The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-09-15
HOW THEY TAKE II
OPINIONS OF THE BIKE ORDINANCE
IN EFFECT THIS MORNING.
Many Think the Ordinance 10 Good Entire
and Nobody Finds Much Fault Except
With the Section That Requires the
Ringing Of q Bell at Every CrossinG-
QairiuS Handle Bars to be Raised SO
That Riders Can See-Appeliate Court
Decision on the Subject


on the bicycle, il has cone to stay. II
will be ridden more and ridden fast. II
is less a luxury these days than a ne
cessity
The history OF the invention and pro-
gress Of the wheel is that of all i'm
provements upon the old order-right OF
way is given it begrudgingly. Less than
five years ago the bicycle was thought
| to have no right upon the public high
way and was treated that way. The
cyclist had always 10 dismount and give
the entire way to wagons. buggies and
even foot men, and out in some portions
of the country the standing of the wheel
is not SO conveniently free from such a
custom yet, though the courts have de-
cided that the wheel is vehicle and
entitled TO its place.
The ordinance passed by the city
council Monday night is the first signal
attempt Wichita has made to regulate
the comparatively new method of loco
motion. and it created more or less of
talk everywhere over Wichita all day
present some Of the things said:
Thomas Shaw: The ordinance suits
me exactly with the exception of the
bell business. That ought 10 suit me,
for I've got bells to sell, but il doesn't.
The bell part Of the thing is a humbug
1t will be clang, clang, jing, VIKING.
clang all the time if it is observed
There will be wheelmen to the right Of
you and TO the left of you and back Of
you and in front Of you when you walk
across the street There are thousands
Of wheels in Wichita. They are thick,
and when everybody gets TO jingling a
bell, which way are You going to look
or jump? And then by the time you've
looked around 20 see who it is that's
ringing, he'll be by you and gone. The
bell will be simply confusion, that's
all. The number of people who get hurt
by wheels Is nothing compared to the
number hurt by wagons and buggies. 1t
was a good thing to reduce the speed,
but the bell business is a regular farce.
You are required to slow down to four
miles an hour at crossings, and that's
only brisk walk. You wouldn't hurt
nance all but the BELLS
r. H. Roys: THE ordinance is all
right. 1t is not very strict. Wheel
men are allowed to take the sidewalks
when the roads are muddy, which is
really a very considerate indulgence by
the council. I don't think there will be
much objection 10 the action of the coun-
Gill;
Mayor Ross: THE ordinance suits me
but would have suited me better if it
had section compelling riders to have
raised handle bars and sit up straight.
SO they could see people Some cities
do that, and riders ought TO be made to
sit up instead of scorching along with
their heads down.
AL Musselman: The ordinance is all
right with the exception of the section
that prevents riding four abreast. That
can't be enforced. They have regulat-
ed the speed and a man certainly has
the right to start when he pleases and
ride to the limit. II there are four in a
row, all in the same notion, what can
you do with them"
r. Cuttings: The men who pass
ringing requirement ought TO have been
born old women. Nothing makes me
hotter aw;1eel or afoot than 10 spring
a bell on me. It's not the cost OF a little
two bit bell that l kick on but what the
ringing at me implies. It's a command
TO me TO get out Of the road, when the
road is as much mine as the wheel
mans. l am an individual rights Dem
ocrat when 1t comes to that sort Of
principle. Besides my objection 10 be-
ing ordered off the track with bell il
only confuses me in ringing. The man
awheel can turn out and go by me
twice and with ease before could look
around get his direction, find a place
where I'll be in nobody else's way. and
get to it. The bell is not rung for my
safety. but for the riders convenience"
VI. H. Burt: Good, II / only had car
load Of bells
Hal Mccoy: I'm going to get me
big cow5eu and make a circuit Of the
city"
Elmer Reese: Il don't see what
right the council has 10 make US buy
bells. and what they'll do with Us II We
don't. But they didn't say what kind. |
and l think I'll rig out with a good
sounder for preliminary. AS far as
limiting the specs IS concerned, eight |
miles is as fast as anybody wants to |
ride anyway, generally"
Henry Hu,tmann: The reduction o:
speed does me an injustice"
One prominent business man who re- |
fuses TO permit the use OF MS name. |
submits the following:
''One thing IS clear. The scOrcher may |
be a nuisance. and rules may be necss- |
sary 70 remind him that the highroad !
is not his own particular property. but, /
however that may be. no clumsy and /
heavy-haried acts OF policemen or mag
istrate should be tolerated for a moment. !
II anything like war IS 10 De tolerated !
against cycleisal. war in return must !
be declared against craftsmanship and |
justice shallowship. Cycling is one OF |
the really big things OF the day. 7. IS 1
one OF those social forces which trans
form nation. AL improvements in 10 1
comotion have Influences which go FAR /
and deep; but this last improvement /
goes further and deeper than the rest. 1
Just because II Is 50 persona. and indi- I
n its character. We can
already see some % the effects which X
s p-oiucing-nc living man can d. more
than guess al its future developments.
We can see how il is altering the life %
the workman. making II easier FOR him I
ID live outside % the Town IN which he
works: how il IS tending 70 make labor
move mobile: how il IS creating a rex
sense as regards .te way = spend 4 holi-
lay; how IL is one q the best enemies
y ioiiering and ioungiug: nov. fo- good