The evening times., 1896-06-13
POPULARITY OF THE WHEEL
Cycling a Worthy Rival of Baseball
for Pubic Favor.
Amos n. Hughes of Denver Considered
To BE Comer-Growth of the
League-Wheeling Gossip.

1t is easy to be seen that cycle racing is
going to have the most successful season
t has ever experienced. AS rival of base
oall I promises TO surpass the national game
IN point of popularity throughout the coun-
try, though those cities which are fortunate
enough to possess winning teams will not
desert the kings OF the diamond for the
wheel. Nevertheless cycle racing will re-.
ceiye its share of patronage, for everyone
who rides is more or less interested in the
doings OF those who race either for glory
or money. This is inevitable with the adop
tion of cycling, and with accessible tracks
and meets conducted on a business basis
the height of popularity can be foreseen in
the future.
There are several departments of the
sport, aud all of them are booming. The
racing contingent is at the toImost height
Of its energy and ambition. The century"
zealots are hard at work. the outing clubs
are careering about in gay groups, the stuid
folk who wheel for exercise roll diligently
along by ones or twos, and the children,
never firing, come and go in all directions.
The record breakers have commenced
early this year, and the probabilities are
that they will go ON with their good work
during the whole summer.
One OF the first to make potable cut on
old figures was young Amos B. Hughes, Of
Denver. His feat of cutting down the two
mile record to 1856 g. has made his name
famous all over the land. He is a modest
young man, and well deserves his laurels.
He has been oD the track only little more
than year, and his development of speed
has Hpen Iittla lpSs bat II
opened his bicycle career by riding
novice mile, competition, in 2:1O 2-5, which
was mighty close to the novice record.
Later III the year he rode mile unpaced
Ill 2:lO, and at various race meets did some
fast work. His improvement goes steadily
on, and he Will probably make it warm for
many of the more pretentious cracks.
An ingenious contrvance is on tue mar
ket Which combines the features of bicy-
Gle stand and lock. 1t is claimed that it is
tic only bicycle support in existence that
combines all the requisites of a positive.
direct and complete support and quick
acting spring lock. The entire weight is
about SIX ounces. 1t consists of two tubes
Tie small being tee-tipped and so adjusted
that 1T can be moved out to any desired
length TO support the bicycle at any angle.
Tue front wheel is held rigid by a quick
acting and positive clamp made of spring
tempered steel, attached to which is a
small. sliding spring lock, hidden in the
folds of the clamp. and always ready for
immediate use. When closed the stand is
but eighteen inches in length. and is held
firmly to the under side of the brace frame
with a small steel clip. II is nickel plated.
Some idea of the rate at which the Lea que
of American Wheelmen is increasing in
membership may be obtained from the fol-
lowing comparison: During March, April
and May of 1895 there were 1881 more
applications for membership than during
the corresponding period of 1894 This
was considered remarkably rapid growth,
and was, in fact, the best showing which
had ever been made by the organization, but
during the same three months of the present
year there were TO- 1876 more applications
than there were in 1895, or more than
double the increase.
Harold Palmer of Germantown. left
the City Hall. Philadelphia, at O'Clock
this morning with the in tention of breaking
the cycling record between Philadelphia and
New York. He will check himself by meaps
of postal cards mailed at offices along the