The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1897-07-19

2:20 class, opens and handicaps.
2:30 class. opens and handicaps.
2:40 class. opens and handfcaps.
300 class, opens and handicaps, for all
riders who have not won mile in better
time than 800
This change will not mean necessarily
that all prizes shall be of cash. Instead
prizes could be given as follows: Med
ais for the novice race; merchandise
prizes, such as are now given in anna
teur races for all races slower than
the 2:15 class, and cash prizes in the 2:15
class and better, grading the prize limit
for each class from, say s25 for the 2:15
class to $500 for the free-for-all.
Speaking of the recent cut in the price
of bicycles, Mr.. A. G. Spalding of A. G.
Spalding & Bros. the makers of the
Spalding bicycle, said: "A cut in price
on 1897 bicycles of standard make was
not unexpected by us. as we realized
that the manufacturers had overpro-
duced this year; but we were rather
surprised that it came from the Pope
Manufacturing company, as their pol
icy has always been to maintain the
price throughout the current year.
=
However, presume they had some very
good reason for doing it.
"As far as the Spalding bicycle of 1897
model is concerned, we do not intend TO
change our price, as we see no reason
for doing so. The season is pretty well
advanced, and IL we had contemplated
any such cut at any time during the year
we would have made it early enough to
give the purchasing public chance to
take advantage of it. 1t has been our
policy to estimate the wants OF our
trade carefully, so that we would not
have surplus to unload late in the year.
| thus making dissatisfied customers of
those who had paid higher price early
| in the season.
| TN 1896 we overproduced very largely
ourselves, but maintained. our price
throughout the season of 1896 as we did
not think it fair to the purchasers who
| had paid us full price in the early part
of the season of 1896 to reduce our price
| during that year. This year we have
| been selling these machines at an ex-
| trenely low price, and have been offer
| ing them during the purchasing season.
| giving the public the benefit of the price
at time that it would be appreciated.
We still have few of these '96 machines
left, and we are offering them at $50 for
| the mems and $50 for the women's, and
we are giving as good a bicycle at those
prices as it is possible to build, except
that it does not posses some of the latest
features that are contained in the '97
model.
LAS to the effect of this cut on the fu-
ture price of bicycles, we have no doubt
but that it will establish price Of SIS
for high grade wheels for 1898, and we
shall make our plans to produce an 1855
bicycle to sell at that price, still main
| tanning the highest quality. We are en-
abled to do this from the fact that our
factory is now equipped with the latest
machinery, and we are constantly find
| ing that we can save in the cost of man.
ufacture, which will enable US to pro-
| duce equally as good a bicycle as we
have ever sold, and sell it at SIS for 1898.
The improved facilities at our factory
for manufacturing bicycles make it pos
! sible for us to do today what three years
ago seemed impossible to accomplish in
! the way of price.
1--WE intend offering for 1898 our chain
less bicycle, which we have been expert
menting with during this year with ex-
cellent results, and believe that this
| wheel will stand in. a class by itself as an
extra high grade feature for next sea-
sons trade. The price OF this wheel has
not been determined. In this connection
I might mention the well-known fact
that A. G. Spalding & Bros. were the
only manufacturers to exhibit a chain
less, hicyrIe in perfect working order at
the late cycle shows"