The morning times., 1896-06-21
Quaint Facts and Figures Which
Go to Show that Bicycles Are
the Thing of the Period.

One thousand; three thousand and five
hundred; five thousand; seven thousand
five hundred; ten thousand; sixteen thou
sand, and siXty-two thousand will be the
record of sales of bikes, beginning with
the year 1890 and ending with the present
year of grace and whirring wheels. Thirty
one thousand have already been bought
from the various dealers from January
TO date.
1t is easy TO juggle with these figures
and to change the idea OF the lad" or the
"craZe" into an indictment OF insanity,
but truth is better than romance. Al
together there have been sold $4,000 bi-
cycles of the newest styles, grades and
fashions. This means that people number
ing more than one fourth Of the whole
population have at some time within the
last five and half years bought wheels,
learned to ride and have joined the multi
tudinous cavalry host that rides the steel
steed.
There was n time-so short time go that
even children remember it-that even
man on a new W heel was a rare bird. Their
first vision. perhaps, was of the man on the
old upright wheel, away up in the air, and
going in those days at what was a rate of
speed far beyond the limit of safety. He
was 4 Colossus of Rhodes on W heel. il not
on wheels, for the little one was regarded
as q necessity merely to be tolerated. Ex-
pert riders even now can do fairly well
on a one wheeled bicycle, which is, never
theless. a contradiction in terms.
BIRTH OF THE FAD.
Then there was the period when the two
wheeled bike par ex xcelence sprang into ex-
istence. Washington is not always first in
departures, but it was not long after the
new wheels were invented until the asphalt
boulevard was discovered to be the place
designed long ago by Gov. Shepherd for the
modern horse.
Then there was another period. 1t was
actually the moot question in the social Cir
Gle as to whether woman should be bene-
ficiary and patron of the eighth wonder OF
the world. This showed that Belva Lock
wood had straddled the question long be-
fore on a velocipede, and had moved every
thing before her.
Nevertheless it was fully and prayerfnlly
discussed and thenlo, woman appeared On
a wheel and then another and another and
another, rising above the social horizon
oht DIT ii tHlit, ds lut Stars NOllit Out III enS
purping skies of a summer evening. This
is some what florid and pceticai, but it is
in touch with the ideal movement about
which it is being written.
There would naturally be an impression
that when woman is seized with any kind
of social fever it will assume a virulent
form. 1t might be concluded from this that
women would own probably one-half OF the
. &c fo.t
wOMAN'S PART IN IT.
It is perhaps slightly exaggerated TO say
that there are 15.0C0 wEeelwomen in the
city, but even 5000 is an important part
of the grand army. 1t is the picturesque
contingent. 1t is 10 the Pre- sale men on
wheels what the glttering cuirassiers. or
xouaves, the ehighlanders, ARE tothe mcnotony
OF color in the French and English armies.
1t is little strange to Dote that 1.-THE
stringeDcy of the times for there were
such stringencies between go and SO, il
not at present, did not in the slightest de-
greeeffect the buying and selling of bicycles.
For the five years noted there was steady
Increase. In 81 the sales were $50 per
cent more than in 1880, and in '95 sixteen
hundred per cent greater. This year they
estimate sixty-two hundred per cent.
Truly the bike is running down the grade
without breaks and coastiDg on to greater
things.
Figures, while they do not lie, are yet
barren of suggestion when speaking of SO
interesting subject; but If any proof were
wanted of the enormous success of the
bicycle boom it can be found by an IN
spection of the bikes themselves ip active
service.
There are several places in the city at
which the bicyclers meet uncoDsciously in
the great afternoon tours which are usually
taken to the north into the lovely suburbs.
One of these places is on Capitol Hill,
Second street and Pennsylvania avenue
southeast A writer from The Times took
the pains the other afternoon to watch the
stream of bicyclers as they passed that
point, some going down the grade toward
the Botanical Gardens, others north toward
new Library Building, and all heading for
points west and north. He counted the fly
ers for forty minutes, aud found that he
average was nine per minute. This, OF
course, does not mean all day, but In those,
at present, delightful hours of the after
noon, when the Departments are closed and
the prospective tourists have dned well.
PASSING A POINT.
Another famous point of observation is at
Fourteenth street and Pennsylvania avenue
northwest The average here was six
per minute, but nearly all the streets run
ming north from Pennsylvania avenue are
channels from the streams that flow north.
ward to the green fields and country roads
Df the suburban retreats.
At Ninth street and Penns ylvania avenue
northwest the average was eight per
minute after 6 O'Clock.
Another phase of the people in motion
On wheels is to be observed on the street
tars. A few nights ago passenger on
the cable cars counted 169 bicycles coming
South while the car was going from NJ
kreet to U street northwest. 1t is a
ong, good, and straight run from NJ
Ttreet to the rise OF Meridian Hill, and this
stretch is favorite with the little barks
1890.