St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-02-27
HO FOR THE WHEELS
TWIN CITY CYCLE ASSOCIATION
MEETS AND DISCUSSES PLANS
FOR THE SEASON.
iNTERURBAN BICYCLE PATH.
LARGE AND ENTHUSIASTIC GATH
ERING OF ..BIKERS" TO CON-
SIDER THE SUBJECT.
WILL ASK AID FROM THE COUNCIL.
Committees Are Appointed to At
tend to Details and Report at
MectinS to Be Held Soon.

About seventy-five wheelmen. rep
resenting Minneapolis as well as st.
Paul cyclists, assembled at the Ryan
hotel last night for the purpose Of
forming an organization and taking
preliminary action looking towards the
construction of a bicycle path between
st. Paul and Minneapolis. The senti-
ment of the meeting indicated that the
wheelmen Of the two cities are most
DESTROYS of securing a special road
way for bicycles, the public highways
between St Paul and Minneapolis be-
Ing SO unsatisfactory
A. B. Ovitt. of ST. Paul, was chosen
temporary chairman and ]. M. Han
son, of Minneapolis. secretary. No per-
manent organization was effected, but
committee on permanent organiZa-
ton viii report at a meeting to be
held next Wednesday evening.
The discussion, while not very ex-
tended, brought forth some important
suggestions. Mr.. Ovitt, the chairman,
remarked at .he outset that there
were already from 5000 to 5000 wheel
men in ST. Paul, and there would in
hll probability be 5000 more added to
the number this season. Good BIZ
cycle roads were needed, as most Of the
highways were in poor condition. In
other portions of the country this state
of affairs had been remedied, and Mr.
OVitt was confident a great deal could
be accomplished here by the union Of
the wheelmen
Mr.. KnoWlton, Of Minneapolis, said
that side path for wheels would
prove the true solution of the road
question. He thought that the way to
start the movement was 10 build
bicycle path to Minneapolis. This
could be done very cheaply so Mr.
Knowlton said, and he suggested that
the path be constructed on University
avenue from the end of the pavement
In st. Paul to pavement on University
avenue in Minneapolis. Mr. Knowlton
added that the Minneapolis wheelmen
strongly favored the construction Of
such a path.
Mr.. Peabody called the attention of
the Wheelmen to a statement in the L.
A. w. Bulletin that a clay roadbed COW
cred with a surface of cinders could be
constructed for SIS to $l25 a mile, ac-
cordinS to the width of the path.
Some discussion followed as to the
method Of obtaining a fund to con-
struct bicycle path. DR. J. G. Mel
son, Of st. Paul. was Of the opinion that
all wheelmen would readily subscribe
to such fund He suggested that the
cities be divided into districts for the
purpose of collecting subscriptions by
a house TO house canvass.
f. S. Daggit, Of st. Paul remarked
that if the 10000 bicycle riders in st.
Paul and Minneapolis would each sub
scribe 80 cents, that would yield the
sum of $4,000, which was enough money
to equip the state with bicycle roads
Mr.. Cotton, of st. Paul. pointed out
the Importance of protecting bicycle
paths from the encroachments of teams
and pedestrians, and suggested that
set of rules be adopted for the guidance
of the cyciers. -''o'r '- 'f~
The iwheeineen then instructed Chair
man Ovitt to appoint a committee of
twenty, consisting of ten St Paul and
ten Minneapolis wheelmen, with direc-
tions that the committee ascertain the
views of all the wheeImen of the two
cities as to the location Of the proposed
path and the material OF which it is
to be composed, the committee to re-
port at the next meeting.
AT this point it was decided that the
name Of the wheelmen's organization
shall be THE Twin City Cycle Associa-
tiCn.''
Asse1nblynaan Van ,Slyke. who was
present, explained the nature OF the