The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-06-11
THE DEERENG DRAG NET.
How Unwary Cyclists Were Caught
Yesterday in the Nearby City.

The Police Guarded Every Avenue From
Portland-Two Lady Riders Were Also
Captured on the Sidewalks-They Went
Free But the Men Go Before Judge
Elder This Morning.
A great wheelman S run is called for this
forenoon. In some respects it will be the
most notable run ever made by the knights
of the silent steed since the days when the
lew daring riders of the wonderful Eng
lish high wheels risked their necks on the
hills of the Cape and plunged their noses
into the sand at the bottom thereof.
The run is called for eight o'clock, and
some fifteen or twenty will start for Deer
ing, where they are due at Judge Elders
club house at $50 o'clock. The invitation
was SO pressing that all these wheelmen
will deem it a matter of obligation to at
tend.
The facts of the case are, and we may say
it as softly as possible, that these lovers of
the seductive pneumatic are all going out
to Deering to appear in the court of that
young city and answer to the charge of rid
ing bicycle on the sidewalk.
1t seems that there was a determined eff
fort in Deering yesterday to enforce. the law
against the use of the sidewalks and since
that law has not been enforced quite SO
determinedly of late, a goodly crop OF IN;
wary wheelmen was harvested.
The entire police force was on duty all
day guarding all the avenues between the
two Cities and the effect was precisely the
same as if huge net had been set to catch
the unsuspecting bieyclers.
This trap-setting by the City of Deering,
doubtless grew out of the fact that one day
last week wheelman rode down the side
walk of Pleasant street (Which was entirely,
inexcusable as the street itself is good) and
ran into and knocked down and bruised
little irl, the daugh ter of the late David
Clough
Then the fellow, whom bicyolers condemn
as much as anybody else, rode away with
out stopping to see what damage he had
done.
Therefore, yesterday Tukey's bridge was
guarded by policeman Bates; Cobb's lane
by Verrill; Morilfs corner by Bennett;
Stroudwater by Worcester; Woodfords by
Wheeler; Oakdale by St. John, and Chief
Berry circulated about generally.
st. John was stationed at the foot of Fes-
sender street. where there is crushed
rock on Forest avenue. The wheelmenl
take to the sidewalk there to avoid the
rock. Among other bcycists, two young
ladies were culpabie there, but they were
allowed to go free.
Of course the wheelmen feel trife ag-
grieved Forest avenue has been in such
terrible condition this spring, that recourse
to the sidewalk was necessary. 1t is not
right to say as one constable did
that roads are not built to suit
bicyclers, for they pay taxes as well as any
body else. However, there are roughs
among wheelmen as we'll as gentlemen, and
when they run over little girl they should
be hunted up and punished. Of course the
only way to prevent such things is to ar
rest every trespasser, whether he is excus-
able or not
In the drag net of yesterday wheelmen
were caught who are gentlemen and would
never bother any pedestrian nor ride on
sidewalk, when there was danger of doing
SO. hE4.