The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-05-18
EFFORTS OF CYCLERS
A L. A. W. Consulat Is to Be EStab-
lished in This State.
HOW TO ELECT AN OFFICER
William Smith and a Borrowed
Wheel All Broken Up-The Affin-
ity Between the Front Tube
and stone in the Road

Missoula. May 1.-THE members of
the League of American Wheelmen of
this city, have received notices from
League Secretary Abbott Bassett that
a L. A. w. consulate is about to be es-
tablished in Montana. Any state or
territory having 100 members of the l..
A. w. can organize a division. If less
than 100 members and not less than so
a subdivision is organized, and If be-
tween 25 and so members a consulate is
organized. Montana now has about 80
or 40 members, and these are requested
to select one or more of their number
to serve as candidates for the office of
chief consul. Votes are to be mailed to
Secretary Bassett at Boston. Mass.
not later than May %, 1896. The per-
son receiving the highest number of
votes will serve as chief consul for one
year. and will have charge of all L. A.
w. matters in this state. Montana
has about the smallest l.. A. w. MEM
bership of any state in the union, and
this should not be since there are hun
dreds of wheelmen and wheelwomen in
this state, and all should endeavor to
bring Montana to the front.
1t is a fact that bicyclists I'm the East
are a great power in the way of infiu-
encing legislation in their favor. such
as the building of good roads, laying
carry bicycles as baggage when accom-
panied by owner. and there are many
other advantages to be gained by unit
ing their efforts.
In this city a local bicycle club has
been formed recently, and a track has
been built by strenuous efforts, but
very few of these members have joined
the L. A. w. Had a majority OF the
present Montana l.. A. w. members re-
sided here, II would be an easy matter
to select the new chief consul from
among Missoula wheelmen. little
more interest in the matter would have
easily brought this about. An increase
of 20 or 30 members from this place
would have been sufficient to carry the
day. Let all local riders. male and fe-
male, take a lively interest in the L.
A. w. and strive to increase it's MEM
bership, and influence by joining IL and
getting their wheelmen friends to join
It, and then when the next election for
chief consul is due the Missoula wheel
men may be able to elect one their
number to that Office and then bring
this city to the front.
One wheel with a broken rim. one tire
with no wind in IL and a choice assort-
ment of bent spokes and fittings, these
made up the collection that William
Smith brought in from Iron Mountain
last night as a souvenir of his first at
tempt to ride a wheel The wheel from
which this collection was taken be-
longed to Arthur Il. Johnson of Supe-
rior. Mr.. Johnson is a kind man and I'm
an unguarded moment he allowed his
guest to take his wheel Smith was not
in the gentlemanly mood that charac-
terizes him at nearly all times or he
would not have imposed to this extent
upon his host. But he took the wheel
and went the road 70
the natives of the Iron Mountain dis
trict just how a bicycle should be rid
den He had never tried IL but he is a
close observer and he had watched
some of the best riders in the city in
their evolutions and thought that he
had the system down fine. With the
assistance of a couple of friends he
succeeded in climbing on and then
started down the hill. II is a pleasant
ride from Superior to the Iron Noun
tain from the novice had an idea that
he could take IL on the wheel There
was never a worse fooled man than he.
There is a bridge not far from where
he started and there he had the con-
ceit taken out Of him. The wheel had
the wind taken out OF II and the two
returned TO the point of starting both
much the worse for wear. The way the
thing happened nobody seems to know.
IL was all over I'm a minute and when
the dust cleared away there was one
of the worst wrecks that anybody ever
saw. The wheel had run between the
planks and had become fast. The rider
had gone on until the operation of the
law of gravity had brought him to
earth. Then he hit hard. He was all
dust and the wheel was all smashed
The remnants were gathered up and
placed in a box. Mr.. Smith brought
them to town and will have a new
u-h Aa ~ H., TaA-
not lend his wheel to any more men
from Missoula.
Judge Woody is among those who
have mastered the wheel this spring
and he now rides well. There is one
thing about the art that he cannot I'M
derstand, and he Is making n study ~
that He has deduced a principle from
his observations. but he has not yea
found the reason for the phenomenon
He states the principle as follows:
There is a natural affinity between the
front wheel OF a bicycle and a stone in
the road, no matter how large or how
small the stone may be- That this is
true, Judge Woody will take oath, but
why ii is so he cannot say. Since he
made the discovery. he has added that
the affinity is greater when the stone is
replaced by big oil can. The affinity
in this case is not TO be resisted.
The weather has not been encourage
ing for the Cycle club but there will be
a start made in a few weeks II there
are any dry roads by that time on the
runs that the club proposes 10 take into
the country. In addition TO these club
runs. there will be series Of read
races during the season similar to
those that other clubs in the state have
had.
AT the Range.
Missoula. May 1.-THE weather was
not an inspiration for the shooters this
morning, but the contest at the South
Missoula range was one of the best of
the season. There were not many big
scores hut the sweepstake events