The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1896-08-06
BICYCLE BUILDING.
70 Has Become an Enormous Business IN
America.

Inc enormous popularity VI VIC WAccA
has made bicycle manufacturing one OF
the greatest industries. The figures
given as to the amount of money in
vested in wheels and wheel plants and
the persons who receive employment
in various bicycle departments are truly
astonishing. OF course these are mere.
ly estimates, but they are probably as
near the real facts as estimates can be.
These figures as given by the Chicago
Tribune, which has made thorough
canvass of the bicycle business, are as
follows:
Cost Of wheels to riders. ......... $500, 600 600
Bicycle clothing by riders. $10,000000
Bicycle manufacturers .......... $50
Capital in factories ............... SEC, Co., O0
cap S aiG in tire factories .soooooo
Manufacturers Of sundries ....... 500
Capital in sundries factories...... 600
Capital in retail establishments. 81, 000 GOO
Total capital invested in cycling 100000 seU
Employed in bicycle factories.... 1900
Employed in making sundries... 5000
Employed in tire factories. 5000
Retail dealers and repair men,. 2@
Output Of tires for this year,. 100000
j.: Such enormous totals are surprising,
even. to those who have watched the
bicycle during the last few years., and
they explain the effect the bicycle has
had upon certain other lines of business,
including jewelry and watches, liveries,
street railways, etc. The money now
spent for wheels is diverted from other
channels, into which it formerly flowed.
The most important question is whether
this influence is to be permanent or only
temporary, and this involves the query
whether the popularity of the bicycle 10
the of public fad. whichwil1 soon
die out, or If it has come to stay. There
is much difference of opinion regarding
this, and one prediction is as good as an
other. The bicycle is certainly not u
toy. It possesses much utility, and for
that very reason there seems to be lit
tie likelihood of total collapse of the
boom. But on the other hand, there il
good reason to believe that in time
many persons who are now devoted to
the wheel will seek some other and new
form of amusement. It is human nature
to be tickle, and especially in regard to
pastimes.
AAO 0uoAAAOoS AACA " nv "a e 4CC1l1ik LAo
effects of the boom must exercise as
much philosophy as is possible under
the circumstances. It is not in the ma
ture of things that people should stop
buying watches or taking carriage
drives for any great length of time:
Much money has been made 50 far in the
manufacture and sale of wheels, and it
will continue to be made. But the mine
Is by no means inexhaustible. This is
shown by the fact that some bicycle
firms have recently gone to the wall.
Undoubtedly other failures will follow,
and there will be a general wedding out.
The people who have engaged in the
business merely for the purpose Of max
ing wheels for the least possible money
and selling them at the greatest possible
price cannothope to survive, unless they
quickly change their methods. But
those concerns which have endeavoretl
to construct bicycles ais good as can be
made will continue to enjoy prosperity.
Prices may 60 down; in fact, it is diff
cult to see how they can be kept up.
notwithstanding the efforts to main
tain them, but the business of the reli-
able manufacturers will continue to he
proftable,-Troy Times. ,..,.r;~.