Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-08-21

monthly bulletin of the bureau of the
American republics. the trade in cycles and
parts of cycles with the other American
republics is a big increase. The sta
tistics included in the report are for the
month of April, and are official Mexico is
shown to be the largest dealer For the
month the total imports amounted to
S.6S7, while for the corresponding month
OF last year the amount was only s., T13.
Central America shows a great decrease.
For April of this year the total value Is
given as $1,319. while for April, 1896. the
value was $5.447. 1t is hard to surmise the
cause of this decrease. 1t is certainly not
due to the competition of English makes
of wheels For Santo Domingo the imports
for the month were 81 .006, while for the
corresponding period last year the total
was only SIS In Argentina the imports
the same month last year the total was
only $262 Brazil shows a gratifying in
crease. The total value of the imports Is
t4.177, against $204 for the same month in
last year. The United States of Colombia
in April, 1885, imported s6T2 worth of cycles
and sundries. while for the same month this
year the total jumped. up to 81, 205. In the
other South American countries the i'm
ports for April. 1897. were s7,163. against
$3.50 for the corresponding month of last
year. The total exports for the month this
year were s26.370. against s10,694 for April
of 1896. Fer the one month alone this
shows a gain in trade of SIS, 1885, all of
which is in favor of the United States.
Inc cGmpetlt1on IN the cycling trade Is
getting closer and closer every day. and a
number of schemes have been inaugurated
tending to populariZe certain makes of
wheels or bicycle sundries, with a view of
increasing the sales. Only a short time
ago the announcement was made that
broad guarantee would be given by GER
tain house on its wheel for one year. Then
most of the tire manufacturers announced
arrangements for repairing punctures and
bursts in tires free of charge. On top of
this comes the announcement from a local
agency In which the broad statement IS
made that all breaks to their machines will
be repaired free of charge if presented at
the main store. This not only includes
breaks to the bicycle that may be due to
faulty construc ton, but includes all damage
that may be inflicted to the wheel through
placed on the time in which the repairs
can be made. A man may be riding that
particular make Of wheel for three or four
years, yet the guarantee Is good all the
time. This Is extremely interesting to BIZ
cycle riders, and 1t is expected that other
dealers will shortly fall in to line.
There Is rider in the city who is fire.
quently seen out on the Conduit road push
ing the wheel There is no pedal on the
right side of the machine, and the foot is
resting on the coasting bar of the bicycle.
At first glance 1t gives one the impre SSion
that the rider has met with mishap and
the pedal and crank broken off. This Is
not the case, however. The rider has only
one good limb. and he does his pushing with
this, the other pedal and crank being taken
from the wheel. With the foot he
manages to keep up a rafting good pace
while On the road. to the surprise of good
many other riders.
That 1t pays to be polite has been eXem-
plified over and over again, and some cy-
clists who have been using the Conduit
load have found such out to their sorrow.
The mounted police of the county have
been making their headquarters on the road
all of last week. Every rider who came
down with lamp out was so Informed and
told to light 1t. The great majority did SO
and were not at all molested few
others to whom the same advice was
given refused to heed. Some were rash
enough to tell the police to go to a rather
warm place, while others invited them on
to chase. This was a foolish move. With
the mounts they have there is not a single
polio on the road who cannot over
take a scorcher. To add to the discom-
future of those who are thus caught when
taken to the police station an extra large
amount Of collateral Is required. Two
charges are fled one for having no light
and the other for fast riding, and s15 is the
sum required to get out This is not re-
garded as too much in view of the fact that
several of the cyclists SO arrested were
fined the full amount when they appeared
for trial in the Police Court.
When cyclist is cautioned by the police
out on this road the best thing he can do Is
to get off his wheel and light the lamp.
This advice should be remembered by all.