absorbed our free time. Taylor’s desire to preserve his forgotten star, combined with Keisha’s kind assistance, has added color and vigor to the story.
We contacted an untold number of other museum curators, librarians, and researchers in the United States, France, Italy, Belgium, Canada, Germany, and Australia. Ian Warden, one of our Australian researchers, didn’t come up for air until he had combed nearly every inch of Australasia. What he unearthed—and the organized manner in which he delivered it—helped us bring to life two divergent years in Taylor’s career: the extreme highs of his “royal honeymoon” year (1903), to the darkness and depression that began the following year. Ian became so excited by the story, he later wrote a five-page article on Major Taylor that appeared in an Australian paper. In a story like Taylor’s that played out in dozens of countries, readings came to us not only in varied national languages but also in regional and era-specific tongues. We wish to thank our translators Pat Choffrut and Christine Schoettler who together know more languages than an aged gypsy. They helped us translate those idiolects and patois that have long since faded from our vocabularies. With great rapidity and regularity, Bonnie Coles at the Library of Congress foraged through a pile of papers that often reached leviathan proportions. Though he never showed it, George Labonte, chief librarian at the Worcester Public Library, must have grown weary of our never-ending requests for additional newspaper clippings.
Our local librarians in Excelsior, Minnesota, a quaint village overlooking Lake Minnetonka, remained patient amid an assortment of strange requests. Carla Zimmerman (not related) at the Monmouth (New Jersey) Historical Society dusted off Arthur Zimmerman’s scrapbook, allowing us to paint a portrait of his dawn-age racing exploits and his singular contribution to Taylor’s career. While making us laugh, Richard Ruenhke, chief librarian in Ottumwa, Iowa, sent us gads of articles on races in and the history of Ottumwa in the 1890s. Somewhere in the middle of it all sat articles on the brothels that stretched from one end of town to the other, forever altering our belief in the sleepy history of our neighboring state. Bob Williams, track director at the National Sports Center Velodrome in Blaine, Minnesota, shared his technical knowledge of track racing. Special thanks to Florence Christenson and Harold Schroeder, our long time assistants who helped with every facet of the book.
Linda McShannock of the Minnesota Historical Society and Ericka Mason Osen, Historic Clothing Coordinator at the Conner Prairie Museum in Fisher, Indiana, helped us with the Victorian-era clothing: Daisy’s velvet walking suits, Taylor’s pleated gambler suits, Zimmerman’s gabardine shirts. Vince Menci at the United States Bicycling Hall of Fame introduced us to Jack Visceo. Only 104 years young when we interviewed him, Jack was living proof that cyclists really are the fittest athletes in the world. Through many contacts he developed over his long life, this honorary hall-of-famer filled in some holes on century-old mysteries.
Some of the most valuable insight came from the efforts of people we never met. It’s not possible to express enough thanks to those nameless people who scanned hundreds of millions of newspapers pages into websites like the Brooklyn Daily Eagle (1842–1902), New York Times (1789–present), Boston Daily Globe, Washington Post, Atlanta Constitution, Chicago Times, Newspaper Archives (1607–present)—a website with 6,200 different newspapers—and Geneology.com (1640–present). Because of them, the information a historian can find in a few days would have taken years of painstaking research a few decades ago. We also thank our parents, Cyril and Madonna Kerber, for introducing the pleasures of reading to us at an early age. Our love for the written word began there.
It takes a prescient individual with a unique ability to see significance in obscure biographies. Perhaps our greatest reverence is owed to two such individuals, our literary agent, John Willig, and our editor, Holly Rubino. Possessed with great tenacity, John expertly got us a book deal with one of the fastest growing publishers in the United States. Holly saw in the contours of this story what it could be, and helped us get it there. We cannot thank her enough for doing so while simultaneously preserving our voice.
Our final thanks goes to Arthur Zimmerman for treating Taylor as an equal in an era lacking egalitarianism; Victor Breyer and Hugh McIntosh, for their contributions to Taylor’s career and our favorite sport; William Brady, for sticking up for Taylor and for making us laugh until no further sound came out; Birdie Munger, for his kind heart and color-blind eyes, seeing qualities in a young Taylor no one else could; and Andrew Ritchie, Taylor’s first biographer, who spent years researching and writing about Taylor in a professional and chronologically correct style. And of course we thank Major Taylor, not only for leaving a traceable imprint but for leading a life of unparalleled sportsmanship, resoluteness, and transcendence in a world brimming with malice. You have not been forgotten.
NOTES
A word on sources: We made every attempt to keep this book as historically accurate as possible (the sourcing alone took nearly a year) while at the same time providing a desirable reading experience. To this end, we scoured through thousands of documents from hundreds of different sources. The majority of the scenes we described in this book came from multiple sources where complete publishing information—the names and dates of the newspaper, magazine, or book—was available to us. But a small percentage of our sources, mostly newspaper clippings in Taylor’s scrapbook held at the Indianapolis State Museum, were undated and/or unnamed. Others were dated, but the writer did not specify the date for the scene he/she was referring to—a 1926 article describing the time Taylor was pulled over by French police sometime in 1901 comes to mind. In most cases, we were able to uncover these hidden dates through other corroborating newspaper articles. In those instances when we were unable to corroborate the dates of a given scene, we placed the event in the chronological order that we, having researched Major Taylor’s life for nearly a half decade, believe them to have taken place. Also, it should be noted that since we had no videos to aid in our race descriptions, we relied on published reports from various reporters covering the races. Because it is very difficult to write a play-by-play description of a race in which men are traveling at forty-plus miles per hour, these reports occasionally conflicted. Our descriptions reflect these disparate reports. Portions of Taylor’s scrapbook were obtained from microfilm held at the University of Pittsburgh Library. We have used the abbreviation UASP (unidentified articles scrapbook Pittsburgh) to annotate those sources obtained there. Finally, there were periods during Taylor’s life that were not heavily reported on, especially 1905 to 1906 and some of his final years. In cobbling these periods t
ogether, we did our best with what we had to work with.
Preface
xi. “Major Taylor Carnival trains” Cycle Age: May, 1901; Unidentified Australian newspaper clipping, Major Taylor scrapbook: Indianapolis History Museum.
xi. Four continents: North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia.
xi. Major Taylor billboards: Major Taylor autobiography, 9. 142.
xi. crowd marching to Taylor’s hotel: Andrew Ritchie, Out of the Shadows, A Biographical History of African American Athletes, edited by David Wiggins, p. 31.
xi. largest throng to witness a sporting event: Brooklyn Daily Eagle August 9, 1897; Baltimore Sun, August 10, 1897
xi. fifty thousand people watched him race: Worcester Telegram May 10, 1896; Baltimore Sun, August 10, 1897; The Flying Negro Major Taylor by Robert Coquille, La Vie Grand Air, March 19, 1901 pp. 130-131.
xi. Sporting Globe, August 12, 1939.
xi. thousands mobbed tracks just to watch his workouts: The Fastest Bicycle Rider in the World: The Story of a Colored Boy’s Indomitable Courage and Success Against Great Odd, An Autobiography by Marshall W. “Major” Taylor p.86; Chicago Daily Tribune, May 16, 1901.
xi. Taylor denied access to meals, restaurants, hotels, and sleeping in horse stables: The Columbus Enquirer, May 9, 1907; Syracuse Standard, November 4, 1898; The Daily Northwestern, March 16, 1901; Cycle Age, October 6, 1898; Brooklyn Daily Eagle, August 2, 1901; Worcester Telegram, August 2, 1901; Boston Daily Globe, August 2, 1901; The Lexington Herald, April 24, 1907.
xii. New York Times called the most talked about in sport: New York Times: Gossip of the Cycler’s; “The Negro in Racing” October 3, 1897
xii. Virgil Earp in cow town: William A Brady, The Showman (Curtis Publishing, 1936-37) p. 90, 91, 92, 93
xii. he traveled more than two hundred thousand grueling miles: The Extraordinary Career of a Bicycle Racer by Andrew Ritchie p. 217
xii. handicaps as far back as three-hundred fifty yards: The Fastest Bicycle Rider in the World; The Story of a Colored Boys Indomitable Courage and Success Against Great Odd; An Autobiography by Marshall W. “Major” Taylor p. 292
xii. Most heavily advertised man in Europe: Worcester Telegram, April 8, 1901; Boston Globe, April 7, 1901.
xii. Talked about in newspapers and cafes as often as presidents of countries: Cycle Age April 14, 1901; La Vie Grand Air March 10, 1901, pp. 130-131; Unidentified French article May 1901, Cycler’s News June 4, 1901
xii. Captured more attention than one of the world’s richest citizens: Chicago Daily Tribune, June 29, 1901.
Chapter 1
3. Later described as polished ebony: Brooklyn Daily Eagle August 7, 1897
3. Twelve of the first twenty-two Kentucky derbies: Joe Drape, Black Maestro (Harpers Collins 2006) p. 27.
4. Born November 26th, 1878: Major Taylor, The Fastest Bicycle rider in the World Autobiography (Wormly Publishing 1928) p. 1.
4. “All we had was just what we needed…” Sydney Daily Telegraph, January 7, 1903; quoting New South Wales Baptist article “Thirty-thousand Dollars for Conscience Sake”
4. Introduction to Daniel Southard: Major Taylor, Autobiography p.1.
4. Private tutor: Andrew Ritchie, The Extraordinary Career of a Champion Bicycle Racer Interview Sydney Taylor Brown (John Hopkins 1988) p. 15.
4. Siblings educated by Milton Lewis: The Freeman, July 30, 1904.
5. “boneshakers, hobby horses, velocipedes” The Evening Bulletin, February 7, 1896.
5. Original meaning of the term teamsters: www.answers.com DL December 6, 2006.
5. Ohio legislation: Robert Smith, Social History (American Heritage Press) p. 183.
5. Jersey City order: Ibid-p. 183.
5. Illinois legislature: Ibid-p. 184.
6. Boston and Hartford: Ibid-p. 49.
6. “For some reason the equine mind has a distinct aversion to motion” Brooklyn Daily Eagle May 29, 1883.
6. “He is not a pedestrian and cannot be catalogued as a horse” Ibid.
6. “the most powerful athletic group in the world” What Bicyclist have Done: New York Times September 11, 1892.
7. “Death by Wheel” http//moonrider.journalspace.com DL September 29, 2006.
7. Get a bicycle, you will not regret it if you live” www.quotegarden.com DL April 27, 2007.
8. “I dropped from the happy life of a millionaire kid: Major Taylor autobiography p. 2.
8. “bicycle row”: Flyman’s Handbook of Indianapolis, Max R. Hyman, Editor, M. R. Hyman Co., 1897, p. 378.
9. “My eyes nearly popped out of my head: Major Taylor autobiography p. 2.
9. I spent more time fondling that medal: Ibid-p. 2.
9. I know you can’t go the full distance: Ibid-p. 3.
10. It gave me a fresh start: Ibid-p. 3.
10. H.T. Hearshey’s: Ibid-p. 5.
10. Michaux Club: www.victorianstation.com DL June 29, 2006.
11. John D Rockefeller thirty-eight bikes: Newark Sunday Advocate June 9, 1895.
11. Riding academies replaced by bicycles: Joseph B. Bishop, New York Evening Post, June 20, 1896.
11. “why I feel as if I had never known my mother until…” Ibid June 9, 1895.
11. 1893 first year more bikes than horses: The Standard, April 4, 1893.
12. One third of all patents: “Major Taylor, Colonel Pope, and the General Commotion over Bikes,” The Ledger, Spring 2001.
12. “one of much larger importance than all the victories and defeats of Napoleon.” New York Tribune: 1895, quoted in Fred C Kelly, article “The Great Bicycle Craze: American,” Heritage Magazine: December 8, 1956.
12. “It is pleasant to read in our livery trade…” New York Times August 28, 1898.
Chapter 2
13. Birdie Munger born in Iowa 1863: Boston Globe: November 7, 1885.
13. Munger accident: Boston Globe: October 29, 1885.
14. “Western Flyer” San Antonio Daily Light August 24, 1893.
14. “he left after his voice” Unidentified clipping: Arthur Zimmerman scrapbook, Monmouth County Historical Society Freehold, NJ.
14. Munger Cycle Manufacturing Company: Newark Daily Advocate June 27, 1896.
14. “The Munger” Bearings Advertisement, date unknown.
14. “Munger lived, ate, talked, slept and breathed bicycles” Andrew Ritchie; The Extraordinary Career of a Champion Bicycle Racer (John Hopkins) p. 23.
16. “pickaninny” Chicago Daily Tribune: May 4, 1898.
16. No darkey had ever amounted to a pinch of snuff”: Bearings, July 1, 1897.
17. “We will bleach you and make you white”: UASP.
17. “Its effect was ludicrous”: The Daily Republican, August 2, 1901.
18. “he was as faithful and conscientious about the servile…” Newark Daily Advocate August 14, 1900.
18. “Mr. Munger became closer and closer attached to me . . .” Major Taylor Autobiography p. 13.
18. “took to Taylor as a duck takes to water”: The Sunday Herald Syracuse, August 22, 1897
18. Taylor first meeting Arthur Zimmerman: Major Taylor autobiography p. 11.
19. “We are in favor of Zimmerman for president” Unidentified clipping: Arthur Zimmerman scrapbook: Monmouth Historical Society Freehold NJ.
19. June 11, 1869 birthday August Zimmerman: Zimmerman Abroad and Points on Training, John M. Erwin and A.A. Zimmerman (Blakely Printing Company 1895) p. 7.
19. “I liked it so well that I jumped into the game” Peter Nye: Hearts of Lions p. 43.
20. Twenty-nine bicycles, horses, carriages, and half dozen pianos: New York Times June 30th, 1893.
20. Zimmerman Raleigh stock: Outing: Illustrated Monthly Magazine of Recreation (1885-1906) September 22, 1893 p. 6.
20. Earnings estimate $10,000: David v. Herlihy, Bicycle (Yale University Press 2004) p. 252, sourcing Bicycle World, April 20, 1894 using $40,000. Authors believe this to be exaggerated and believe conservative figures are more likely.
20. “It was as if the man was mounted on rails so complete is the absence of wobbling and the semblance of effort.” Victor Breyer Journalist/Founding member L’Union Cyclist Internationale quoting French spectator: Peter Nye; Hearts of Lions (W. W. Norton and Company 1988) p. 43.
20. “He at present runs a chance of being pictured . . .” Unidentified clipping, Zimmerman scrapbook, Monmouth Historical Society Freehold, NJ Echoes From Europe Column.
20. “a light warm up spin with the boys” Harpers Weekly, April 11, 1896 p. 286.
20. Zimmerman’s scientific workouts: Stevens Point Daily, May 12, 1897.
21. Perhaps I can stand a little more than my share of rest: Zimmerman Scrapbook; Monmouth County Historical Association.
21. “I’ll go down and clean out that office if they don’t set me right in the matter,” Unidentified clipping, Echoes from Europe column: Zimmerman scrapbook Monmouth Historical Society Freeborn NJ.
21. “What happened to our eccentric riders, why doesn’t she ask Zimmerman” Ibid.
21. “you have not only won from our athletes their praises and honor”: Ibid.
21. “he was simply the best peddler of all-time” Peter Nye, Hearts of Lions (W. W. Norton and Company 1988): p. 43, quoting Victor Breyer Journalist/Founding member L’Union Cyclist Internationale.
22. Riders from as far away as South Africa: Indianapolis Sun August 24, 1893.
22. “a trunk full of gold and silver”: unidentified clipping Arthur Zimmerman scrapbook Monmouth Historical Society, Freehold, NJ.
22. “Z” Ibid.
22. Parade route lit up with Chinese lanterns: Ibid.
22. “the town is yours”: Ibid.
22. “I was always the friend of the struggling amateur”: Arthur Zimmerman scrapbook Monmouth County Historical Association.
23. “He was surprised when I told him of that feat.” Major Taylor Autobiography p. 11.
23. “crowds greater than turned out to greet the king” Arthur Zimmerman scrapbook: Monmouth County Historical Society, Freehold, NJ. Editor Referee July 2, 1892.
Major Taylor Page 42