Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-04-25
THE TROUBLES OF THE PBILA.
DELPHIA BlCYCLERS.
Their Defense.

From the Phila. Times
Speaking yesterday Of the letters from Super
intendent Thayer. of Paramount Park, and Cap
tain Chasteau, of the park guard, informing
Mr.. Remak, chairman Of the park commissions
committee on superintendent and police, that
experience had proven Enthusiastically that BIZ
cycle riding in the park scared horses and was
constant source of danger, H. B. Hart man
ager of the bicycle school in Horticultural Hall
and member Of the Philadelphia Bicycle Club,
said: "Mr. Thayer's complaints arc entirely of q
personal character. The accident which he
mentions as having happened near the east
park reservoir occurred to himself, and in con-
sequence he has become prejudiced against the
machines Shortly after the accident he wrote
TO me and said that he had horse which SHE'D
whenever it saw bicycles, and he would be glad
If would try and get the animal accustomed to
them. Now 1t is our rule whenever we hear of
such case to go, and as it were, break the
horses in, and we never quit them till
they have become perfectly used to see
us flash by on our iron steeds. II
we hear of case, however Indirectly, we set
out and find it and rarely have much trouble in
familiarlzing the animal with the bicycles. l
therefore set out with two friends to tackle Mr.
Inayers horse and in less than half an hour we
had tanned him. We could shoot across in front
of his head within few inches of him without
causing him to shy, and in fact went so close
several times that thought his foot would catch
in the spOkes. In the face Of this Mr.. Thayer can
hardly say with perfect correctness that horses
do not become accustomed to bicycles"
His other statements are very vague and
amount to this:-"That if 1t had fallen out that
something had occurred another thing might
have happened" Ifan accident happens in the
park and there is a bicycle in sight it is all
blamed on the unfortunate bicycle. With regard
to Commissioner Baldwin's accident it is very
doubtful if bicycle had anything to do with it.
The fact was that two bicycles were leaning
against an adjacent tree and, as usual, they
were made the scapegoats There are reports
"shy or brighten" at bicycles. but will give you
an instance Of what might have been ascribed to
the machines if one OF the guards had not been
smart enough to find out the real cause. gen.
tleman was driving some horses in the park
when one OF the wheels passing over twig
caused a slight snap, which made one of the
horses shy. As there happened to be q bicycle
within radius of few miles. of course the
gentleman reported that his horse had been
frightened by it. The guard, however, saw what
was the real cause, but as the gentleman was
incredulous he got HIM to again drive over the
twig, and the snap and fright were repeated;
this was convincing. Now, if the guard had not
happened to have had his eyes open the affair
would have been reported as another instance
of the danger attending the presence OF BICYCLES
in the park. Probably nearly all the instances
reported are equally important"
I. K. LOngstreth, who has been president Of
the Philadelphia Bicycling Club since it's forma-
ton, said: 1t is another instance of the preiu-
dices which always exist against anything new
horse in the park is much more likely to be
scared than when he is going along in the street.
horse will shy at a newspaper but that is no
argument for the abolition of the press A baby
carriage or a mali running will also startle him
very frequently, but no one talks of extinguish-
ing baby-carriages. The truth is, that accidents
caused by horses becoming frightened by bicycles
are very rare, and although sympathize very
much with Mr.. Thayer for the fright he sus-
tanned few days ago. do not think it ought
to cause our exclusion from the park. have
ridden over three thousand miles in my time,
and don't remember single occasion on which
my machine terrified horse. All the members
of the club will tell you that accidents caused by
the bicycles are almost unknown. Mr.. Thayer
and Mr.. Chasteau have an unaccountable preju-
dice against bicycles, but public opinion is in
our favor and will protest against our exclusion
from the park. Some people don't like them
because they can't ride, but don't wish you to
state that insnuate that the reason these gem
tlemen hate them is because they have tried to
ride and got nothing but smashed hats and
bruised bOnes"