The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-12-04
OF INTEREST TO WHEELMEN.

The new titlc Of tho bicycle club is
tho Old Dominion Wheel Club" All
Interested in cycling should join. There
are iitty members Of the l.. A. W. re-
siding in this city and there is no
reason why tho "Old Dominion Wheel
Club" should not have a big member
Ship and make itself felt in cycling mat.
tiers throughout the State
Petitions addressed to Congress are
being circulated around town for tho
slgnaturorS of citiznns, praying for thu
establishment Of u road department. in
tho city of Washington, ID. c., for the
purpose OF promoting knowle;3po in tho
art OF constructing and maintaining
roads. Thes" petitions are being dis.
tributed all ov"r the countr. ana il is
hoped THAI at least one million namos
VIII be secured before January /, 1893
Roanoke should furnish l,Uo0 names.
lave you signed ono yet? II not, :.si,
an oiiicer OF the club for ono. or stop in
the board Of trade rooms and do IT, at
once.
Several OF tho club members enjoyed
moonlight rido to Bonsucks Friday
night.
Dangers In Cur Dwellings.
From the Washington Post
The burning Of Mr.. Vandcrbilt's Nov
port house, and tho consequent destruc
ton not only Of that pala tial edifice but
Of tho splendid treasures Of art and
luxury which it contained, is said to
have been caused by q defe ctivo nue
Indeed, no other explanation Of the fire
Is possible, since IL is Clearly not the
work OF an inc 4ndiarv, ana is known to
nave originated III ii part OF the house
where there was nothing but u fuc to
make contlagration.
Speaking of this fruitful cause OF de-
stTuction of lifo and property, tho New
Y 1rk Tribune opportunity says:
"tires caused by bad Instruction arc
not the acts of God, but of fools or
scoundrcls. No man ha, ing u house
built contracts for the detective flucs,
which are sure. sooner or later, TO re
duce it to ashes. and pussib.y its in
mates also. They are pus in by pcl son j,
who claim to be sliiiisul aud honest, AND
who arc paid for doing ,hc.r work thor.
oughly. But somo OF those who make.
the claim and get the Job ar, crin.inailv
incompetent, and others ire swindlc rs
who think it profitable 10 take money
which they haven't earned. iDssmuch as
there is only remote cn2ucu Of their
ever being confronted with poi Two
proofs of their rascality. Their work
Is put out OF sight as soon a. il il lin.
ished and never appears again, except
in the light of a conilagration.
Washington is perhaps rs deeply in
terested in this question AS any her
city IN the country. 1t IS city in
which improvements are constantly in
progress. Nowhere is thcro moro
building in proportion TO ;he popula-
to have tho construction OF build
lngs carefully supccvised. AS ,ho
Tribune says, tho defectiyn ilne is
''never seen except in. the ]igh5 Of a
conflagration." The work is done by
persons pretending TO be competent,
but who knows that they arc comp
tent, anc how, after tho ilues ARC once
put in, is anv one to DO sure that they
arc safe? The tlucs arc Dat OF sigh,
and never until the defect asserts itsei
and the mischief is consummated do ve
attain any certain knowledge Of their
quality.
The curse, tho monaco of tho day, is
inferior workmanship in the construc
ton Of residences. Defective nacs,
weak walls, bad plumbing -theso are
tho dangers that hang over us day and
night and only too Of en- overta!tu us ia
our destruction There are no abuses
to which government may so prolitahly
address itself. There is no directIo a
in which reform would be so important
and so valuable to mankind.