The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-07-14
CYCLING AND TRADE
Many Industries Doomed by the
Universal Wheel.
THOUGH SOME ARE INJURED.
Steel, Iron and Rubber Dealers Pro0t
By Wheeling, - DO Makers or
Clothing and Accessories


ly. FOR my part, think II is about a
sfand-0Y between those who have been
benefited and those who have been in
Sstre1 Ia their pockets. I'll go further and
say that bY the popularity OF the wheel
two trades have BEEN Helped TO every
trade that has been hurt"
There Is 3 great deal Of truth In the
trade journalists assertion. Much has
been said and written as 10 the bad effect
OF bicycling upon the thezter and other
places OF amusement Everybody knows
the story Of how one big livery stable
after another has gone 10 the wall, ard
everybody talks OF the failures OF carriage
and piano factories. brought about by the
demand for wheels. The liquor dealers
long ago raised up their voices in objec-
ton because he who rides cannot drink
anything stronger than soft stun"
Druggists aver that the general health
OF the wheeling public Is SO much I'M
proved that the prescription department
ianguishes. and even the doctors COM
plain Hundreds of business men join in
the cry OF those preachers who preach to
empty pews on a clear Sunday. and say:
''Down with the bicyclesr'
These croakers seem TO forget that
every dog has it's day" Thew are OBJ
hvious TO the fact that thousands OF peo-
pie are being benefited by the bicycle
craze The wheel crept In silently but
swiftly. and in two years caused such a
revolution in trade as had never been
witnessed by the present generation.
True. some trades were pecalmed. Some
big concerns submitted TO the inevitable
and assigned: others foresaw what was
coming and began 10 manufacture b.
cycles or some parts, or bicycle clothing
or accessories. An incalculable number
OF small concerns and retailers were not
one whit behind the times and those con-
Germs have prodted handsomely.
There are the steel men," said one in
terested In that side of the bicycle craze
''of course there Is always demand for
steel. but now we have a command for IL
I represent an English Arm In rhis coun-
try. and they have already placed their
whole output for 1897. That company is
just one OF a hundred that have done
the same thing. How could It be other
wise when millions Of high-grade ma
chimes are manufactured each Year, OF
course steel Is only used In frst-class ma
chimes. but the demand for a good article
has been so great and so steady that II
has kept wholesale prices at the top notch.
and that's where the steel men have come
In" ne added.
IT'S fun for those steel men who have
disposed OF their output so far ahead
10 watch fellows with a little plant start
into the bicycle business. They set up
the necessary machinery, which is very
valuable. for making wheels get their
expert workmen together and only then
begin TO think about gettInD their ma
teriais. They go 10 one steel man and
then another. only to receive the reply
Very sorry but We can't possibly supply
you. From the rubber men they hear
the same story, and often they give W In
despair after turning out a few wheels.
Some have gone out of the business.
while others have escorted 10 using iron"
That's the truth" said an iron man.
The tubing used in cheap BICYCLES is moth
Ing but iron gas piping let the bike
hye' Long may she roilr saw ~. iron
men, ard We advocate cheap machines, OF
course. for every iow-grafe wheel sold
means money in the pocket of some dealer
in iron"
Perhaps no industry has profted more
by the bicycle boom than the rubber bust
ness. Low grade or high grade, every
wheel has 20 be equipped with rubber
tires, and they must be good ones. too.
The men who handle rubber In the crude
state feel that they have rubber tire
''circh." Many dealers in prepared rub
Der. however. declare that they have TO
make rubber tires I'm self-defense. and
that as thu prices for crude material adj
vaneed the prices OF tires decreased. AS
A result, they stand about even How
ever" said one rubber man. "there are
concerns that have made fortunes In rub
Der. and they thank the bicycle for their
good luck. Within two yeats the price
Of crude rubber was 20 10 rs cents pound /:
II runs today from 81 70 IS cents pound
which means a great deal when one stops
to consider that prices are cut of at the
other end. Two years ago first class rub
Der tires retailed at SO or 81 pair; now
they sell a; from 81 10 s. a naIr. Re-
sides. we were forced 10 make many costly
experiments before being able 10 turn ont
a good article. Nevertheless none Of Va
have lost money and many OF us have
made a."
The wheel has heen a benefit also n the
sewing machine factories. No less than
six or the makers OF weil-known machines
arc now turning out bicycles. which they
hope 20 make az popular among women
as their sewing machines have been. one
or two concerns have given up the mann
fzcture OF sewing machines aud devote
themselves wholly 70 making bikes
They had 20 DO X in seif-defense." ex-
planned a representative OF one company.
'"Wo~en who wouldn't sew would ride
They didn't have time 70 use a sewing
machine because they spent the hest par,
% each day on the road. 50 the COM
pany represent ard several other makers
~ cheap machines saw thar there was
more money in bicycles and soneiuse s
to pocket ~. Makers OF machines that
were known 20 our grandnothers turned
= sne made bicycles in addition to sew
ing machines snd they are adding 70 their
wealth Tire machinery used in making
sewing machines Is admirably ADAPTED 10
the manufacture Of bicycles. and the sew
ting machine manufacture launches him
self in the bicycle business az a COM
parativeIv small cost"
And VIA. Of the innkeepers7 The man
who kept a small ramshaekie raa tffiot1se
o. some oEt-of-the-way road has bioomf
into a stout. prnSnsrous-lookinx hotel
keene- lie has added 70 his house and
refarniShed ~. and al this from the trade
from the hungry ana Thirsty wheelmen
ana wheeiwosnen. The regular hotel men
az the summer resorts OF Long Island.
Staten Island and throughout Jersey have
reason % - grateful 20 the cyclists.
Three years agc" said the keeper % a
hotel On the Shrewsbury. "things we're
qulster than funeral around these parts
Now they are lIwely from ona years end
20 another Where we had ere guest
then We have \ score now. snA every
man who Eears any kind % a house for
the accommodation OF travellers viii tel
ven the sa1se thing thar is, ~ Re lives IN
the uegEhnorheot ~ good roads"
whsn e was found that the bicycle hgssi-
ness was interfering with the wafch ard
5eveiry trate manfacturers decided TO
make Bicycles. Several watch factories
are now turning oGt wSrefs taat rets9
~ S1t.l They are more tA2-s making Up
or wheels what fhsy lose oB xafeAeA
IRE surwskers SIS likewise. ara are g.
lighted with the proats % ths enterprise.
Manufactures % wooller. cation and
liner goods toln With the owners ~ those
Alx department starsS chat make a sFss-
salty 90 res3v- made clothing. ans vita
-. email sesFRrse-< ard stisaFS IN r1Sf-x