The record-union., 1896-05-24

Are you one of the 1000, 900 persons
In this country who ride bicycles; are
You of those who have decided that it
Will be necessary to get a wheel, "but
Just want to wait a little while; or are
You altogether opposed to ''the poor
mans carriage?''
To whatever class you belong, says
The New York Herald" have you ever
paused to ponder on the marvellous
revolution the wheel has worked in our
system of living; what fortunes are in
vested in the plants which manufacture
bicycles; to what armies of persons they
give employment; to the many occupa-
tions which are immensely benefited by
the popularity bicycling has attained,
and, on the other hand, how it has
Hghtened the purses of persons in other
branches of trade?
Fourteen thousand cyclists passing
given point in sixteen hours are great
many, but it is daily occurrence. rms
is proven, says the Herald, by an
actual count made at Seventy-second
street and the Boulevard on Thursday
last, between the hours of Z o'clock in
the morning and IL o'clock at night,
when the exact total was l4,ooz.
Thursday was like any other pleasant
occasion for other than the usual num-
Der of daily riders. The figures given
show an average of $40 riders an hour
The total of 14,052 was composed OF
1886 men, 2501 women and 1,Olo
children These riders were mounted
on seven tricycles of the youths pat
tern 1913 tandems, six of the duplex
n1odel-being three wheels with TWO
riders side by side-four doubles or
the new bicycle pattern, with riders
side by side, and the remainder OF the
great mass the ordinary safety. But
three wheels were seen with handle
bars behind the rider.
THE COSTUMES WORN.
The dress of the riders was noted and
shows that the majority of Wheelmen
wore the ordinary street costume, with
perhaps an exception in the matter OF
head covering-caps being the almost
exceptional rule for both sexes. There
We're 2,997 men in bicycle costumes,
more or less marked-knfckerboc
c-aif hose. sack coats and Scotch caps
being the usual outfit. Among the
women $50 were in costume, the divld-
ed skirt being the favorite. The bloomer
was present, but conspicuous by It's
rarity. There We're only siXty-three or
them.
ssWomen know they don't look pretty
IN boomers and that settles their fate,
said fair rider in navy blue d1Vldeo
skirt, with tan leggings, as she passed
me with a smile occasiOned by viewing
the boomers Immediately in front OF
her.
THE STORY IN FIGURES.
The ranks of the moving procession
on wheels varied with the hours of the
day. From Z to o'clock in the morn
ing was nearly the smallest, and then
the riders were principally employees IN
business going down town. Then be-
tween and 9 O'Clock the throng was
increased by a large number of lads
and lasses on the way to school and by
business men whose clerks had passed
the hour before. Between . and III
there was a falling off again, and in the
next hour more pleasure riders were
seen. The table which follows graphl-
cally tells the story of the day:
Men on wheels. Observation-Disclosures Ioo3o
Women on wheels. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES ZJVl
Children on wheels. s..............-. 1Olo
Toto, 052
Men in bicycle costume. 2,99l
Women in bicycle costume. ..-.-... ooV
zyroraar y, bIooroarc 6:;
TandemS. i',.
IricycieS..