New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-02-23

OF CAUTION-THE RACING QUEST1ON-CARE
OF THE ROADS IN TIE DISTRICT
RECENTLY ANNEXED.
Now that the troublesome questions, most
~ them have been settled by the League Of
American Wheelmen at its annual convention at
baltimore, the riders or the bicycle have turned
their attention to the baggage bill which will
come up for hearing in Albany on Tuesday.
The fate Of this Armstrong BILL which will decide
whether bicycles. when accompanied by their
owners shall be transported baggage. means
much to wheelmen at large. and every move made
nv the legislators up the State will be closely
watched. Among the Senators and Assembly
men at Albany there are many riders or the
wheel and many more who owe much to the
wheeling vote Many OF the legislators have
promised 10 support the bill. and others may do
So when they see the formidable petitions which
will be taken to Albany by Isaac Is. Potter the
chief consul OF the New-York State DIVISION OF
the League Of American Wheemen. 1t was esti-
mated Yesterday that fully 80 900 names had been
signed to those petitions asking the Lawmakers
at Albany to pass the bill the cnsl consul
proposes to make this measure one 81 the hghts
Of his life. and he IS confident that II ne can get
the bill out OF committee he will win the case.
lie thinks that If the fight is won III th!s go 80,
n will be an easy matter to carry II on IN other
states as well. Mr.. Potter realizes the strens'h
Of his opponents but he has organized ms cam
paign in a most thorough and businesslike man
her and he honestly believes that he will win.
He will have opinion from some of the most
learned legal lights in the country, winch IN
themselves will bear some weight
People who have made a close study OF the
cycle racing situation believe that with the death
OF that intermediate class known as CLASS the
eport can be conducted on profitable ana SEN
sible basis hereafter. There will be some con-
fusion at the start of course. but with clear
headed men at the head Of the Racing Board the
trouble will not Last long. There is no reason
ubv professional cycle racing cannot be run
with rs much profit and satisfaction as PROBES
e,onal baseball The amateur must be Kept pure
and free from all communicating Influences ana
the professional part Of the programme must De
run on the same lines that any other business IS
conducted on There are hundreds OF rlders III 'i's
Ijstric, al present who are lowering between the
amateur and the professional class ana 'hey anu
their fellow club-members are WatChlie 'iie "a
tno situation as they never watched II before
MANY expect to go through the early part OF tAe
racing season as amateurs. but 10 become proies
sonals I'm time to take part for the cash prizes
given at the fall tournaments. An interesting
incident happened In the two-mile pcycIe rae d.
the 18th Regiment Armory on THURSDAY h.sn i
After the first heat. which was won by one Oh the
best indoor riders In the East the COMP 81
and their handlers came to the centre OF me nVor'
one of the competitors was talking to MS pIYtiie.
and the conversation was heard Dy pioIii i,,
oascial of the Amateur Athletic Union Il thlhK
mat IL is a shame" said the rider. who had mn
tshed second Here l go and train for this race
nnd have ruined a 500 wheel in the work
ILL., AZ no in n race and am beaten out by pro-
fessionai" as that fellow pToiessi9'nna ~
ssked his brother. "Of course ne is. sald the
diegr,ntIed rider "Of course he is. why ne
makes his living riding, while nave 10 "o, ~.
what money get. If he Is pfolessIUna a., %a;
Snn,t Won protest him. asked the a. A. T. ol1cla
~ mean that he is an amateur professional; sau
the rider-"a fellow what don't work LOT ilViis'
1rba story printed in The Tribune last sun
aav showing the wonderful scope Of the d.
has loe6c considerable
nent all over the country. Its puphca.io"
oousad an investigation last week and another
,,,arsstinp fact has been brought to light
convass was made OF the headquarters in THIS
civ Of tie different manufacturers. 1t has been
found that there 200 such headquarters IN
the metropolitan district, or just Iwlce tle
number that there were I year ago. Ihere was
a Typographical error In the narrative last sun,
day which should be corrected IL was sa,u
that the Western Wheel Works had 'oo agents
IN 90 employ The number should nave peeh
100
The comprehensive System Of improving 'he
streets and roads In the district annexed 10 the
city last year will be entered upon soon. Inc
North Side Department Of Street Improve
ments. of which Louis A. Risse is CHIEF topo-
graphical engineer is having a complete topo-
graphical survey made Of the territory This
will take several years Not until 1t Is finished
will permanent work be done Mean"hlle lne
are to be made this year on the old West
chester Turnpike. the old West Farms Road
the Boston Road and the East Chester Road.
MANY OF the roads above the Harlem are to be
macadamized. This will be done in cases where
the permanent improvements are not to be made
for four or five years Where these are 10 come
earlier, nothing will be done now
There Is only one thoroughfare in the North
Side paved with asphalt. This is Willis-ave.,
from One-hundred- and forty ninth-st to the
y Ia NTr IicSe'G nOlicy q
employ other paving materials because 1t
doesn't matter so much whether they are torn
I'm I'm pIaces from time 10 time. Most OF the
streets beyond the Harlem are not yet solidly
built UP, so that sewers and gas ana water
mains and connections Will have TO be Iaid
Thus asphalt would have TO be cut into IRE
quently Wlllis-ave. If an exception because
Il is entirely built up. This rule has not been
followed on Manhattan Island. There are DOCKS
on Washington Heights paved with asphalt
which have only one or two houses on them
This means that the paving Will have 70 be cut
up and replaced many times
7, IS we'll that the extension Of good roads above
IN. Harlem will be pushed at once. but more i'm
nor,an, problem is TO find additional riding room
IN Manhattan Island, especially below One-hun-
dred-and- twenty Hfth-st Last fall the influx OF
cyclists who had returned from the country fairly
crowded the Boulevard on fair Saturday AFTER
Moons and on Sundays. a woman might wen
fear 10 cross the street through such stream OF
cycles II II was bad last year. what VIII Il De
this year and next? All indications point 20
greatly increased popularity for the sport Inc
manufacturers have thousands OF pcycies s,o,et,
ready 10 deliver when the spring comes anu IL -
generally believed that the sales VIII De e"oI
nous. OF course. the overcrowdine VIII NC III
tensifed The worst of II will be that there VIII
be so many inexperienced riders that coilisiohs
end other accidents will be frequent Skiiied
wheelmen ride in droves with niue cnamce VI