The evening times., 1896-05-15
BICYCLES IN THE CAPITOL
Crypt Turned into aRopndhouse
for Their Stabling.
HAMILTON is AFTER sANGEB
VIII Challenge Him To Race for From
$1,000 to $50 O,OOO-The Hands Off"
Rider IA Dangerous Fellow-Amcr-
leans Having Bad Luck In Europe.
Chase's Fast Fifty Miles.
The bicycle craze has at last reached the

The bicycle craze has at last reached the
Capitol.
Col. Bright, sergeant a at-arms ofthe Senate,
has tried TO stem IL, but has been beaten
back The pneumatic tire has been too
much for him aud he has retired, with us
much glory as possible, Iron. the l'eid.
He has now accepted the inevitable and
is gracefully preparing to turn the crypt
into a roundhouse for the stabliDg OF the
uuIsclcss vehicle, which cannot stand alone
With this Official recognition the bike Will
become more popular than ever.
So long as the use OF The wheel was
confined TO young committee clerks and
messengers, but little atientlon was pad
to the matter. The boys rode their wheeis
up TO the Capitol, stiDleu them III hoilie
convenient corner and nobody cared. But
the number grew and they began TO fill up
every nook and corner
Then Senator Chandler ventured TO brave
the dangers OF dCdging cable cars, coal
wagons and herdiCs On the Avenue. he hau
gotten MD OF his bicycle race and dldn' care.
He looked Just as gay and chlpper, Just az
happy us ii he were launching some vitriol
tipprd sarcasm into the Democratic RANKS.
mn. New Hampshire Senator's safe arrival
rather stumped Col. Bright.
Then came startling ruinors from the
House side vivid descriptions or some OF
Representative Cannon daring ieats, OF
his hurdle races out East Capitol street
with Representative Hainer OF SeDrasRa
fiOated over 10 the Senate side, ana
reachiuc the ears of the sergeant-atarIns
stunned him still more.
But the climax came when Senator VOL
colt wheeled up one day with an ease that
would have shamed proiesslona! IN a
circus ring. That settled 1t. Col. Bright
said he had never known an Indiana man
who could not rise equal 10 the occa-
sion and while this was problem on
which the past threw no light, he In
tended TO meet il. He must prepare Tor
the inevitable.
the architects office. and started out on
n tour of investiga ton. After looking
over the ground carefully he concluded the
crypt could be for the first time in the
history OF the Capitol utilized. 1t could
be turned into roundhouse. He prefers
that name to that OF stable.
Measurements were made and he found
that one hundred wheels could be accom-
modated. He, then, looked further and
found that the space under the main steps
10 the Capitol, near the Supreme Court,
could also be used for this purpose.
Another hundred could be accommodated
there. He figured that these two places
would meet the present emergency and
he Will let the future take care OF itself,
even if il should mean a bicycle wing
10 the Capitol
Having selected the site for hisroundhouse,
he began to search around for the best
stalls. After considerable search he
found q rack which would hold u bicycle
and which a man could lock. He ordered
a consignment OF them and the first
forty-two arrived yesterday aud were
placed in position. Another lot is expected
today and will be placed IN position at
once.
So il is that the bicycle has received
official sanction and il " III only be a short
time perhaps. before Senators Will insist
on the right OF way.