The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-06-20

prominent tnsE3Eg 81 1EnfEE papers 1EA&&-
rnsaed 20 discover by actual count how
many cyclists entered the bs.sy center of
ire city curing the ''ru sh hours 81 carry
morning The count maintained Tor
onfg Aa boar between % and 3d. oHf fae
se@zEIg gives something on which 10 Dane 4
reliable estimate. The majority OF pasi-
ness ulen. clerks and workEsen using the
wheel or ztrs.es car AZ a rnssa as OF convey
ancs efdeaFor IL arrive At their destiIa-
lion between s and "a. but the nour can
mol ~ 80 certainly liked In large city as
Ii ean b. Ia smaller place
TIE arteries which feed The heart ri The
Windy Civ were watched a nj the riders
counted. with tne following result:
Michigan avenue from south side. ga
Jack goa boulevard. from west SIDE. Lib
Washington boulevard, from west side ~
Ia Sale street tunnel. from noftn SIDE ~
Wells Street. from north side....,....... 2ls
Clark street. from north sades.-.-...-... 40
Dearborn street.. from north side. -
state STREET. from north sie...... -
Rush street. from north ssie. 5ss
Total ..--..........-.. ..--.........-....5.s-5
Over half the number counted passed
ia. checkers IN the first half hour. show
ing that the bulk of the riders so 10
work before o'clock. a count was also
made af the riders passing the checking
points TN the hal hour from SO To Z, but
fite number fell far short OF the proper
tom maintained an hour later, and this
may be taken as an indication that the
labnring GLASSES. kiaat is. men who work
q fall ten hours a day, do not depend on
The bicycle for Their transportatisl.
While this count was being made il was
noticed that q sire Of wheeimen was
passing la inc opposlte direction. but the
number vas 81 small that il could not be-
taken into aecolir. us bearing the sub
jcct under consideration, Pleasure seek
ers riae in the ea.iy morning hours and
late ia the afteruoone and the counter
stream or riders notics5 between the be-
ginning ana ending 81 the count WAS
doubtless made I'D nearly entirely OF
riders who have time and the inclination
to get beyond the kirss Of the city.
From an estimate based on the table
given above it Is fair 10 place the total
number of riders entering the heart of
the city during business hours at i0r1.
This seems like great ffumher bat, l be-
lieve IL is too small rather than too large.
There is no city In the world. unless il
might be Washington. D. c.. where there
as many wheels in proportion TO the
population in Chicago. and in spite Of
the bad approaches from the north and
west sides. riders avail themselves OF the
opportunity 10 take an early morning
spin to work. and. Incidentally, save car
fare.
The boulevard system 81 which | gave
some mention in former letter To the
fost-fnteiligencer is now being pushed
forward. The mile between Michigan
avenue and the terminus OF jackson
boulevard west OF the river, IL being
paved. Part III the street has already
been completed and from the bridge 10
the western limits Of the city is one I'M
broken stretch Of asphalt. The prepara-
alton of the remaining part~-that passing
directly through the business esnter-has
been in hand for some months. and thous-
ands Of dollars have been expended in
underground work, the laying Of electric
conduits. Mater and gas mains and
sewers. These underground works are all
built with an Idea To permanency. so that
the top dressing OF asphalt Will not he
disturbed. and numerous man-holes and
traps have been provided 70 facilitate the
Encouragement of wires pipes and the
supply mains of - great city.
Gov. Tanner has iest vetoed the bin
which passed the legislature for the build
Ing or "a connecting boulevard between
the north and south sides Of the city, SO
II Is hardly likely that the thousands Of
cyclists living ndrth of the river will find
relief uatil some later time. when the
wheeimeu's vote can be- used 10 further
the cause If the bicycle. n this hill was
In any way unjust to property owners or
was distinct legislation in favor of
wheeim"n "A class. the governor would
certainly have escaped the structures his
action has called upon him. but the COM
piction 81 the Lake Front park and the
building of boulevard between two prac-
ticaliy isolated parts ~ the city would
work q hardship to no one,
Many wheelmen make use If the tun-
ngis which have for years been monopo-
ltEed NV the ctoie car companies. but this
Is 81 dangerous practice and calls for too
much dcps ndenee on the mechanism If