The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-06-21

| stansiai upper middle class OF the trade.
YES, be sait. "taiIorx reckon that the
| bicycle Juror has diminished business fully
. per cent the country over. counting In
al the modifying considerations. The
best clothes the Sunday suit so-caae9.
has been abolished" be said so has the
| ordinary summer suit The bicycle suit
| ready made. cheap and shoddy. can be
| bought for a fse-6oliar note. That Is
what In worn Oh Sunday nos. There Ia
no call for a man 10 be well dressed,
haunting through the country on q bicycle.
1 without counting what possible compen-
saiing influence there may be. the tzilors
loss would be fully 20 per cent But faElors
| try TO look at u In a moderate light
People cannot smoke on a wheel. and
| the habit L. inconsistent with the training
| notion which the bicycllst imhites. The
total product OF cigars is 4.1a. 10000. The
| consumption, reliable figures show. is de-
crAaslns al the rate OF million a day.
| The decrease since the bicycle craze
| reached its present height averages no less
than sse.gs.o0S year. DO you know what
that means? IL means a shrinkage Of one
fifth asd more That goes for whesls II
| this continues, there need be no fear OF
famine in Havana tobacco. for the cigars
viii not be needed. nor the workmen TO
| make them, either"
The editor OF the jewelers. Weekly said:
/ There Is no doubt that the manufacturers
| OF and dealers IN watches and jewelry are
| the hardest hat OF any OF the trades at the
/ present time. man or woman with the
| price OF a watch or bicycle buys the lat
| ter. Now that you inform me that Col
| Pope OF the Columbia wheel (an6 no one
| VIII question his authority says there
| were so.c.a bicycles sold In 1895. and that
sz6seo more VIII pass into the hands CT the
/ people this year. / can readily understand
why thousands OF jewelers. al over the
| country are now selling bicycles and Why
so many OF our leading watch manufac-
/ turers have extended their plants and are
now making bicycles or bicycle goods. The
sale OF szs,eoo bicycles at an average OF
80 each means that sss. 900 900 Is 10 be d.
verted from the ordinary channels OF trade
and go to enrich the maker OF wheels and
their appurtenances. such as lamps, bells.
/ cyeiomefers. locks. name plates, etc.
| which VIII bring the total up TO SO, coo.o 90.
so immense are the retail jewelers. who
l have taken up bicycles as a side line that
/ my newspaper publishes a list of them as
1 a weekly feature. Among the manufac-
/ turers who have added TO the making or
watch wheels those OF the bicycle are the
! Dueber Watch Case Company, OF Canton.
| o.: the Illinois Watch Company. which in
Guides the Elgin. Eang and the f. Howard
1 Watch and Clock Company. Of Boston.
!
New York city. Is syndicate of New
| York diamond importers. and s. T. Myers
q Co control the Olympic wheel. The
/ Waterbury. the Seth Thomas Clock Com
/ pany and the New York Standard Watch
1 Company are now making cyciometers
and bicycle watches. A very large share
| of the I5.coo. 900 that goes into bicycles
this year does so at thu expense of the
watch and tewelry trade. The retailer
/ suffers In the lack of sale OF small articies.
such as rings. pins. charms. etc.
1T costs fes year at least TO keep a b.
/ cycle in repair. and ] take no account OF
| the money spent by cyclists for refresh
ment. special clothing. etc, bat all these
/ items SO 10 keep the wheelman's pocket
1 drained OF tho spare change. much OF
| which formerly went over the jewelers.
| counter. The eoao 30 cyclists OF the United
/ States spend at least So. eoa. coo a year IN
| ciaentaliy 10 wheeling II Is next to irs-
| possible 20 tell how much money has been
diverted from the trade The last stalls
/ tics published were for fSse when the to-
i tai output of watches ana clocks was
valued az ST5 $50 sf7. and for tewelry in is%o
| when the total was So. 600 30. have heard
| II estimated that the tewelry and watch
| trade Is az present more than g per cent.
| below the normal. which In a rough esfi-
| mate would show the business TO be de-
| pressed In this year about SO go. We
| believe that this depression Is bat tenn
/ nerary. The enormous purchases Of hi-
! cycles cannot go on for long. Within year
/ or two thu riding population will have
| purchased It's wheels. ard then there will
| be steady. logical business. new wheels
being bought 10 replace those that are
| worn tsit. with a reasonable number OF
| FIRST orders. The high commission win 10
| doae away with Bicycles will he A staple
| IN the stock OF dealers in vehicles. There
| viii not be an overproauction or an over
| investment OF capital And the bicycle
will settle down 90 = live ard lss live basis
| Then watches will be bought by the own
| ers OF wheels and there viii ~ money TO
| spend FOR teweiry and other Injuries"
| AS 20 the effect OF the bicycle craze
| upon the dry goods business" replied Mr.
| s. N nftchett. managing editor 81 the Dry
| Goods Economist. 7 can only call your st
/ tentson 20 recent editorial IN the Dry
| Goods Economist. IN which I spoke 81 the
| cycling mania as one OF the factors that
have continued 20 depress the dress goods
/ trade
Most ladies'. especially young ones. tn
| stead % putting on expensive costumes
| ana calling upon their friends or promsn-
mdinr, are at present more apt 20 spend
| their spare time attired "a cycling suits
and spinning on the ever-popuiar wheel
This development Is by 10 means con-
fined 20 the large elites. Even tn riasu-
| featuring towns. where the paw roll a uni-
/ form throughout the year retailers report
a shrtnkaEe In sossse eases a. great as -
per cent n their dress goods sales while
/ dress goods departments n New York city
ara seriously considering the R5vtsShtlitv
| OF reducing the number ~ their employees
ITO this uaust be added the popularity %
| the slirt wsist worn by nearly every wo-
man cycitst who does not apnc-~ IN n
| special cyciiax garh THIS depression ex-
/ tends 20 nu branches % the business AZ
/ fecssi ~ fashions. II reduces the demand
/ fer millinery and Tor cutting gowns: IN
/ fact. the woman on the wheel Is 50 de-
1 voted % the recreation that she "a content
with the staple costumes requisite for ia
/ enjoyment and does net think of buying
/ the extensive cutat essential n former
| wears 20 the summer FfrA would net
| undertake. 10 say what percentage 81 the
gr0xs dry gocdS business % s. &C 90 40
annually 80 this country g comprised ~
/ the term dress goods, bat g = very lsrEe.
ana the depression en- the admitted hAsis
% - per cent. INST Re rsckone8 N very
/ round numbers.
ssrea piano eaxtnesS - ever = per cent.
eelsw TIRE nominal" said Mr.. Charles
hickman. ee Decker Brothers. ard shs
trail OF the bicycle Is over Il all have
Travelled extensively Gursrg TIE year. ara
I ey~rxxhsze the dealer tells The same
/ storDs. peopls are buying eseycles foT cash.
/ o. a., IRE inssaIlE1Snt risa. 20 TIE negsect
/ Of Names The establishments 1eat rent
rfafsoS are doing rext - n0tktnE- TIE
: -s4ss 20 r.essssls who cannet AEoTd % Buy
r,lnAs, outright. ntss formerly EenteS them
- e ~ 81 a rn0nth. are Dow renting
wheels o. paysns FER them S1 Etoathly
rAvrasnts TIRE eusput - pssnos IN the