Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1895-06-25
CRAZE FoR elcvcLes.



So widespread has the bicycling craze
become that the livery stable keepers are
beginning 70 feel the effects Of It sorely.
It Il the Sunday trade In the livery busi-
meas, that has fallen of chiefly, the
reason being that the young men who
used to take their girl friends driving
every pleasant Sunday afternoon now
take them bicycling instead ut = much
smaller expense. A horse and buggy
costs about five dollars for Sunday
afternoon, while pair OF bicycles can be
rented all day 1t two dollars apiece, or
tandem for about four dollars. The
natural result Il that every Jack who
has bicycle Il teaching his Jill TO ride,
or II Jill Il the cyclist she Is insisting
that Jack shall purchase or hire wheel,
90 that he can accompany her on her
Sunday afternoon spins, and the acade-
mics where riding 10 taught are full OF
bruised but perseverlng learners In the
art Of wheeling.
Walk along any Of the boulevards Of
this city or Brooklyn, says the New
York Sun, some fine Sunday afternoon
and you can see the result Of this. There
will be two bicycles for every horse and
buggy, and a good proportion OF the
bicycling, you will find, Is done In pairs,
which means much loss Of custom TO the
stables. A man uptown who Ia wise In
the matter Of horses said recently Ia dis
cussing the matter:
Zone outside the livery business can
hardly believe what telling of In trade
there has been since bicycling became SO
popular. As long as It WAS confined to
men II didn't make much difference, but
ms soon as the girls began to take II up
our profits went flying. Why, even MS
early In the season as this, you can see
the machines spinning every decent
roadway hereabouts, but you see mighty
few rigs with 'em. II it's that bad now,
what will II be when the dry season
comes and the roads are all easy for the
wheelsy
"Why, a fellow whose girl rides b.
cycle, and there's an awful lot OF 'em
that do, can just take her spinning
down to COney Island, or up the Hudson
River, or of In the Jersey roads, or down
on Staten Island for u good, long ride,
and get back before dark, and We livery
men can sit In our stables and twirl our
| fingers and wonder how we are going 10
make business pay with no trade Oh
SUNDAY, when business ought TO I've the
liveliest and prices the biggest. Why
III bet that fifty per cent or more OF The
girls that used TO make the Sunday
livery trade profitable have learned how
TO ride wheels. tell you, for n fact,
know three livery men In this city, all Vi
'em prosperous, and all OF 'em old hands
la the business, and they're going u
give IL up this summer. | met one ol
'em the other day and asked him how
things were going, aud he told the he
was going TO quit.
Whats to payg ] said. Made
your pileT
mo said he, but don't want Il
lose what I have got. There's nothing
In horses. I'm going into bettel
line, where there's money.
"'whst's that?' asked.
"Bicycles, said he. Don't have Il
groom 'em, don't have TO feed 'em, an,
they don't get slck and cost you vet
bills. Besides that you can get price
for 'em where your horses won't b
hired out enough TO get exercise
There's no money In keeping horses unit
they make law declaring bicycling
criminal offence, for everybody Is strucl
on the wheels, and II something don
happen you won't see any horses 10 Thu
city few years from now except OF
drags and street cars. No more horse
for me. I'm going to get 10 out OF tn
RAIN said he, and guess he was prett!
} near right.
~ know 1t to be q fact that probabl!
the biggest bicycle company In the coun
try Is now making arrangements for tn
manufacture on large scale OF ligh
wagons and carriages made on the bi
cycle style Of steel wheels and rubbe
tires. They claim that these equipage
will cost less than horse and carriag
aud be only half as expensive to main
tain, and that In five years they will o.
seen everywhere, and In ten years vii
have completely done away with the u.s.
OF horses. I'm waiting myself, and a
soon Ms see one OF those things run Ia
going to get out and get into somethin,
else b. side Il livery business"