Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-08-08

| $3.50 OWED by them. The
| question il, shall pro-
vision be made by the department for the
| wheels of its clerks?
THE bicycle has forced itself upon the
| museum and the Smithsonian" said Chief
Clerk Cox of the National Museum the
other day. I'VE have had to provide for not
only the wheels Of the ONCE people. but for
the cycling army OF visitors. We have
| erected racks at the north and east en-
| frances of the museum, and at the north
entrance of the Smithsonian for visitors;
in the basement Of the Smithsonian there
was placed last spring. I believe. one for
the clerks Of both buildings"
This necessary move has not been taken
by the majority Of the departments. At
| the Agricultural Department, Chief Clerk
MacCuaig said to a Star reporter: THE
Secretary. who Is now away. has said moth
| Ing Of the matter. SO nothing has been
DONE" This information was cbtainable
| without questioning; the sides of the build
| ing were banked up with wheels, the lawns
were covered. and every tree nearly was up
| holding some tired steel Steed." This de-
| partment needs racks above many others.
| for a great number of visitors come on
| bicycles and a large proportion of the
| clerks ride to and from office on wheels.
At the Bureau of Engraving.
i
and printing said: mo other government
| building shows a more serious absence of
suitable place for the clerks bicycles
| than this one. 1 realize it to be a problem
| which will soon necessitate extra buildings,
more employees and additional and increas-
ing expense to Uncle Sam" A messenger
| was then called by Mr.. Sullivan to show
| the reporter the condition of affairs in the
basement, where hundreds of wheels are
| obstructing the three principal halls Many
neat racks are fastened along both walls,
but twice as many machines are piled
| against each other in a pitiful mass often
sliding into the center of the hallway. 1t
| Is a great relief to reach that portion of
the hall near the office Of the stperintend-
ent OF machines. Upon the wallis here are
| displayed placards. reading: No bicycle
| must be placed here Obedience has cleap-
ed the passageway.
This steel loop or wicket Arrangement"
the messenger said. will be adopted ex-
| clusiveiy. 1t takes less space and looks
| much neater-. Visitors very seldom visit
the bureau awheel; they walk take The
| horse cars. 1t Is true, though. that fully
! four hundred visitors are shown about the
| building day; during special occasions as
| many as three thousand"
| one thing l noticed especially was that
| either on every rack or on the wall was the
| name OF the owner Of the wheel, and the
| number of the rack. This makes con-
| fusion and mistakes inexcusable.
| No Provision In the State Building.
When the reporter started for the State,
| War and Navy building he was prepared
to examine something profoundly system
| attic and complete. But the hope died a
| sad DEATH Superintendent Baird repeated
the query. What provision have We made
| for bicycles of the clerks? None at all:
| and probably nothing will be done in that
line. as neither of the secretaries have said
| any thing to me In regard to it. But the
| 6icycle Is nuisance. Each department is
| divided into bureaus. and each bureau has
what is called a store room wherein the
bicycles are put" replied Mr.. Baird IF
you will observe these halls we'll you will
| soon notice that they are by far the clean
est OF any department building in the city.
| why? Because We don't allow dirty. dusty.
muddy wheels to be carried through and
deposited in the corridors to leave dirt"
49,, At the Treasury.
In the center basement hall two hundred
| wheels were found in long rack of
homemade pattern. which is easily built
and satisfactory. Little neatness was dis
played: wheels were stuck in any way,
backwards, leaning on each other, handle
| bars tangled like antlers of fighting moose
In both the northwest and southwest cor
ners OF the basement. beneath the winding
stone stairways, were probably twenty-five
wheels accommodated In racks. Chief
Clerk Logan Carlisle Is not pushed for
| space by any means: the dingy corridors
| In the endorsement are quite suitable.
Convenient Arrangement.
Mr.. Emmett Womack. the interiors chief
clerk, is either cyclist himself or in thei-
favor as his provision for the bicycles of
| his department is admirable. In the court
yard of the building, in a well-protected
corner. he has erected a rack which not
only holds a great many wheels but has
a large slanttng roof, making 1t rain and
sun proof. The whole is the most artistic
arrangement for bicycles in the city.
The Post Office Department has perhaps
the most substantial racks. If they can be
SO termed. They are rows of thirty stalls
each In the court and resemble much the
bicycle shed at the base ball park They
are very neat, and have each water
proof curtain. The principal objection is
that they occupy too much space In pro-
portion to number of bicycles accommo-
dated.
At the Capitol few racks are in the
basement, beneath the center eastern steps
and over the crypt. These are of the home
made pattern and hold about eighty ma
chimes. Visitors use them more than do
the clerks and officials.
But to clap the climax is the situation at
the government printing office, where there
ere pr ,bably more employees than in
any other government building. Not one
rack has bean provided. no future pro-
vision Is spoken of, no regard is shown for
the sefe-keeping of the hundreds of bicy-
cles. The result is that on the sides of the
building, along the pavements, are numer-
GUS costly machines left to stand the Sc
verest weather. besides obstructing the
sidewalk. Upon the tree boxes and lamp
posts wheels are left to give a very untidy
appearance to the outside OF this already
shabby structure.
ON THE CHESS BOARD.