Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-08-12
OUR BICYCLE RIDERS
THEY ARE STIRRED UP OVER THE
PROPOSED NOBLE ORDINANCE.
License rax IN In
Doeltlou.

KNOWING that the 'cyclisto OF inc c'g
ere very much stirred up over Mr.. Mobiles
proposed ordinance regulating the speed
Of wheeling. requiring gongs and lanterns
70 DO carried. and imposing hcense-tax
on bicycles. q Dispatch reporter yester-
day sought interviews on tho subject
With several well-known whcelmen:
Mr.. G. p. johnson said ne thought that
gongs and lanterns were nuisance. ana
that the imposition Of license-tax would
b an imposition indeed.
Mr.. A. X. schaap. local consul OF the
League OF American wheelmen for Rich
mond. said: Any restrictions that may De
put on BICYCLES that will class them with
other vehicles I am In favor OF. But
no regulations as regards gongs or lamps
win remedy any evils brought on by reck-
hess riding. The bringing OF a few OF
the offenders to Justice will have n more
salutary effect than thousand bells
and lamps
DIR. T.. r. Baker. vfce-consul Virginia
Division League OF American Wheelmen:
favor the regulation OF speed. and thlhk
that will do away with the necessity ior
a bell and lantern ordinance. as no wheel
man riding moderately slow can possioiy
strike any one He can easily AVOID
collision, owing TO the fact that the pedes-
TRAN will not see or hear him. cohse-
quently viii not try to avoid the "hee'-
man, and thus confuse both. III the pc
destrian continues on his way the wheel
man win avoid him. The lantern Is n
nuisance In every respect 1t Is OF no
.syvice IN the cyclists or benefit to the
walking public.
WHAT IS THE MOTIVE?
EN- regard to the ordinance regulating
Shs r,ainr of bicycles in the city," said
Mr. w G. Mercer. Il would ike TO kno"
Srst OF all what the motive is for putting
restrictions on wheelmen. j have never
heard Of hut two accidents occasioned py
cnreless cyclists, and no ordinance "ouiu
have prevented these. IL the ordinance
as rerorted, IS adopted It Will be the
means of breaking up bicycle riding 10 a
great extent In the city. Has the Couhcli
any night to make wheeirnan pay
license on his cycle and not impose one
on HE carriage! Can they make wneei
carry q lamp and not make carriage 10
the .ame, So far as regulating the speei
a. concerned II Is right TO do that. but a
vheeluan could easily stop MS whee'
~atbln twenty feet when going at a rate
~ ten miles per hour. II a rider haa 10
eound a bell every time he approacheu :,
vehicle or person and at intersections Va
streets II would be necessary TO Keep UP
n continual ringing. 1t Is not necsss~i
IN warn q vehicle of an approaching pI-
cycle as Il would be exceedingly oanse,
Gus as we'll az very foolish TOT wiz
man 10 collide with vehicle. ana 'hoeeu.
a 'cyclst would usually get the wors'
of a collision with any one on ioot. 80
regard TO tho lamp. can anything oe
imay;ned that would be more likely 10
frighten q horse than a light approach
ing or suddenly flashed upon him IN 'ufn-
ing corners Then, too. what would D'
IN. need of lamps on streets lighted with
electric lights such as Main, Franklin,
Gracc, and Broad streets? III we mus
have restrictions let the ordinance 81
late the speed. mako wheels carry Dciis
10 be sounded only when appIoac"''s
a person walking and leave out the lamp
and License business, or. II the Coui,'Al
WI insist on lamps. then leave oat ms
feature so far as riding on streets hs' 'e'
by electric lights is concerned
UNNECESSARILY STRINGENT
"As ono Of the Oldest wheelmen in the
CITY" remarked Mr.. Charles w. Waiiace'
~ would say in regard to Councilman
NOBLE
strictions on our wheelmen that IN my
oninion they are unnecessarily STRINGENT
lam I'm favor of putting a stop TO reckless
ridine on the streets, but think that win
lew exceptions there IS little or IL zone
now The wheels mostly in use are SO
lirht that a rider does not care 10 fisk
his wheel and his bones In colilsiohs'
when a collision does occur. which Is
rare. the 'cyclst usually comes OF seconu
NJ hoo m
them. | am in favor of limiting the speed
Of bicycles on the streets TO eight miles
an hour ns Mr. Noble suggests ana
think this would be all that Is necessary
10 stop the few reckless riders that we
NAV have. ! consider bells and lanterns
useless. believing they will do more Marin
than good. When a 'cyclist sees pedes-
trian ahead OF him and rings his bell ne
considers that he has complied with the
law. and leaves the pedestrian to get out
of the way as best he can. while II he had
no bell he would naturally slacken his
speed and exercise due care in order 10
avoid collision.
WOULD INDUCE COLLISION.
again. the pedestrian would probably
pay little attention to the bell. expecting
the 'cyclist to get out of his way, and the
consequences would be a collision. Lamps
moving along on wheels at night with the
light showing up the nickeled parts OF the
bicycle have a tendency to brighten horses,
and most of our streets are sufficiently
lighted 10 make lamps entirely unneces-
sary As for making the 'cycllst pay a
license on his wheel, which absolutely
does the streets no harm al all, and al
lowing private bUggies. carriages etc, TO
go free, would. / think. be an imposition.
Every 'cyclst should pay tax on his
wheel. as the law requires. and Is pro-
baby willing. or can be made TO do so.
The wheeling interest in Richmond IS
considerable. and continually on the In
crease. 1t is recreation that many OF
our best citizens enjoy. and therefore
should be encouraged by those in authori-
ty. instead Of the reverse"
Hunter n. Frschkorn said: BELLS and
lanterns are a great deal of trouble, and
OF hardly any service. This has been de-
monstrated nun bers of times. There Is
no doubt whatever that n lighted lantern
at night will brighten almost any horse.
IL seems rather hard that the majority of
wheelmen are compelled to suffer simply
because we are so unfortunate as 20 have
q few careless riders in our midst"
a number OF other wheemen expressed
themselves pretty much in the same man.
ner as those whose views are given above.