The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-02-16
wHEELMRN TO ORGANIZE.
The Bicycle Men OF Wichita Preparing for the
Great State Tournament of 1892

For next Thursday evening a meeting of
the wheelmen of Wichita is called for the
purpose of organizing a club or society in
this city. The meeting will take place at
the music house of Professor Thomas
Shaw, on North Main street, who hopes
that every wheelman in the city and as
many business men as possible will be
present There is really great work on
hand for wheelmen in particular, and it is
to be hoped they will take an active inter
est in it and demonstrate once more that
there are no flies on the Peerless Princess
when it comes to getting people to come
here. There is what is known as a Wheel
mans league in Kansas, which has a
tournament and convention every year.
The last meeting was held at Parsons last
summer, and, as stated heretofore in the
EAGLE, it was decided at that time and
place, through the efforts of Mr.. Shaw, to
hold the next tournament and convention
at Wichita, provided proper arrangements
could be made. In case Wichita would
fail to comply with the demands of the
wbeelmen, then the convention was
ordered to be held at Topeka provided, of
course that the state capital would comply
with similar demands; bat the first choice
is Wichita. To properly comply with
these demands the sum of 81, 600 or perhaps
a trifie moreAls required This money is
to be raised for the purpose of giving
prizes to the participants or rather con-
testants in the tournament and to properly
entertain the delegates. The plan of the
proposed club is to build track in River
side park for the tournament SO that they
may be able to get an income in the line
of small admission fee and thus enable
them to give such prizes as will be sure to
attract a large number of wheelmen. Mr..
Thomas Shaw is enthusiastic over the
matter and with his characteristic liber-
allty is willing to give as much towards
getting the tournament here as any other
one man, Discussing the matter with an
EAGLE reporter last night he said: "Wichi- |
Ia cannot afford to let this matter go by. !
1t cannot sit idly by and let Topeka get |
the tournament after the boys being so |
good as to give US the first choice for hold |
ing the tournament. We have too |
good a reputation as as convention town |
to go back on the league after they have !
proposed to meet US half way. 1 hope |
every citizen Of Wichita will take special |
interest in the matter and do everything
possible to secure the turnament first and
make it a success afterwards"
How many wheelmen will attend?"
asked the EAGLE man.
Not less than 2,OO0," said he, land L am
safe in saying that it will bring 5000
strangers, who are not wheelmen, to the
city. Two thousand is a very moderate
said he further ''There were
fully 1900 at the last meeting at Parsons
and l am sure we can get double thatnum
Der to Wichita. Parsons is an out Of the
way place and has not half so good repu
Iation as convention town as Wichita.
Neither could it attract as large crowd
Tor Wichita is a much more popular city
and has dozen times better accommOda-
ions for taking care of large body of men
han Parsons. If we succeed in getting
he turnament and convention here we
propose to hold it in the middle Of July"