The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-07-04
WALTER AIKEN WINS.
The Phoenix Bicycle His by a
Plurality of 2,271.
OVER 100. 900 VOTES CAST.
End TO End They Would Make . String
Would Be Forty Feet High.

The most popular salesman contest
closed sharply a. noon yesterday. and as
q resu1- Walter Aiken. salesman az New
hans. is the winner OF the Phoenix blcyr1s
given as a prize by the Mitchell Lewis
Saver Co. having received x-es4 votes.
or q plurality % al over his nearest
competitor. Upwards of ISa GO votes acre
polted during the friendly contest.
The struggle commenced on May z.
when. through tire columns Of the Post
Intelligence. the Msscaesl, Lewis SEaver
Co, the state agents for the sale OF the
Phoenix bicycle. offered 70 give 10 the
moss popular salesman IN the employ Of
any retail arm IN this city q hrsS-class,
higa-grads machine OF that make, valued
az 800; rhs winner 10 be chosen by votes
registered on blank coupon form pu5-
llshed daily in the columns OF the Posi-
in<sAigeacsr. and deposited In the bush
ness office OF this paper
For the first few days after the an
nouneeTnsnt was made the voting was not
particularly heavy. bur as time went on,
and the daily publication OF the standing
or the different competitors appeared. in
terest among the friends OF the various
competitors waxed 10 fever heat, and the
ballots came in clouds, finally reachinS
the aggregate stated.
An idea or wha< an enormous number Of
ballots X requires 10 reach the total OF
$4,000 can be acquired by looking into
the windows OF VI. Seller & Co on First
avenue. where all the coupons filed in the
contest are on exhibition as IS also the
bicycle watch VIII be awarded Mr.. Aiken
The large show window Is flied nearly
half way Up. and the bicycle itself Is
almost buried in the cloud OF little print
ed sips.
II the coupons were laid in continuous
line. they would reach q distance OF over
eight miles. II the coupons were piled
one on top Of another. pressed down selii-
~. they would make 5 pile nearly forty
feet high
For the first week no time limit was
fixed within which coupons might be
Vo<ed- II was found that some OF ths
competitors were inducing their friends
20 withhold and accumulate coupons 20 be
voted towards the latter end OF the con-
test, this being done with a view 10 keep
Ing secret the amount OF actual strength
Il was found necessary TO establish a time
limit, which was fixed by requiring every
coupon 10 be voted within five days from
the date OF issue OF the paper in which il
appeared The week following the new
departure over 5000 coupons were voted
As an Illustration OF how the Post-In-
teaiigeneer circulates. and also as 10 how
many people elsewhere are interested in
and have some intimate knowledge OF
coupon votes came III by mail from nearly
every 2ostoffice in this state, also quite a
number from San Francisco. and some
from nearly every state in the Union
The counting of the coupon ballots was
made from day 10 day by Miss Dorothy
Smith. an employee OF the Post-Tnteili-
gencer office. who alone handled the cou-
pons from the start II is perhaps need
less 10 say that every precaution was had
"A Al
IL Is also worthy OF note that between the
various aSpirants, the only spirit devel-
oped was that OF good natured rivalry.
Each OF the leading ones worked hard and
enlisted their friends in the same dire.-
ton. Up TO within the last four or FIVE
days George NOBLE. who is among the three
leaders, stood a fair prospect OF winning.
but he found that the contest was taking
more of his time than he could Iegitimately
spare fror2 his business. and he dropped
out.
4. A Wisnlolek, with Louch. Augustine
4 Co, who was second choice in the race
must himself feel much gratiaed al the
estina ton in which he is held by those
who know him. as evidenced By the hand
some vote which he received in the con-
test He had many enthusiastic friends
who worked wei in his behalf. Consider
ing the immense vote cast. the plurality
by which he was defeated was small
During the counting Of the ballots some
400 which were intended for Aiken had
10 be thrown out, as not complying With
the terms OF the contest. The coupons
wers not cut ou1 OF the paper. but his
name WAS stamped on the paper In the
right place and the whole paper rendered
as q ballot.
The bicycle which Mfr. Aiken Is thus
awarded Is one of the finest wheels made
Il is a standard machine. with a maroon
finish. OF the kind whieh sell at $40. and
altogether is a handsome and servieeable
wheel