El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-07-09
The Price of BICYCLES.

Elsewhere in this issue may be found
an account of Pope Manufacturing
cOmpany's reduction in their entire
list of prices for bicycles. The an
nOuncement does not come in the ma
ture of a complete surprise to every
body. The Pope people did not guar
antee their '91 list in their catalogue
issued last January and this was inter-
preted by the trade meaning that
| they were reserving the right to cut
prices whenever such action should
seem desirable. The new list may be
regarded as Indicating that competi-
ton has finally become an acknow-
lodged fact to the makers OF COlum bia
bicycles.
Last fall no thorough student of the
cycle trade could be found who be-
lieved that the average buyer of high
grade bicycles would be willing to pay
500 for his ~ mount. The hard times
and the abundant supply of wheels
combined to make it apparent that the
general riding public were no longer
willing to put up the old price.
That things are somewhat out of
! joint is well testified TO by the fact that
certain makes of wheels which origin
ally listed at $50 and $50 have brought
better net prices to the manufacturer
than any other wheels listed at 500.
When the Gormully& Jeffery Manu-
| tdCtul4HS COlu DtHy duEOuuCSu GHSIi
new prices last fall brave show was
made Of ridiculiug their policy. Time
seems to have justified their action.
The same may be said of the Indiana
! Bicycle company, the Crawford Manu-
! featuring company and others. The
prices made by the Western Wheel
works four years ago evidently had a
great deal to do in preparing the way
for this departure from the old stand
ard price.
However, the Pope cut is not of much
| significance so far as this season is con-
cerned. Its bearing upon the future is
the chief cons deration. Probably
ninety per cent of the 81 trade has al
ready been done, and any present
change in prices can have no large eff
feet on the market for the next few
months. If the Pope company had
made their present move last Janu-
airy, what might have been the eff
feet of it upon this years business
can oniy be rmised.-American Cy-
cliSt.
In speaking of the cut in prices on
bicycles by the Pope Mgf. Co.. the Cy-
will Immediately follow suit is logical
deiuc ion, they being compelled in
competitive self-defense to meet the
cut of the Columbia people. The eff
feet on the prices of go models. which
are now ac ually being made up in
large quantities by cert tain makers to
meet low priced demand, is obvious.
just what it will ultim ately result in is
extremely problemat 1t is for
tuuate for those who were quick to inn
prove the Oppor tunity and unload their
last years stock at fair prices, that
they wasted no time. In competition
with 81 models at S15 it will hereafter
be difficult to realize more than so on
last ye 5 models, whatever their mer
its. TIE public is cdpric ,Ous in its de-
mands, but it won't demand la It years
models at prices which will purchase
this years. In this connection it may
not be out of place to speculate on what
next years prices will really be. 1t is
our conviction that the limit of reduc-
ton has been reached, especially in the
big her grades, and that the present
scale of ices will be maintained for
the chain gear d type viii be largely
aud popul trly supplanted by the chain
| less models the old scale viii be rsstor-
ed for the latter and the prices be 500
! for the Chainles5 as against SO for
chain wheels OF h GA grade. But with
the adoption OF the new type chain
geared wheels will soon become obso-
| lete and their manufacture discontinue
ed by the trad VINO are only too
as to the necessity of improved con-
! structiOn."
The model for the 9S bicycle is be-
| ing ia ked of and a chainies5 bike
seems to be the coming invention.
Sergeant Major Sorensou, of Fort