The Wichita daily eagle., 1895-07-12
TO CHEAPEN BIKES
eTUDEBAKER, THE WAGON Ian.
WILL MAKE WHEELS.

STUDEBAKER, THE WAGON Ian.
WILL MAKE WHEELS.
their Plan will be to Manufacture Bicycles
on Such Scale that the Expense will
be Reduced and the Price of the Ma
chine Made SO Low that it will be WITHIN
Reach of the Poor Man-However They
Present-Do not Hesitate to Say There is
Money in the Scheme.
Chicago, July notwithstanding
the phenominal demand Tor plcycles
this year there has been no drop IN the
price and the "bike" of today costs al
most as much at retail as It did year
ago. The principle reason TOR TINS Is
that all factories are so far behlnd IN
their orders there is no necessity LOT
lowering the prices. But the time Is
coming-and is not far dlstant-Wheh
the bicycle that now costs $lOV can pe
bought for next summer Cor $50 or $5O.
A report has been in circulation Tor
some davs to the effect that syndl-
cate is being formed for the purpose OF
putting,~on the market on or before
April l. 1886 1000 bicycles, which are
to be made at s1S each and sold as low
as $50. This bicycle is to be as good for
all ordinary purposes as the S1O0 Wheei
of today. The rumor gives as the two
projectors OF this scheme p. T. Stude-
baker, the big carriage manufacture OF
South Bend Ind. and Chicago, and Al
eXander II. ReVeli of this city, alfeaoy
a dealer in but not manufactured OF
BICYCLES Each Of these men acknoWl-
edges that he thinking OF manuiaotuF-
ing wheels on large scale next year,
and this gives credence to the report
that there is to be new popular pi-
cycle on the market next year.
Another fact which seems to clnch
this story is that S. S. Beman, the ar
ehitect. has just completed plans LOT
a ten-story building to be erected on
Wabash avenue, between Harrison
street and Panorama place. 1t IS 10
have frontage Of 125 feet, is to be built
of terra-cotta and terra-cotta brick,
and is to cost S250 600. The ten floors
are to be clear and would be well
adapted to the manufacture OF bicycles
STUDEBAKER DOESN'T. DENY IT.
p z. Studebaker was seen by repor-
ter and acknowledged that he had been
con nterlplating the manufacture OF
popuIar priced wheel, but could not re-
veal any of his plans. He said ne mad
heard of the 100000 order, that MS
name had been connected with it be-
fore and it had brought him consider
able correspondence, which led to
consideration OF the matter OF manu-
featuring bicycles. He thought first
class bicycIes could be made to sell at
a much lower figure than they are sell
ing for today and said he had under
consideration several patents. He SAID
further mis- new Wabash avenue build
ing was being designed particularly for
the manufacture Of wheels, but ii could
be put to such use. He absolutely re-
fused to discuss the matter further.
Alexander H. Revell said he was con-
sidering the matter of going into the
manufacture of bicycles for the season
Of 1896
'.The masses cannot afford" he said,
"to pay 800 or more for a firSt-clasS
wheel, but if a bike can be put on the
market at $50. machine which will
answer all ordinary purpses, there Will
be a big demand for it. The wheel of
today. which is being retailed at 500,
IS at least % per cent too high in price,
but I don't think the bicycle is per-
fected machine vet. and believe the
wheel with its perfections of another
year will easily bring s100. There is
no reason, however, why a machine
should not be put on the market next
year at $50 which for all ordinary pur-
poses will be as good as the best made
today OF course such a wheel would
have to be manufactured on large
scale to get the actual cost down to
minimum figure"
"How low a figure do you think
wheel can be made for that VIII be first
class in every respect"
"If any syndicate should attempt to
get out the 100000 wheels you speak of
they ought to be produced for $50 each
and perhaps a trifie less, which would
give a low-cost wheel, which / believe
would answer the purposes of the great
masses"
"Are you interested in this deal to get
out this number of wheels for 1882"
''I don't care To announce my plans
at present. We are deeply in correspon-
dence on the matter of manufacturing
popular&riced bicycles, but are not
ready to make any announcements"
THINKS FAD MAY DROP.
Mr.. Revell also refused to state
whether or not he is Interested in the
matter with Mr.. Studebaker or others.
although Mr. Studebaker said If he
manufactured bicycles next year his
firm alone would be interested in the
matter MT tteNeH IN speaking on ule
matter said further:
81 am satisfied that a so wheel. such
as il can be made will he sold in en-
ormous qualities. but whether ii would
do for 4 syndicate to attempt So much
as the manufacture of 400 600 Of them
is another question. 1t bring an aspect
of speculation into the proposition.
Today many of our hest people are rid
ing wheels people who do not hold on
to a fad very long. They have means
to take any other form Of exercise they
desire. and if they should commence to
drop the wheel at the last Of this year
or early next season II would be no.
ticed by their followers and bicycling
would soon land on the ragged edge of
uncertainty. Supposing I entered
deal to get out these 200 0o0 wheels by
April l. 1896: should establish a plant
of that capacity. and the interest in
wheeling began 10 wane. where would
] land? This is the one feature that is
today holding many capitalist from
entering schemes for the manufacture
of hiEh-class bicycles at a reasonable
price
HOW PARIS HAS FALLEN.
Monsieur Eochefort Declares Germany has
Captured II with Sausage.
London. July I'm Rochefort. the