The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-05-15
They viii Make a Concerted
Effort to Secure Good
Streets.
BETTER PAvEMENTs WANTED.
The Fight May Include the Team
sters Also, and 1t VIII Be
Political One.

Will be started, ana Cnelr plans matured.
Among bicycle dealers Los Angeles
ranks first as wheelmen's town, Oakland
second, San Jose third, and only when the
fourth is mentioned does San Francisco,
the metropolis, appear.
This is due in great measure to the
poor condition of the City's streets, and
the impossibility of using the wheel for
business purposes, except to a very limited
extent. To remove this difficulty 1t is
plain that some improvement must be.
made in the street pavements, and to do
this the wheelmen have started an agita-
ton on their own account. The first step
was taken by the Olympic Wheel
men last evening when the subject
was formally announced at their
meeting. and committee was appointed
to tender the assistance and support Of the
annex to secure a bituminous pavement
on Folsom street from the ferries out to
Nineteenth street.
Close estimates based on statistics gath
cred from the dealers, the cycling clubs,
he records of the League of American
Wheelmen and the various cyclers place
the mum Der of riders of the wheel in this
City at $4,000
those who, not having the time, or not
wishing TO be shaken upon the city streets,
ride only in the park, depending upon rented
bicycles for their cycling trips. This lat
ter class Is a more numerous one than is
generally supposed, however, as a glance
at the park or at Van Ness avenue on Sun
days or on moonlight nights will at once
show. In a burst of confidence a keeper
or one of the cycleries admitted the other
evening that during the fine moonlight
nights which were the rule last week. his
wheels Melted him an average of $3.50
night.
This was from the transient riders, who
cannot afford to buy wheels for the limited
use which the business streets allow. The
influence of these riders is, however,
counted as a strong factor in the wheel
mems fight, and as with good streets quite
a percentage of their number. would be-
come owners of wheels, the dealers have
dropped into the controversy and will lend
their aid in whatever movement the wheel
men start. This aid will be financial as
well as moral, and will be freely extended.
At the meeting of the Associated Clubs,
which will be held next week, the first
concerted steps toward making the wheel
mems fight for good roads will be taken.
The several plans, which have for some
time been under discussion wherever the
influential wheelmen have gathered will
engagements will be made to present them
IN tangible form, to a mass-meeting of
wheelmen. This meeting will be called by
the Associated Clubs early in June, and
then the cyclists VIII prepare for action.
There is no doubt but that the fight will |
be a political one. The wheelmen Will |
submit a candidate for Superintendent of |
Streets, and they say they viii elect him |
in spite OF any opposition that party or |
machine may show. The wheelmen's |
strength was shown once in the last cleo I
ton. Justice OF the Peace Kerrigan; who !
is an enthusiastic cyclist, was made their |
candidate, principally that the strength OF
the wheelmen might be shown. and as
result he headed the ticket. There was
some attempt to get the cyclists to indorse
one of the candidates for. Superintendent
OF Streets also, but it was not deemed adj
visable to 20 that far.
In the next election, however, it will be
different, and until then the wheelmen will
only lay plans and arrange their campaign,
incidentally doing what they can in the
meantime to strengthen their position.
The most feasible plan so far spoken of
strength of the cyclists By the influence
and the numbers of the teamsters and
horse-owners. To do this the agitation
will be for two classes Of pavement. Down
town they will try for basalt blocks. which
the teamsters want, and in the outskirts
and the residence portions of the city they
viii agitate for bitumen.
The basalt blocks which will be asked for
will not be such as are now laid by the City
contractors. Instead of Irregular blocks
roughly hewn, the stones laid will have to |
be regular in shape, of uniform size and |
evenly placed. Instead OF sand as a foun- |
datlon the pavement which the good |
street" agitators will ask for will be laid in |
cement Of at least twelve inches in thick !
ness. The blocks will be loosely laid. and |
the spaces between them filled for half the |
depth OF the block with cement, the re- |
mainder of the depth to be filed with |
gravel
Such pavement as this would offer an |
excellent surface for the bicycle, as if the |
blocks are properly selected they will form
a perfectly smooth roadway, and the spaces |
between being filled with loose gravel the |
pavement will afford a sure foothold for |
heavy teams This, teamsters and hack |
men say, is not the case with bituminous
rock. In the rain, and particularly during
a heavy fog. bituminous pavement will
often get so slippery that fast travelling or
heavy pulling is impossible, as horses feet
will not hold upon it.
But there is practically no heavy travel
in the residence districts, and so there the
wheelmen want at least the level streets to
be paved with bituminous rock. In this
EaY all classes whose business takes them
spon the pavement instead OF the side
walks will have a pavement to suit their
needs and their tastes.
ut is foolish to suppose that bitumin-
ous-rock pavement is the only suitable one
for a bicycle" said George P. Wetmore,
veteran member of the Bay Citys, yester-
day. This thing has been talked of
for long time, and we are
going to make this fight so that
the teamsters will get in with US. A basalt
block pavement, laid as it should be and
of the proper blocks, will give as good
surface for bicycles as any other. We have
looked at ali sorts of payements, and the
League of American Wheelmen has taken
up the subject, and from the correspond
ence of that organization we have learned
of almost every decent pavement that is at
once strong and durable, giving good
footing for a horse and smooth surface
for wheel. This basalt block pavement
is the best that has been found for all pur-
poses, and we believe the teamsters will
help us secure it.
at is not the best for wheelmen, but it
is good enough, and thus we can work for
smooth, unbroken pavements in the resi- |
dence districts, where little heavy teaming
is DONE"
AS to securing these payements, the |
wheelnen as a rule are willing to help BY |