New-York tribune., 1896-05-24
PUBLIC MEN AS CYCLloH
~ SPITE OF THE ARMSTRONG LAW MN
DEpEw IS AN ENTHUSIAST

DEPEW is AN ENTHuolA'i'
spEAKEa REED AS A HEAVYWEIGHT ChN''
SENATOR ELKrNs's WILD RIDE ~ ''iD
rvrx,vc ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS VAN
nrRp1r,r HAS BICYCLES FOR HIS
GUESTS AT THE BREAKERS AMI
ONLY TIE GRooMs USE
THE HORSES
vvhao,irg IN It's gradual. insistent growth mas
,o,,n,, IN its neshes all classes and conditio"s'
- :, = ruch-nuoted saying that "Dea'h
,o,.os q shining mark" ana 1t Is equally 'iue
,,a, ",be wheel loves a SHINING mark" FROM 'hV
~, who works during acation to earn money ~
h, ,ybee to the millionaire who rides fo'
hoo,,b and recreation there Is no intermediate
,oss that ia nroof against the seduction Oh t"e
b,cvcle Nothing attests its popularity l'oio
.ho, ,b fact that men of affairs. statesi"0"'
or,rfiors merchants and others WHOSE e'ei'
r,o,oor, y, time is in demand have taken % 'h'
.xercjsc and allow important business " ""'
while they Chamber aboard Silent stee" "'N
an nedalling away. Age looks, weight an" III
euence mean nothing 20 the bicycle. All arc
ecuaI when astYide a wheel and more uei"V
cn,tic lot than blcycsts 1t would De haru ~
find. =, $1,000.
One Of the most important subjects IN 'o,".
tion with cycling last winter was Oiii 1T ''
bany known as tie Armstrong Dill. lhiS ~
,1oa ,hat n hicyclo should be carried IN the
s,o,o nv all railroads running through II free ol
hroa rvsrv wheelman knows how outefy
tho bill was opposed Albany oy Ch"uhceS -'i
49,, ord the other officials Of the New-fork
Contra, road Mr. Depaws antagonism oi the
measure led many cyclists to believe that ne was
mot AZ all in sympathy with the sport. Te'""t'
som. surprise will be manifested "oeh }"
.a,d that Mr. Depew Is an enthusiast az i"' 'o
IN. amor, goes and s member OF the Hi'o""0N
C,uh Mr.. Depew's antipathy to tire Ar"''''s
hill was basel upon the ground mat II "o.
mako more work without adequate re'u'" 'o'
his railroad. He did not oppose the Dill 'nrousn
,rv enmitv for the sport When the o'ii "'
ora,lv passed he leaned back In MS cha'r III '"e
n...s Central Station and said in voice that
was far from bitter: ~ 49,.
"u,nu ". railroad men have been beaten. but
We cyclists nre on top. was oouhu W oe
snno,nt.d or glad either way and so am happy.
W. D.nev lives in West Fftty-fourth-st Al
.ha EYfth-ave corner near his home. Is the large
-, r,ads vacant by the removal OF the 81 Luhee
trosn,,al When the shades Of night nave falen'
o,. tho crowd, have th!nned out little coterie
=, rhse,ars NAV be seen circling around THIS
o,r,.r and II YOU watch closely you may recog-
r,v. Mr. Denew astr.de a wheel. accompanied py
so,.ora, members Of hi. household. He says thde
he hasn't become rrohcient enough yet 70 rlsK
{, IN the broad glare OF day where the puohc can
see him. - .--1,r rcrr,
A. the magnificent Newport residence OF Cor
nsIus Vanderbilt The Breakers one OF the oest
eoulpned private stables in the country IS mann
tained While there are enough norses III the
stable 70 supply a cavalry company YET the hoiseS
or. 90 seldom used that the men in charge have to
take them out daily attached 10 light wagons
70 Civ. them the proper amount OF exercise II
reason for this neglect were 20 be asked perhaps
n light airy room in the stable would explain IT,
IN this room number Of bicycles OF standard
make ar, always on hand There is no member
., Mr. Vanderb!lts family that Is not more or
Iess addicted to the sport. ard 50 popular hae It
bsrome TINT a number OF wheels are Kept Tor the
use OF guests in Just the same manner that IN
other days riding horses were provided loT theH''
Some time ago little whirl Of disapproval went
over the country as the result or an ihterVle"
which was credited 10 ex-President Harrison. In
this interview the ex-Presitent was quoted as
making some rather acid remarks about women
riding wheels and about bicyclists generally
The General later disaVowed the authenticity OF
the interview and II any proof was needed that
he did iot give II a little incident that took place
In Central Park not long ago would be satisfac-
tory. Before General Harrison married Mrs.
Dimmick and In fact before his engagement was
announced he used 10 spend great deal OF his
time in New-York. 1t was whispered that he
was here upon grave political business. AT that
time Mrs Mckee and her son, famillary known
,.t,-
at the Netherland Hotel. Little Ben" has grown
TO be an active youngoter now. and there Is be-
tween himself and his grandfather the most cor
dial friendship. They are more Ike comrades
than anything else The ex-Pres!dent used TO
come into the Fifth Avenue Hotel with Little
Ben" tagging a, his heels. and they would be
chatting and laughing like two schoolboys.
Now nowhere in this broad land Is there a
more ardent cycst than this same Little Ben"
Early in the morning. when staying at the Meth
erland, he would get up. and. taking his wheel
start for spin through the Park The x-Presi-
dent frequently used 10 leave his hotel early in
the day and walk from Twenty -third-st. to Fifty
n!nth-st and join his daughter at breakfast at
the Netherand. After breakfast he would con-
tnue his constitutional by Joining Little Ben"
and walking beside him as the boy leisurely
wheeled through the Park. 1t was upon one Of
these excursions that Little Ben" suggested that
his grandfather ride the wheel. The ex- President
wasn't enough OF an enthusiast for that. but the
youngster persisted. AS 1t early morning
and the Park there practically deserted. the
ex-President consented. He cambered on the
wheel and trundled along under Little Bens"
sturdy guidance. and he made good headway
upon his first lesson. He reported progress when
he told his family about 1t. and his son Russell,
in commenting upon the occurrence. said that as
far as he knew 1t was the first time In the his
tory Of the country that man who had occupied
the chair OF President Of the United States had
ridden a wheel The exP President laughed heartily