The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1896-05-07
BICYCLIsTs WILL DEMAND.
The Sterling and Windsor Clubs are IN
Arms About Recent Arrests


made among the Wheelmen of the city
to secure a few just concessions from
the common council with reference to
the using of bicycles on sidewalks. It
is to be strong effort and will COM
bine all the wheeling interests of the.
city, together with many others of our
citizens who do not see the justice of
enforcing such law as now stands
upon our city books, entirely unmind-
full of the condition of the weather or
of the roads, compels those who are so
unfortunate as to use bicycle to
further either the interests of pleasure
or of business to ride in the road.
Streets may be vacant for the whole
length of them and the roads so bad
that it is dangerous for light buggy
to go over them for fear of smashing it
to pieces, as is the case now on the
western end Of Prairie avenue. Yet
Wheelmen must stick to those narrow
and fearfully frequent ruts, instead of
being allowed to use little common
sense and judgement in riding past
places on the side walks! Such pro-
position seems preposterous, but such
is the actual condition here in Keno
sha. Here we have hundreds of citi
zens who come from city of nearly
100000 inhabitants (and by the
way they will be voters next spring.
where by reason of paved streets no
c;dou,o11z or6inop mos oro poooccorv hI7f
where the Wheelmen circle through the
parks at their own free will. They
run over the grass, paths and walks
and no one annOys them. And then
to think that citizens of Kenosha are
not even allowed to cut across the
northwest corner, where there is a
hard path, of the magnificent park of
Kenosha! The law says it shall not be
done and two cyclers were recently
arrested who merely cut off about
five or ten foot piece of corner, where
not the remotest damage could have
been done anyone at any ordinary
time. People in arguing against the
reasonable use of sidewalks by
wheelmen take extreme grounds
and declare that some extreme
of injury or damage will be done some
one. The Wheelmen on the other hand
claim that the officers are taking an
equally extreme view of the situation
and make arrests where there is no
reasonable grounds for it.
These are facts which have deter
mined the wheelmen upon appealing to
the council for some sort of protection,
which they feel they are entitled to.
They will ask for such privileges as are
enjoyed by the wheelmen of Elmira,
N. Y, mention of which was made in
this paper Thursday evening. For this
purpose petitions are being circulated
among all classes of citizens. Both the
Sterling and the Windsor Cycle clubs
stand back of it to man. The wheel
men of the city, who belong to no club
will be approached with the same Pc
titions. The petition at the Sterling
factory now has the names of some
where between 200 and 800 people.
There will undoubtedly be from 600 to
800 names by the time the Windsor
club gets in line with possibly 300 more
names, which will be tomorrow even
ing These clubs will leave no stone
unturned to secure the proper priVi-
leges. They propose to keep rod in
pickle in case of the refusal of the coun-
Gil to listen to their petition. They are
looking up legal points and expect to
employ an able attorney to carry some
of these cases into court. Every hon
orable and peaceful means will be
used. But if they fail the men are de-
termined to see what can be done next.
There is this certain about this matter:
They mean business and will not stop
at legitimate expenses. If any one
doubts the determination of the men
let him call on either of the clubs.
THE ELMIRA PLAN.
For the information of the general
public the following rules which are
enforced in Elmira, N. Y, are pub
lished:
RULE /. The right on all sidewalks
shall be given to pedestrians in all
cases; dismount, if necessary.
RULE II. No bicycle or tricycle. shall
be propelled on any sidewalk at q
greater speed than six miles per hour.
RULE III. No rider shall pass any
pedestrian going in the same direction
unless such pedestrian knows and rec
ognizes the approach of the rider, and
in no case shall a bell or whistle be
used for such warning.
RULE ". On approaching street
corners where a full view of cross
streets cannot be had, for at least forty
feet in all directions, the bicycle or tri-
cycle shall be under such control as
will allow stoppage within three feet Of
such cross street.
RULE Y. No bicycle or tricycle. shall
bo y,ronn11nd un0n tho sidewalks IF the