Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-04
SCORCHERS AND OTHERS.
The Thirty Thousand Safe WheeImen
and the Two Hundred Nuisances.

a." whose communication, published in
The Star some time ago, evoked many re-
plies from wheelmen and others, has sent
another letter to The Star, in which lie
says: Il am a great admirer of the bicy
Giles. 1t is almost ray of light, and prop
erly used. is pleasure and safety 10 those
who use them, but / think they share, in
common with the pedestrians, the danger
of the scorcher. There are 10000 bicycles
used in this city; probably not over 200 Of
them by persons that are dangerous
sCorchers. That leaves about 2J0UOO Wash
ingtonians who have the proper claim for
protection. / would not care to have any
woman apply for license, as they are ordi-
narily extremely careful but / think that
the men who ride should be willing to take
licenses as an example, and be very willing
to contribute a half dollar each 10 main
tain bicycle police. i think most of the
bIcyclists have within their family circle a
proportion of the aged. lame and il.firm
and feel that their solicitude for them is
quite equal to that of any part of the COM
munity. Now, as to the facres of Paris.
they make life miserable for the pedestrian
TO force them into using their carriages. /
have had them drive me in The Place
Nendome, where there was hundred feet
to spare and very little traffic. AS to bcy-
Giles Hooking through 18th street when two
cars are standing and all passengers want
ing to change tickets have to cross two
tracks over and back. they add confusion.
They cannot be compared to a horse and
wagon, as they are rapid and noiselcss. In
street crossings we are much more pro-
tected by the ear than by the eve By il
we can instinctively judge the distance and
speed of horse from his footsteps On the
pavement
''As to the good-road impulse of the bicv-
clists 1 am with them heart and hand L
nave written and worked for good roads
for over twenty years, studied them i'm
Europe. and 1 have bought ard owned a
stone crusher at my own expense 1 am
member of the National Road Association.
now become a part of the government ag-
ricultural bureau. / have been director in
probably the first stone-road turnpike in
New York state. and every cent of the tolls
was spent on the road
with regard to the recent bicycle bag
gage law of New York ii was carried by
an overwhelming majority The chief man
writes to Mr.. Depew as follows: Wheel
men fought its fight at Albany. The out
come of this contest is inevitable The day
Oh reckoning VIII come. and in the end YOU
Will find corporations have learned that the
policy OF railroad management in the lonr-
run proves the most profitable This
was coupled with malicious staten9nts
In the New York Herald, all unnec.
essary, as the bicyclists had their own wav
1t was the most astounding exhibit Of
power and dictation that / have ever
known. The bicycle vote In New Yorl, ia
not far from 10000 and II will he mora
when the coming woman gets to the polls
1t is difficult to understand WHY after suc-
ceeding IN all their plans, the head of all
New York bicycle associations should rem
the abusive and threatening article which
was printed against President Depew. The
new law is to have the bicycle declared as
baggage and carried free. The law pro-
Woes that II heed not be Grated, and there
are heavy penalties for any baggage man
that hesitates to carry them. No delay for
hearing was permitted to the railways
and the bill was rushed through on the
command OF the concentrated hundred
thousand voters. They also wished the in
terstate commerce committee to act hut
they do not say how, or what their am
tnority Is L presume. from what / know
OF the New York Central, that they will
without any coercion, run bicycle cars on
sunday and holidays. and probably on re-
quest from large parties"