Evening star., 1897-01-30


How far is Vinegar Hill from here?"
asked one of the tourists.
Dis right hyar Is Vin'gar HILL" was the
reply.
III, II don't see, see any citY'l any houses re-
Emmy wat?" was TIE Interrogation.
Streets, houses towns, people,
''Wese de pe'ple Ground hyar but dey
amt emmy OBJ dem oder flngs youse speaks
OBJ. Mussy's sake, no dey amt" added she,
Well, what is there around this part of
the country?' oE 2
Muffin much, 'cept 5,st AN de plain ken
try This was self-evident
What. is there no Cityfin this locality?'
Mop, 'cept de church, bout er mile ober
yander, where wese goes now an then.
Parson Johnsing. he libes, 'spect, er mile
ober dis side OBJ de church. Den, Miss Jones.
she libes nearer de church den emmy OBJ us"
The cyclists could get no further infor-
nation and pursued their way.
In France all bicycles are taxed. and the
government is able to keep a tab on all
of the wheels in the country From the
statistics furnished In this direction it is
found that there is one bicycle for every
$50 people of the population in the country
In England there is no regular count of all
of the machines in the British Isles. but
the number is undoubtedly better than the
that there is wheel for each 125 or 100
of the population Of the islands a conf
paratively small showing, considering the
fact that England has for many years been
regarded as the home of the bicycle and
which for many years controlled the cycle
trade of the world. Not only did England
control the cycle trade, but the English
riders held all of the records for racing
but this has now become thing of the
past. The riders of this country have about
managed to take up all Of the short dis
tance records, while the riders of France
and other European countries come in for
records Il
only small part of her former prestige
In this country it is estimated that about
one person In every twentyfour owns or
rides Il wheel. This would make a total
bicycling population of 3O0O,O 600 out of a
total populatio of about 10000 900 This is
the record of the world, and no other coun-
try can make such showing, despite the
fact that the roads of our country are ridi-
culed by all Europeans. By many it is
claimed that the bicycle population of this
country is fully 4,OOOO00, which would still
further decrease the proportion.
Taking 1t for granted that each wheel
used represents an outlay of 800 on an
average, it would thus appear that the
total capital invested in this direction is the
astoundingly large sum of $3O0,O00,OO0 for
the first estimate, or $4OO, 100000 for the
second estimate, there being no exact
figures as to the real proportion. Even re-
ducing the average cost of the wheel, and
placing the figure at $50 per machine it
would make a total outlay of S24G, 100000 in
one instance, and $320,OOO,OOO in the other
These figures are hard to realize, and if
applied in one lump. would reduce the ma
tional debt of the country by big frac-
ton. Allowing this city a population of
10000. and taking the estimate made over
and over again that there are 10000 riders
in the city, it would give one rider to
every seven of the population, or taking
The riding population at 10000, it would
make one rider to every nine of the popG-
lation. With the value of each wheel
averaged at 500. the outlay in the first
case represents 100000 alone for cycling
or reducing the average to $50 per wheel, it
would make the total cost of the wheels
ridden in the city amount to $s20,OOO, very
large sam for one city alone
The riding population of this country only
represents part of the cycles turned out
by the bicycle manufacturers in this coun-
try. Wheels from the IfIited States are
shipped to all parts of the world. 1t is
calculated loo tf dur during the present season
wheels will be shipped to England alone
and sold in competition with the British
makes. France will receive in the neighbor-
hood of 25,m0 bicycles from America this
season, while the balance of the makes
will go all over Europe Asia and South
America, to say nothing of the other
places where market is afforded
To meet these demands what must be the
capacity of the American manufactures
1t seems as though the number of wheels
turned out must be illimitaOle. Only eleven
years ago there weresjust six firms in this
Country making DlcycfeSs-, NOW tnefe are
over 800 each with a capacity of 1,OC6
wheels year or more, not mentioning the
large number of smaller factories. The
large factories, it is calculated, can turn
out in the course of a year over 900, 900
finished wheels, while the combined capaci-
ty Of the smaller factories will probably
add 8UW0 or 100000 more TO this. And
just to think. the manufacturers are all
sanguine of finding a market for all Of
their goods.
A company in Massachusetts has star.el
In to manufacture wood wheels exclusive
ly. which will be sold for $50 each The
wood frame is the distinguishing feature
of the new wheel, and it is this feature that
makes this bicycle of interest to wheelmen.
In place of the steel tubing in the ordinary
bicycle, wood rods turned out of well-sea-
soned second growth rock maple or hickory
are used, and instead of drop forgings or
steel connections, which are used to hold
the frame together, aluminium bronze metal
Is used This metal is about the color of
14-carat gold. The wood rods are finished
in the natural wood. antique oak, mahog-
any or rosewood. The aluminium bronze
used In the construction of the bicycle is
strong, light and a very tough metal. 1t
has been thoroughly tested and is claimed
TO be superior to steel Tor this purpose. Its
tensile strength is $4,000 pounds. 1t does
not rust or tarnish, is the same color all
the way through, and with an occasional
wiping of with chamois or wooen cloth,
will always look bright and handsome. 1t
is also claimed that the wood rods have
many times the strength of the steel tube
used in the ordinary bicycle. There is no
possibility Of the wood rods becoming de-
ranged, and they are an absolute security
against tndentation or 'buekling," which
so frequently occurs with steel frames.