The San Francisco call., 1896-07-24
Will Concentrate Their Efforts
First to Repave Market
Street.
WILL WELD a TELLING VOTE.
Wheelmen Claim That They Have
the Balance of Power on
Their Side.

this City intend to precipitate-in fact are
precipitating-the widespread feeling of
WEAKNESS begotten by the wretched pave
ments of San Francisco into definite
warfare of improvement that ultimately
and not very far hence means victory and
well paved, smooth and durable thorough
fares.
Back of them they have all the powerful
improvement organizations of this City,
among which are the Merchants Associa-
ton and the Associated Improvement
Clubs.
To morrow NIGHT there will be
mammoth parade of more than 1000
wheelmen, together with floats, bands and
companies of men on horseback.
This parade is intended not solely for
the purpose of lollihcation over the paw
ing of one street but demonstration of
potent polling factor that cannot be over
looked by candidates for municipal Office
at the coming election. 1t will be an in
fuence that will be thrown in favor of the
ofhceseeker who possesses the broad
mindedness to see the ultra Importance of
well-paved city streets.
A number of the prominent bicycle
dealers of this City were interviewed
to ascertain the whole significance of
the demonstration to morrow evening.
Each one emphasized the fact that
the first effort would be toward the
repaving of Market street owing to its
importance as an outlet TO the ferries OF
all the principal streets, after this gen.
eral street improvement IS desired.
Bitumen is not specified, only smooth.
durable pavements; in fact anything but
the rough and noisy cobblestones, which
at present figure as the greatest disgrace
of San Francisco.
Manager Foster of the Cycle Emporium
of T. II. B. Varney said: 1.-The object
OF the parade is to get better streets. Well
paved streets not only benefit cyclers, but
they benefit the City in general.
''We expect to have Market street re-
paved by this demonstration. Now that
the election is so near the idea Is to vote
for Supervisors vino will bind themselves
to repaving Market street.
Market street is the fight. 1t is our
main thoroughfare. 1t is a shame that
city like San Francisco, which is situated
financially better than anv CITY in Amer
lea, should have the poorest streets in
America. We have had men come in here
riding in buggies who said they would do
all they could toward fighting this thing.
'Tbe enthusiasm that this demonstra-
tion will arouse will show tnat the public
want Market street repaved, and the can
didate for office will naturally conform to
the wishes of the public and EN- body this
in his pledge. We want to stir up the
people to cast their vote for men who will
repave Market street. We ourselves WELD
a strong influence at the polls, and of
course our voting will be pledged with the
men who pledge themselves to this.
"But the main thing that this demon
stration will be instrumental in will be
the amount of agitation il will provoke
among tue entire voting public of San
Francisco toward getting smooth and
durable street pavements."
J. S. Conwell, manager of the Indiana
Bicycle Company, said:
primarily, the object of the parade is
to educate the wheelmen of this town up
to realizing sense of their own strength.
Our chief encouragement comes from the
fact that in all the larger cities of the East
parades of a similar nature have resulted
in awakening the public mind TO eublic
action, and all the well-wishers OF those
cities have come to regard the bicycle as
the cause of the improvement, the main
tenance and good construction of the
roads in cities, villages and in the open
country.
1--WE have been joining in the slogan of
tRepave Market street. We know it is
merely remote wish. We know that be-
fore this can happen we must reform the
City Government. and to that end the
Cycle Board of Trade has unanimously
declared in favor of the adoption of the
new charter.
81 deem it duty of every wheelman and
every horseman, and every well-wisher of
San Francisco to study our present excess
sive law and lack of system, and to com
pare the same with the provisions of the
and such comparison will force upon every
intelligent citizen the necessity of
change
Edmund Christ, manager of the Stearns
Bicycle Company, said:
"The real object of the parade is to pave
the streets. We all know the robberies
going on in these different departments.
I'VE expect the bicyclists will have
very strong pull this year. 1t was an
earnest of 1t last year when Judge Xerri-
gan was elected. a great NUMBER more of
bicycles could be used if it were not for
bad pavements. This is not simply a
temporary boom. 1t is a demonstration
TO show the strength and power of the cy-
cling public. We will let the powers that
be see that they can't dictate to US. This
is not trade affair. This is a public al
fair"
James Joyce Jr., one of the managers of
the Cleveland Bicycle Company, said:
1.-THE object of this parade is to get bet
ter-paved streets ali over town, bat princi-
pally on Market street. This thorough
fare is the principal outlet of wheels to and
from the ferry.
This parade will be an object lesson to
show the high in Office that the wheelmen
are q unit to get well-paved streets. This
is not matter OF interest to the dealers
only, but the clubs as well.
real estate and will mean the greatest good
to the greatest number of people. We
cannot hope to do great deal until the
adoption of the new charter, which we are
fighting for. We have back of us at least
$1,000 wheelmen, all voters"
William V. Bryan of the Sterling Com
pany said: There are two reasons why
we are working for good streets; first,
selfish reason-it will create a greater de-
mand for cycles; second, which is broader
and more catholic, it will stimulate trade
and promote traffic of all kinds. Well
paved streets will give business
greater prosperity in our City. It will
make connection between business houses
easier. You see it really goes far beyond
mere bicycle usage. l do not believe there
is man IN this town who is not in favor
of this movement.
History shows that the cities given the
greatest success are those whose streets
are the better paved. There has an i'm
preston gone abroad, particularly among
teamsters, that our object is to have the
streets paved with bitumen. This would