The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-05-13
A DELIBERATE ANNOYANCE

A DELIBERATE ANNOYANCE.
There are good many voters in the
city Of ST. Paul who ride the bicycle.
and we are much mistaken If they do
not remember next spring, when the
time for choosing a new municipal gov
eminent comes around, the half I'M
beetle and wholly offensive course Of
this city council and the mayor in deal
ing with it's rights. We have already
discussed the new bicycle ordinance
with reference to some Of its most Of
fensive provisions, especially that re-
curing the use of lamps in broad day.
light, and on the roadways as well as
on the sidewalks. No remonstrances
awaited against the passage OF this,
and 1t went through as a bit Of de-
liberate malice on the part Of the auth
critics.
Another section Of the ordinance
which is attracting much attention,
and which renders the wheel practical
ly useless to a large portion OF the
wheelmen, is the exclusion OF
wheels from the sidewalk on Summit
avenue for about half the distance
from the Milwaukee bridge to Smelling.
The Summit avenue cycle path has
been constructed at great expense, and
is the favorite resort of all wheelmen
and wheelwomen in the city. 1t is the
most attractive of all the rides, and
whenever the condition of the roads is
such that wheeling elsewhere is i'm
possible, this track is in excellent con-
dition for speed and comfort. The
present cycle path really ends at Lex
ington avenue and begins again at
Smelling. There is an apology for a
path from Lexington to the bridge, but
beyond the bridge there is nothing but
the sidewalk and a street that can be
used by wheelmen only a few days in
the year. when the conditions are eX-
actly right. At all other times it is
either SO heavy with mud or so thick
Iy coated with dust that to force a
wheel through it up the grade from the
bridge is impossible The sidewalk, at
this point is used by only few per-
sons, while on the opposite side Of the
street there is ample room for a cycle
path.
Now, what have the city authorities
done? AS if to show that it was not
to give pleasure to the public, but to
give pain to the users of the wheel,
they have forbidden the use of this
sidewalk for about half the distance
within which it is the only connecting
link between the two ends of the cycle
path They have ordered the wheels
off this walk as far as Albert street
Now, there is nothing whatever to des-
ignate Albert street as the line where
wheels may be permitted on the walks
If there was any necessity, in the in
terests of foot travel, to order the
wheels into the street as far as AL
bert street, it exists as far as Smelling.
If it is right and proper for the wheels
to use the sidewalk beyond Albert
street, then it is just as right and
proper between that point and the
railroad bridge. The. practical OPERA
ton of the ordinance is to insert into
the run on Summit avenue, the only
one of first-class quality and attract
iveness in the city, a section where. in
all ordinary times, every rider must
get off and walk.
The council was deaf to all renon-
strarces of wheelmen, and the MAYOR.
who can see the immense injustice of
an ordinance affecting the street rail-
way company, signs without hesitation
an ordinance that gives daily discom-
fort to thousands of our people Not
long ago an actual count of wheels
passing the corner of Summit and
Lexington avenues showed over $500
during the course of single day. This
is measure of the annoyance brought
by the new ordinance. which is not
even consistent with itself, and offers
upon its face no explanation of it's con-
tents, except that they were concocted
deliberately, with a view to making the
use of the wheel for pleasure impos-
sible in ST. Paul. We ask once more
the wheelmen who are voters to bear in
mind the treatment that they are re-
ceiving, and so use their ballots next
spring that they may find themselves
possessed of some rights which others
are bound to respect