The San Francisco call., 1896-08-24
WHEELMEN ARE
GOING TO FIGHT.
They Object to Paying
Fare for Their
Bicycles.
SEEK LEGISLATIVE AID.
An Effort Will Be Made for a
Law Similar to That of
New York.
sTETsoN FAvORs THE BIKE.
The President of the North Pacific
Coast Road Says His Company
Will Encourage Wheeling.
sTETsoN FAvoRs THE BIKE


will be the charge for the transportation
in baggage-car of bicycle, tricycle. or
baby carriage between any two points,
So say the powers that be of the Southern
Pacific. And the wheelmen of the City,
whose name is legion, rise up IN their
might aid say init" Tricycles and baby
carriages may be taxed all the traffic can
bear, but the bicycle they say must 90
free. And what is more to the point they
say they are numerous enough and ener-
getic enough to see that it does go free.
The war upon the free transportation of
bicycles has been waged quietly but eff
fectively by the railroad company for some
time, but the statement that in the near
future the silent steed would at one fell
swoop be deprived of all its privileges
a-rail came to the Dicyclis with consid-
erable of shock. Heretofore it has been
the custom to charge upon certain por-
tions of the road, not for any appa rent
reason, but simply because that was
orders.
For instance, prominent clubman saws
he was recently charged 80 cents trans
portation for his wheel to Napa and re-
turn. On other portions OF the road trans
portation has been gratis, but single riders
have found it advantageous to make it
all right with the baggageman. Other
wise the wheelman was apt to find that
his eigteen-pound racer had been snugly
stored with couple of Saratogas on top
of II.
Now the edict has gone forth that the
riders are to pay for their mounts on all
portions of the Southern Pacific, and that
includes the Oakland ferry. That is the
most unkindest cut, for it has long been
the custom of San Francisco wneelmen to
visit the other side OF the bay in hordes on
Sundays and holidays.
1t was on the other side of the bay that
the road races have been held and it wa
from there that the majority of riders
started for San Jose and upon other runs
to points of interest. And now Mr.. Hunt
ington says they must pay 10 cents for
each wheel each way and that raise the
issue between Mr.. Huntington aud the
railroad.
The system in vogue on those portions
of the road where C! arge is made for
adopted over all the roads, is to make out
an ''excess baggage slip' for the wheel
men, that is statement that the traveller
is provided with baggage in excess of the
100 pounds allowed, albeit the airy bike
would not tip the scales at more than
twenty-five or twenty-three pounds and
its owners other baggage is hidden in the
not commodious pockets of scant bicycle
suit. And for this excess" uniform
rate of 25 cents will be charged. The
riders claim this is an unfair and un-
reasonable discrimination and how to cir
cumvent the railroad was the main topic
of conversation in clu ubrooms yesterday.
t'This is a matter which the League of
American Wheeimen will take up and
hight vigorously" said s. Plummer, di-
rector Of the Bay City Wheelmen. s'The
league has been fighting such moves on
the part of railroads all over the country,
and has met with large degree of sue.
cess. In New York an act has been passed
taking il unlawful for railroad COM
pany to charge for bicvcles as excess bag
gage, and we will make an effort to have
a similar enactment in this State. The
wheelmen all over the coast are in tere sted
in this matter. San Jose, Stockton, Sac
ramento, Los Angeles, in fact, all the
wheeling clubs in the State are preparing
to make vigorous campaign, and they
will be Joined by the many thousands of
unattached wheelmen.
II do not deny that it Is a nuisance to
handle wheels in baggage-car, but this
can be greatly obviated here as it has else
where by the provision of racks and hooks.
The Southern Pacific has already had
plans presented to it for slowing away
wheels. They will eventually have to
adopt some plan of the kind.
I'm some of the Eastern States plan
was carried into effect by the racing men
which surprised the railroad. The racing
men there are very numerous and do much
travelling. Each had a good stout trunk
provided for his wheel, and when fifty or
hundred of them started for meet their
load of trunks looked like hotel-moying.
The baggagemen groaned when they saw
them coming, and there was no excess 10
pay. Trunks had to be checked free.
Something of that kind might prove ad-
vantageous here"
At the Imperial Cycling Club quarters
the proposed change was discussed with
wry faces. eve will fight that PROPOSE
ton to the bitter end,'' said Lieutenant
Charles Trolliet. There are great many
wheelmen in this City and they will make
themselves felt in politics. In the mean
time we will probably hold our road races
and our runs on this side of the bay or in
the vicinity of Sausalito. Many of the
boys who have been in the habit of taking
frequent trips to San Jose and other dis
tant points, returning by rail, will proba-
bly, content themselves with shorter rides
rather than be subjected to an extra
charge.
ut will come particularly hard upon