San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-08-15
lN0|,11Doh.
REASON 1T OUT.
Good Bicycle Costs More at First, But
Is Cheaper In the End.

Good Bicycle Costs More at First, But
Is Cheaper In the End.
Many people wonder why a good biz
cycle costs an apparently high price,
and never stop to think of the many rea-
sons. Yet these same people know why
q good horse costs more than poor
one; they know that horse with years
of training and with proper handling is
worth infinitely more than poor breed
of beast, and are not only willing to pay
for it, but wouldn't have any other kind.
1t is just the same with bicycle or any
other article of manufacture that has
taken years 10 bring to high state of
perfection. Take, for instance, the
standard make of bicycle. To begin
with, the cost of running the immense
plant that manufactures these wheels
is enormous and would seem incredible
to the ordinary observer; the highest
priced skilled labor is required in order
TO be sure of proper results. Much of
the material used in these machines has
10 be imported from England and va
rious parts of Europe, and large part
of it is wasted on account of the rigid
tests to which it is subjected, and be-
muse it often falls short of the require
ments. In addition to this, there is an
enormous amount of waste in milling.
Take, for instance, single part of
wcll-known wheel - the crank shaft
bracket In the rough it weighs nearly
five pounds, and when complete and
ready for use it is but a mere shell and
weighs but nine ounces.
The makers of high-grade bicycles
must keep all the parts for every model
they have made at least five years or
more, and machinery on hand to make
them. They must set aside a large and
valuable amount of space for the
storage of these parts and the maehin-
cry used in making them. Such ex-
penses as these are not necessary to
other bicycles; they are not put to the
cost, for instance, Of keeping a large
amount of stock on hand and consum-
ing large and valuable space for years,
for the reason that their bicycles are not
expected to last for more than a season
or two. The country has been overrun
with cheap bicycles, and many were dis
posed OF because people seemed to think
that q first-class bicycle could and
ought to be sold for very small price.
But now the tide is turning. The pub
lie has learned by experience that it can
not get something for nothing. Expe-
rience in bicycle building is satisfaction
to the purchaser; and if he would but
sit down and figure out in black and
white the amount that it costs to make
and market n STANDARD bicycle, and add
to this the amount of satisfaction and
safety in owning such wheel, he will be
satisfied to have paid standard price,
and feel well insured by the name of the
comuanv from which he purchased.
The Issue In Pure Silver.
Stop bothering your head about the
figures sixteen to one, leave the gold
standard out of the question, for there
is no direct issue upon it, and consider
the real issue, silver. a lump of sill
yer of a certain size, BIN grains in
weight, is to-day worth SO cents. The
Bryan proposition is that the govern
ment shall stamp it a dollar. That
would be fat money-malling of the same
sort as the governments setting its
printing presses to work and turning
lnnt Eithout limit dollars of paper. 1t
dishonesty. 1t is pregnant with
for every man, laborer or capi-