New-York tribune., 1896-11-29

diminished by the fact that that superb road 10
not kept in good condition. 1t is just year
since 1t completed and opened. the formal
parade in honor of the opening having taken
place on Thanksgiving Day. 1895. but since then
there have been serious omissions to make need
ed repairs. 1t is not too late to make good this
neglect but the work ought not to be postponed.
II Is sad and scandalous to see a fine road ruined
almost directly after its completion. The loop
which is to be constructed will connect the north
ern end of the Boulevard with the river front at
Weehawken. and will make more accessible THAT
one of the good roads Of NewJersey which Is
nearest to the metropolis.
In the plans which the officials Of the Public
Works Department have in view for providing
asphalt roadways to a number Of the ferries the
ferry at the foot of Liberty-st. seems to have
been overlooked. Yet that Is doubtless more
used than any other with the exception Of the
one connecting East Twenty-thrd-st. with
Broadway in Brooklyn. The popularity OF the
Liberty-st ferry is due to the circumstance that
wheels are carried free by the New-Jersey Cen
trail Railroad The new ferry from West twenty
third-st. TO the Pennsylvania Railroad station
would be popular with riders Of bicycles were IL
not that that railroad refuses to carry pcycIes
as baggage. The Pennsylvania Railroad has re-
Gently made tariff for wheels wnicn is
much more reasonable than the old one. but still
is far from satisfactory. Formerly the minimum
fare when the fare is from 10 to IA cents, while
when the fare IS between 10 cents and 81 Id tne
passenger must pay % cents for his bicycle. WIN
an ascending scale for higher fares. 1t wouid
be a fortunate thing II there were ferry from
some uptown point to connect with the New-Jer-
sew Central Railroad. The foot OF West Twenty
third-st. Is easily reached over asphalt
pavements as is also the ferry at Christopher-st-
A suggestion that may prove interesting TO cy-
clists who use lamps frequently or habitualy Is
that good results will be reached by not trimming
the wick square at the top. or making convex
surface but by following out the WICK IN the
middle. 1t is said by those who nave urea !.
that a wick thus trimmed gives n better light and
Is less liable to prove smoky than when the OF
binary method Is adopted.
When the Rev. Dr. Parkhurst gets his l.. A.
W ticket, as he doubtless will In the course OF
tho next few DAYS. he will find that his mem
bershp number in that organization Is l3o1oo
The question Of cleaning the chain Is one OF
the troublesome things to large NUMBERS OF
wheelmen who will welcome the coming OF the
chanless wheel II 1t proves success and us
price does not put 1t beyond the reach OF their
pocketbooks. Many directions for cleaning the
chain say II should be taken OF the sprocKet-
wheels soaked over night In kerosene. AFTER
ward soaked in lubrcating oil and then wiped
as dry as possible and replaced. Now the one
thing that a large number Of men VINO ride bi-
cvcles would like TO avoid is the necessity or
taking off the chain at all Those OF them who
have removed the chain say that It Is a nasty
,hng to handle at best, and that they DO not
like 10 fool Ground" with II on account or the
danger that they may not get the bolt that holds
IL and the nut on the end OF the bolt exactly IN
place again A man who has come to the con-
cluson that the best thing Is not to loosen the
chain from the wheel has found out a way or
cleaning IT, which he describes as follows for
the benefit OF the read RS Of this column: I
take about . cupful OF kerosene oil and put 1t In
tin wash basn but any open dish would answer
as we'll Holding this under the chain with an
old toothbrush dipped into the Kerosene go
over the chain carefully, washing on all the oil
that may have gummed on II and using enough
kerosene to penetrate the pins between all the
links Perhaps ought to say that before be-
Gin | brush all loose dirt from the chain. After
leaving the kerosene IN long enough TO do Its
work thoroughly, I wipe off the chain; then
take my oilcan and go all around 1t. putting
drop of oil on each pin. II seems to me that the
result is abou, as good If | took the chain
off and soaked II in oil and certainly II Is far
less trouble. I believe in brushing the chain
thoroughly every few days. II not after every
rid. and use graphite as lubricant in mod
.ration don't agree with those people who
maintain that chain lubricants are unneces-
sary.