The San Francisco call., 1896-02-23

~ in the populous centers of the
~ East; famous fashionable riding
K N academies closing up; big horse
dealers making assignments; !;
dullness in the harness market-all these
are signs that seem to point with unerring
finger TO the inevitable passing of the
horse" Not that the equine species will
become extinct by any means, but that its
sphere of usefulness will be gradually
narrowed down and confined to limits
compared with which the world of the
ancestral horse was glorious.
The cable and trolley cars have driven
out horses by the thousand; the electric
carriage is threatening thousands more
while the bicycle is causing the abandon
ment Of the use of horses here, there and
everywhere. TILL one feels constrained to
sigh for the feeting fame OF the animal
that only few short years ago was man S
indispensable dumb companion and as
sistant. The inventive genius of the
twentieth century might sing requiem,
IN charity of heart, over the grave OF the
horses vanished greatness.
Last year horse-dealers and liverymen
predicted that the bicycle craze" would
be short-lived; that il had already reached
its height and would die away, just as
other fads had died. What are the facts ?
Last year 450 900 bicyclesswere made in
this country, and at the present time the
supply is not equal 10 the demand. No
less than $25, 600, 900 is said to be invested
in bicycle and tire factories in the United
States. The product of this year bids fair
to be double that of last.
Does any body foresee a boom in horses :?
And what is the horse prospect? Just
this: While it will be admitted that horses
of fashionable distinction and superior
breed may be as costly as ever, yet, judg-
ing from all appearances, the prices of the
others will be permanently low as COM
pared with the past.
For much of His discontinue, and even,
in a measure, for the fact that his flesh,
which was of so little value while attached
to his bones, is now being canned for ex-
port-in the hope that the dead horse NAV
bring in more profit than the live one-the
animal may blame the bicycle
The use of the wheel is getting to be
universal. The rich ride it for health and
pleasure; the person OF moderate income
for pleasure, health and economy; the
strong patronize the wheel in order to
maintain perfect physical condition; the
weak, TO get up muscle and appetite; the
pale maiden draws ruddy health from the
exhilarating exercise, and the worn-out
clerk is given new life and vigor by an in
spiriting acquaintance with the winged
wheel.
Shall we say that the wheel is actually
killing off the horse? A decade ago. the
horses sphere was unassailable. How
changed the scenel Conditions have un-
dergone a small-sized revolution. That
vulgarism, "There are no flies on the
horse, must be consigned, along with the
remains of the equine steed, to canning
factory and the foreign stomach. The
horse is in peril of his life from that con-
testing hier-Ihe winged wheel. Livery
men, in order to keep up with the times,
and ahead on their books, have IN many
instances established cycleries in connec-
tion with their stables.
Estimates of the number of BICYCLES in
use in San Francisco alone have been OBJ
tanned with the result that the lowest was
I5,OOO and the average of all estimates
only little less than 10000.
Two Sundays ago an actual count was
made of the mum Der OF bikes that passed
into Golden Gate Park through the Baker
street entrance. 1t showed 5000 wheelme en-
for that single day; and. certainly, wheel
men by the hundred took advantage of the
fine weather TO ride out into the country
about the bay, with never thought Of the
park, on that very same sunday.
"Wheelmen have been kept in some by
bad weather this winter" said one of the
leading wheelmen, ''but with the coming
of spring you will see double the interest
in cycling that existed last year. Wheel
men deserve some credit, l think, for
agItating the question of good roads.
When we get paved highways though /
suppose the horseless carriage will come
into use and not only run out the last OF
the horses but give bicycling hard rub.
Then, Just about the time the horseless
carriage is in full sway, the flying machine
will be perfected, and We'll just flap our
wings, rise up and move north, east, south
or west through the air at our pleasure.
But the bicycle has the call now, and,
mark my words, the wheel craze is going to
grow. Why, at the late bicycle show in
New York 1894 different makes OF bicycles
were exhibited.
You are aware that before railroads
and streetcar lines traversed all the coun-
try the wayside inns were largely patron
lied by journeying horsemen. Well, the
wayside inn gradually fell behind, and no
business was done to speak of for years
until the wheel mania struck the country.
Let me tell you right here that the wheel
men have put the wayside inns in the bay
region on a paying basis once. more
Twenty wheelmen 10 one horseman is
about the proportion in which the patrons
OF wayside inns are now measured up.
The proprletors cater to the cyclist custom
and set out excellent meals for Us.
Another thing. The bicycle is knock