Fast Diggers: Sylvester Loucks
Sylvester D. Loucks was one of six children (all boys) born to Richard N. Loucks; three of the children including, presumably, Sylvester, were born to Richards first wife. Richard was a fifteen year old horse soldier in the Sixth Louisiana Cavalry during the Civil War, and continued to reside in Louisiana following the war, until 1881 when he migrated to California. The following year he found Pomona and decided it was good place to stay. In Pomona he opened, first a general merchandise store, and later an insurance business, remarried (Cora Cromer) with whom he had the second three of his six sons.
Apparently Richard was musically inclined, or at least exhibited an appreciation for the performing arts, and passed this on to his children. Richard N. Loucks Jr. wrote the Pomona College alma mater song "Hail, Pomona, Hail," while Sylvester played cornet throughout the 1890s, and probably beyond. During Christmas services in 1892 he played cornet with the St. Joseph's Catholic Church choir. Ten year later (1901) he was part of the Christmas orchestra performing at the Armory Opera House, an event hosted by the Pomona Parlor, Native Sons of the Golden West, and the following year performed a cornet solo in a concert at the Pomona Opera House on 22 February.
Though Sylvester Loucks was regarded among the top racing men of Pomona, other interests and duties may have preventing him from fully realizing what potential in the racing game he may have had.
In June of 1896 a notice in the Los Angeles Herald noted that Sylvester had returned from "a year or two" in Japan where he had served aboard a man-of-war. Presumably Loucks was on leave at this time or, more likely, he later reenlisted, for on 28 August 1898 Loucks was reported to be serving aboard the Navy flagship Philadelphia at Honolulu. This second period of naval service would have been during the Spanish American War. Regrettably, the one quote attributed to him at this time reflects the widespread anti-Asian rhetoric that was common of the era: "My only objection is that there are too many Chinese and Japs running around loose," he said, referring to his time in Hawaii.
I say reenlisted, because during 1897 there was a significant period of time during which he was engaged in either racing or mining and clearly not serving aboard ship. On 7 April 1897 the Herald, noting the fast approach of the annual Fiesta de Los Angeles, wrote "much interest" in the Fiesta races had been taken by the local wheelmen who were busy training on the Pomona. track - presumably meaning the Fifth Street athletic park. The riders included Sylvester Loucks, Allen Gordon, Frank Clark, Ed Mills, Don Rush and Frank Fleming. Whatever racing aspirations Loucks may have had in April, however, evaporated, for in July 1897 the Herald affirmed that Loucks was the first resident of Pomona to "positively" make up his mind to travel to the gold fields of the Klondike. Gold fever had struck Southern California and Loucks was one of many men (a group that also included Los Angeles racer William Burke) determined to try their luck in the Yukon. The Herald continued the story two months later, informing the papers' readers that on the afternoon of 6 September 1897 Loucks, who was planning to set out for the Klondike in the spring of 1898 had, as preparation and to gain experience, left the city bound for the mines of Darwin near Death Valley. He returned to Pomona in December. Presumably the eruption of war and his enlistment in 1898 put an end to his plans to mine for gold in the great white north.
Though Loucks' racing record does not appear overly impressive on paper it was good enough for the California Associated Cycling Clubs to approve his transfer to the professional class in May 1897 and for him to be listed among the "good men" of the local pro ranks in the Heralds' big 12 September 1897 Bicycle Edition.
Pomona College, Claremont c.1897
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