The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-11-18
ELECTION VIEWS ny WHEEL.
Bicycle Corps Collected the Returns In
West Virginia and Ohio.

CLEVELAND. o., Nov. lon election night
tho wheel scored another triumph In furnishing
election news from Ohio and West Virginia at
least two or three hours earlier than ever before.
Until 1899 and 1894 1t was almost impossible to
get satisfactory returns from West Virginia
until the day after election. In some Of the re-
mote districts and in many OF the principal
counties there Is n lack OF Geographic facilities,
and telephone lines are not common. For years
the returns have been taken 20 the county seats
on horseback. The roads OF West Virginia and
Ohio are bad. They have been constructed in
the crude way that farmers employ. The
virgin soil Is turned over with the plough,
something like a ditch dug at the roadside. and
In the course OF two or three months the road IL
much worse than it ever could have been in its
original state. Travel on horseback is very
slow. The horse sinks in the clay over his fet-
locks, and the rider is lucky II he gets the re-
turns to the county seat before daybreak.
This year some OF the papers in Wheeling. w.
Va, and other large towns OF the State. and
other papers in Ohio, organized bicycle corps to
go after the returns and bring them
heavy storm the day before election. and
the roads were in very bad conditioli There
Try roads over which tho Wheel can be pro-
PEELED, and on these strips OF fairly firm ground
s tl.ic wh hSoaa no! made Their %SE' T !. I LEFT d the
hurried rs fast as they could pedal their wheels
to the remote precincts. Along most of the
roads there were high hills to climb and
descend. The riders were generally known as
good road riders, and they were not daunted by
the prospect Of hills or heavy wheeling.
As soon as the count In n precinct was finished
the wheelman took a copy Of the returns and
started for the city. Election night was as dark
as q North Carolina tar bucket. With only the
feeble light OF bicycle lanterns to aid them the
riders picked their way over stones, through
mud holes. past fences whose snnke-line con-
y%olutions projected into the path. up hill and
down dale. and not q single case OF failure was
reported. In one or two instances the men
walked the last mile or two OF the way owing TO
punCtures to their tires. Not one OF them was
as late as midnight in reporting with the re-
turns. Had the compilers OF the returns been
obliged TO rely upon the old method, a mes
senger on horseback, the people OF the East
would not have known before l O'Clock in the
morning that West Virginia had elected Repub-
licAn Congressman, or that Ohio had elected
Republican Congressman in districts where
Republicans were never elected before,
The wheelmen who brought the returns into
the offices were a sight "a behold. They were
covered with mud and their wheels seemed
In some parts Of Ohio and West Virginia sticks
closer than a brother. One of the wheels was
placed on exhibition in a town in southern Ohio
ms an object lesson In regard To the kind Of roads
that the people OF a rich and populous state are
willing TO put up with during six months of each
year. Incidentally, The W heelmen may have made
few more good roads besides report
ing the election news ahead Of all prior records.