St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-03-01
BICYCLE FACTORIES FOR THE
COMING SEASON.
TWICE LAST YEARS PRODUCT
SEEMS THE GENERAL PLAN, AND
THAT WAS OVER 100000
WHEELS.
FRENCH WHEELS AS BAGGAGE.
Ingenious Arrangement by Which
French Transport the Trouble
some ThfnGS-CycIinG News.

The statistical -fiend has gone into
bicycling. It employs 1850 bicycle fac
tories with an investment of about
$15,000000, while factories for tires,
tubing, chains. saddles, etc, foot up as
much more. The total OUTPUT last
year was 1000, The product OF the
season of 1896 will be little. If any, less
than twice as much, Almost every
factory of any Importance will double
this season its output OF 1895, and the
shortage of those that do not will be
more than made up by the new con-
Germs that will come into the business.
At least, that Is the talk OF the man
ufacturers, most of whom estimate the
output of 1895 at between 100000 and
1000, 600 wheels,
All the noise about freight and bag
gage charges on bicycles could be done
away with by the adoption of the
scheme in force in France. The ac-
companying cut illustrates how bikes
are transported in the baggage cars on
the French railroads. The beauty Of
this arrangement, too, is the fact that
not a cent extra is charged. Hooks are
suspended from the roof of the car
and the cycles hung thereon. It does
not interfere with the baggage In the
car and the wheels can be handled
with very little trouble.
The st. Paul and North Western
roads charge minimum of twenty-five
cents for carrying wheels, while the
New York Central charges fifteen
cents. 1t is proposed by the leaders Of
the Minnesota division of the League
of American Wheelmen to take up
crusade against the railroads which
are making the unjust extra charge for
the transportation of wheels and which
require the release of the roads from
all liability for damages to the wheels
in transit. There is similar bill pend
ing before the New York legislature
and the fight there promises to be
warm one.
A bill was reported to the Massachu-
sett's senate yesterday regulating the
use of bicycles in the state. The bill
provides that no one shall ride at rate
of speed exceeding ten miles an hour
without a permit; that every machine
shall be provided with a suita BILE alarm
bell, and that during the hours between
sunset and sunrise such machine shall
be provided with a bell and lamp or
lantern of sufficient Illuminating power
to be visible at distance Of 200 feet.
The penalty imposed for violation of the
law is punishment by fine not exceeding
$25 for each offense, and liability for all
full acts. This affects the Boston wheel
men.
Count Magre, husband of the widow
of Tom Thumb, has ordered for his wife
the smallest bicycle ever constructed.
1t is to have fourteen-inch wheel and
twelve-inch frame and will weigh ten
pounds. Special casts and dies will be
necessary in its construction and, as the
finest of materials will be used, the cost
of the machine will be $3.50. Mrs. Thumb
is fifty-five years old, but has contract
ed the bicycle fever.
Japan has a cycle factory
Tom Eek thinks that the L. A. w,
acted most sensibly when it abolished
Glass 3 and returned to the old two
class system of amateurs and profess
SIGNALS 81 have always contended that
professionalism was the only class be-
yond amateurism. Glass was an
abomination. l have worked hard to
set professional cycling on it's feet, and
/ think that l have succeeded"
Louis Gimm, the long-distance rider
of Cleveland, is preparing for a season
of hard riding. He at present holds the
American twenty-four hour record, and
unless this honor is wrested from him
he will confine his work entirely to road
racing He expects to try to beat the
around the world record in the fall.
A movement has been started to build
a bicycle path four feet wide along the
Hudson river, from New York to AL
bany.
Spain will be represented in the
French capital this year, sending thith-
er Lazano, the champion cycling sprint
er, and La Puente, the 100kilometer
record man.
Lehr, the eX-champion bicycliSt Of
Germany, is suing an English company
for S. 900 which he alleges that the COM
pany agreed to pay him for riding it's
machine.
petition has. been introduced in the
French chamber of deputies by bicy-
Gle salesman that law be created re-
curing a $200-a-year license for the
privilege of wearing boomers, every in
fraction of the new law to be punished
by fine of from s1O0 to $1,000, or three
months imprisonment.