The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-08-04
"CLEVELAND" BICYCLES.

The Lozier Company NoW the
Greatest cycle Building Concern
in the WOrId.-A Force of Nearly
1000 Hands Employed IN Four or
Fire Great Factories.-The Ire
meqd0us Increase in the Popo-
Larity of the Cleveland" the True
Reason of the Recent "Cut" IN
"COIumbidS."
A good many people seem to be at a
loss to understand why it is that
cut of $25 has recently been made in
the price of Columbia" wheels, but to
those who are posted as to what is 60
| ing on in the bicycle business, there is
| no mystery about it.
/ The fact of the matter is, the Co
lumbia'' has been left far behind in
the race by the cleveland" made by
the Lozier Company, of Cleveland, and
three or four other cities besides. The
Columbia" had been in the field a
long time when the cleveland" first
appeared, and the manufacturers of the
latter knew well enough if they want
ed to take the lead they must offer
something remarkably good. And they
did.
The natural consequence was that
the demand for the "Cleveland" ad-
vanced by leaps and bounds, until at
this present writing the Lozier Com
pany employ in four or five factories
some 1000 hands, or about twice as
many as are employed by the "Colum-
bia'' people. Vast improvements have
been made in the various plants with
in a recent period, and the productive
capacity is simply gigantic. But it is
none too great for the demand. The
cleveland" wheels are now not only
the chief favorites at home, but also in
Europe and elsewhere. The Lozier
people are the only American bicycle
manufacturers having their own offices
in Europe, under the personal man
agement of a member of the firm.
A good authority says that at pres
ent there are 100000 bicycle riders in
the United States, while New York
city alone possesses 100000 riders.
There are at least $50 reputable wheel
manufacturers in the United States,
besides host of smaller concerns that
cannot be strictly called manufacture
ers. Over $6O,000,000 is invested in the
plants, which give employment to
more than 10000 persons. It is est1-
mated that the wheels turned out last
season exceeded 10000 0e A whole
army of workmen are engaged in MAX
ing bicycle sundries and in repairing.
The wheel has brought prosperity to
numberless country hotels and road
houses which had become almost ex-
tinct since the decline of coaching
Telegraph messengers, postmen, lamp
lighters, building and street inspect
ors, walking delegates policemen,
f1remen, coast patrollers, express mes
sengers, doctors and others are all u.s.
ing the bicycle in their respective vo-
cations.
We might easily fill two or three
columns Of space with technical de-
tails in regard to the construction of
the cleveland" wheels, but it is hard
ly necessary. What the public is chief
ly interested in is the fact that the de-
mand for the cleveland" is now great
er than for any other wheel in the
world, and that the business of the
Loz1er Company is now twice as large
as that of its nearest competitor.
Yet there has been no s25 "cut" In
the price Of "Clevelands." They have
taken the lead by sheer merit and
nothing else.-The Mercantile and FL
nancial Times.