Kansas City daily journal., 1896-12-27
present score: Lasker. I; steinitz, 2
Gossip for wheeImen.

New York. Dec. 26.-The wheelmen of the
New York Athletic Club have contest on
the calendar which will probably end only
with the beginning of the New Year. The
conditions are that the winner of the Pen
dleton cup must ride five miles daily until
all other competitors have dropped out.
There were seventy-two entrants last May.
When the big snowstorm came last week
only four remained Some icy weather
may be expected between now and New
Years, and whoever sticks to the end Is
sure to experience some pretty tough cy-
cling.
II the League of American Wheelmen as
a whole will work for good roads this COM
ing year as will the New York division of
that rapidly growing organization, then
cyclists generally will rise up and praise
the L. A. W., and give IL their dollars and
their material aid. Highway Improvement
is acknowledged to be the greatest work
the league has before it. And good or even
fair roads are in such small proportion TO
the bad ones in this country that small
beginning in this direction will give the
league a prestige that it just now lacks.
Chief Counsel Potter, of the New York di-
vision, who, it is generally believed, will
succeed Sterling Elliott as president of the
league, has formed a road improvement
bill with the approval and cooperation of
the state grange officials. and with the
combined influences of the wheelmen and
the farmers it is confidently believed favor
able legislation will be secured. The work
will be pushed vigorously, and no doubt
will be aided much by the good roads con-
gress to be held at Albany in February in
conjunction with the national assembly of
| the L. a. W. This will be an event of wide
spread Importance, since the gentlemen
| prominently identified with highway i'm
| provement in all sections of the United
| States will be in attendance.
| The barometer of the bicycle trade which
shows with unfailing exactness which way
| the wind blows is the shipping books of
| the old established houses. If the record
| is larger at this period than during the
corresponding time n year back, then look
out for big business when the regular sea-
son opens. In u recent examination of the
records of some of the largest manufacture
ers, it was noticed that they foreshadow a
| heavy trade in 1897. This statement, of
course only applies to the firms dealing in
honest wheels at honest prices The buy
ing public is learning to discriminate be-
tween good and 4 bad wheel. even If the
one is as nicely enameied as the other
They want bicycles built by house of rep
utation, one that will live up to every let
ter of its agreement. A report from To-
ronto Canada speaks or bright prospects
in that section. 1t says: From the ap-
pearance of things in this section the cycle
| boom of 1896 will be surpassed by that of
| 1897, and even at this early date business is
rushing. Travellers are nearly all out and
| are taking orders and lots of them The
| tire men all speak of the large contracts
| each has secured. The factories are all
| running full blast, and with their increased
| capacities. new ones are being established,
| old agencies are Frightening up and new
| ones starting, all going merrily and with a
vim that has been hardly expected" This
| is merely a sample of the news received
weekly by the national cycle board of
|