The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-30
GREAT BICYCLETRADE
A PIONEER TALKS OF THE CHANGES
THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE.
He Holds that the Wheel Has Come Ia
Gone To-An Unsolved Mystery.
New York Evening Sun.


Among the army of cycling celebrities
that fiocked TO town this week one figure
was more interesting. from a historical
point of view. than all the rest put together.
This man, still in the prime OF life. has
made a name for himself that will live as
long as wheels go round. or good roads are
a subject of consideration. He IL is who
claims the distinction of being Americas
pioneer bicycle manufacturer, and his
thoughts and opinions are worth something
to the wheeling contingent. Reminded Of
the cycle craze that owns the land at pres
ent. the pioneer observed that all of it
seemed very queer. in view OF his recol-
lections of primative hiking. and he became
reminiscent.
'If any living man. said he, "had come
to me eighteen, yes. fifteen. years ago and
even vaguely limited of such state of
things as we have with us now, 1 should
have been more than tempted to turn him
over to the police as dangerous lunatic.
''It was not quite eighteen years ago that
I became possessed with the notion-pre-
posterous then, il was-that limited mar
ket for a bicycle of American manufacture
might be found among a fanatical few
He dwelt again upon the magnitude of
the cycling present. as if to reassure him
self that it was no Aladdn's fancy or fairy
vision. and smilingly shook his head.
LAS said," he went on. less than eigh-
teen years ago / got the manufacturing
fever and gave an order for 100 wheels TO a
Hartford machine factory. OF course. 1
did not fully expect to sell leo wheels in
single season, but 1 thought it were best
to make my order for an even 100. and, IL
any should remain on my hands when win
ter broke, would simply keep them till
the next riding season.
''Well, / didn't have to keep them BY
fall they were all sold, and new order
was placed with the sewing machine people
for LOCO wheels. My confidante branded me
all sorts of things for this rash piece of
speculation, and in my own consciousness
felt that such an order did very probably
exceed the greatest annual demand OF these
United States and yet, as before. / consid-
cred that the surplus could be kept over un-
I'll a new season. But again i deceived my
self; the entire 1000 memorable machines
were gone by October, and so the business
in America began.
WHERE ARE THE OLD ONES?
1.-THE wheels that were built at my in
stance in those days were primitive indeed
compared with the superb mechanical Gre
atoms that speed along our country roads
and city pavements in the year 1896. They
were, of course, the old high model. called
mustangs then, if 1 remember right; heavy
enough to ballast a transatlantic liner, and
no more graceful to the eye of to-day than
Noah's ark or Columbus's caravels. In the
second order the lines were slightly i'm
proved, the weight decreased trifie and
difficulties of propulsion barely lessened by
new cone bearings and oilng facilities.
Then one or two other men, possessed of a
courage beyond their times, placed orders
for wheels, and the march of Improvement
began. each vying with his opponents in
this matter, all striving to produce the
very best and, be 1t said, the very best
wretched now. except. perhaps, in a mu-
scum
The pioneer was asked what had become
of all the old high machines, one sees so
few nowadays.
"Well, It is hard to say" he answered.
Travellers from the Southern States report
that the old wooden velocipedes, the steel
mustangs, or experts, and even the tri-
cycles have great vogue among the vast ne
gro population of the South. Similar re-
turns come to us from more than few of
the West Indian islands Central and South
America. They tell me that no happier
mortal breathes than the darby swell of
the Tennessee or Kentucky backwoods set
Element logged out in his own sweet way
and mounted on his old high wheel Some
of the little towns are not large enough to
hold these curiosities. and they get into the
Southcih Cilies onSc III d Wulie, creating d
sensation which they happily mistake for
admiration. Then. too, no end of the old
machines have simply disappeared. One Is
often asked the ancient query where all the
pins go to, and ii remains, / believe, I'M
answered STILL So 1t is with the bicycles.
with the Introduction of the first heavy.
ugly safety began the funeral march OF the
high whee- Those early safeties were I'M
slightly affairs even in their own day. which
is worse than may be said of their high
studded antetypes. Springs, brakes and
mud guards stood out all over them. while
the rims and tires alone weighed nearly as
much does whole modern bicycle. First
the mud guards were found useless, then
the springs were dispensed with, and finally,
i'm most cases. the brakes were banished.
Some people do not feel safe to-day with
out a brake, but careful riders, as you
know. find IL unnecessary incumbrance.
and few. il any, makers of bicycles place
brake attachment upon their medium or