The morning times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1897, 1896-08-09
Merchants Review the Fad
AS It Relates to the Bust
ness Community.

Broadly speaking, the advent Of the b.
cycle has not materially affected bust
| ness. From the appended interviews with
merchants rcpresentingthe leading branches
OF trade it will be seen that certain lines
have felt, more or less, the effect Of the
fad At the same time the bicycle has
created practically new branches, caused
demand for the things relating to it,
and thus equalized the effect on the bust
ness community.
Mr. ISADoRE sAKS, of the firm of
Saks Company: Il am hardy in a Do
sition TO say anything about the matter,
but / don't think il has affected my busI-
ness very much. am interested in the sale
of bicycle and general sporting goods, and
while business In this line has been good,
the lack of an extensive trade in other
branches / attribute to he dull times and
nothing else.
NO; / can't say that the great sale of
bicycles has affected my business unless it
has been to increase the sales Of bicycling
suits for men and women ana the general
sundries in the bicycle line"
=
Johnston * Company's grocery store: II
believe that the bicycle craze affests, more
or less, all branches of business Among
those who buy bicycles on the instalIment
plan are many who can i'll afford it,
but having once felt the fascination find
it hard to give up the wheel which they
had bought, and on which they have paid
ments and do without other things which
they had been in the habit Of using before.
They stint themselves in many things
which they really need, or In lieu thereof
buy and use the cheapest kind OF Commod-
tiles. i do not believe there is any kind
or business that the IMMENSE sale and use
of the wheel has not affected in some man
ner, shape or form, and the grocery bust
ness equally as much as the rest
Mr. A. STERN, dry goods: Il believe
the great sale OF bicycles, and their al
most universal use has affected my business,
and believe il affects the business OF all
merchants. Women who heretofore had
occasion to dress well during the evening
hours Ind whotook good dca of pains with
their attire, now spend their evenings by
ina king calls on their Wheels and in many
other ways in which the wheel forms u
very important part OF the evenings fes-
jIvities- Tney do not find ii necessary
tosoto theexpense OF providing themselves
with costumes suitable for evening.
The young lady finds the shirt waist
which she wore during the afternoon suit
able garment to form part or her bicycle
costume III the evening. This state OF
affairs exists not only among the up-to-Jate
girls but among her younger ami older Sis
tiers, consequently the sale OF the dress
goods for evening wear is not made 10y tie
merchant, and the merchant is out, or, at
least, is deprived Of just so much busi-
ness"
SECRETARY KOONES. of The Capital
Traction Company: The Capital Trac-
lion Company is affected just much as,
III not more than. other branches of
business aud feels the effects of the BIZ
cycle craze. The daily receipts are not
what they ought u he. but the causes are
! numerous and the bicycle is one OF them.
There are quite a number OF people who,
formerly in the habit of riding our
ears TO and from business. now use hi
cycles and ride. them TO and from their
( offices and stores
Where is the economy in huying a
I wheel? A mans wheel costs 500, and
| with care lasts three years. For the same
/ amount of money enough street car tickets
can be bought to allow this man TO ride
| on the cars, exclusive OF Sunday. for four
| years The argument might be continued
| by saying that the man can ride his wheel
| at any time he peases, and the answer
! TO that is that he can pay more for re-
| pairs, TOO, and can also wear out bis
| wheel in much less space OF time
! MR. T. J. GROGAN OF T. Grogan's fur
| nture house: ''Ibelieve the bicycle hurts
| The furniture and house furnishing business,
| more or less and affects particularly our
/ collections. There are a good many peo-
| pie who are buying bicycles and paving
for them on the installment plan. Many OF
/ these people owe Us money for furniture and
/ furnishings, and the money they expend for
( bicycles, which really ought to he Paid TO
/ us, is kept from US, and we are told 10 wait.
J In the end, however. it viii help our
| installment business. for there are great
| many people buying bicycles on the in
| stailment plan who never before bought
! anything without paying cash.
! The extent TO which the wheel is used
| has affected our business a good deal hut
| not enough to occasion any great complaint
/ or to attract particular attention
! MR. JAMES LANSBURGH ofLansburgh
( Il Bro: women who ride bicycles wear
! the same costume on week days and Sun
| days. and find 1T more convenient than the
| evening dresses which they used to wear
before the bic yelling fad came into vogue.
| ] could not say to what extent il has af-
! fected the sale of dress goods but do know
that girls and young women who heretofore
| used to go out IN the evening attired in
/ evening dress. now find il agreeable to
| ride their wheels Ittred in their bicycle
dress They don't need other clothing and
! consequently we don't sell the goods we
| did formerly.
! why. certainly, it hurts the business,
and VIII Illustrate case to you had
| lady tell me only n day or two ago that
she could not pay me anything on the ac-
/ count of the bill which we held against
| her because she said. L have bought my
daughter wheel, and had to pay so much
! for that"
MR.. a. KAUFMAN manager of Kahn's:
/ Young women who have been in the habit
OF wearing the finer dress materials now
| attire themselves in a cheap bicycle out
tit, and they wear that for afternoon
| and evening. They pay IL IL cents q
yard for the material with which to make
| their bicycle skirt. 80 cents for shirt
waist, and for n Tam Shanter, %
| cents. Then, with a cheap pair OF leg
gings. they are fitted out in style as the
| nature of the sport demands.
docs bicycling hurt the dry goods bust
ness? Well should say il did. II b.
cycling had not been introduced our trade
would have been much heavier in the finer
| goods line. There isn't a day hut what
we hear of other houses similarly at
fectei by the bicycling fad
! MRHB PARKER, of the firm Of Parker
Bridget & Co: No, sir; i Cont believe
the bicycle sales or the extensive use OF
the wheel has affected our BUSINESS at al.
/ can't see that ii docs, for our business
this year has been very much larger than
| that of last year. Whether il affects other
business or not. l don't know. but So far
as my business is concerned, I'm satisfied
and that's enough. II can't sell clothing,
| can sell something else. I'D Just as leave
| sell bicycle suits as anything else