The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-04-28

tion is to keep dust from the valve itself,
and when screwed down tight, spreads
the plunger washer, which becomes df-
fected and refuses to properly work. This
is evidenced sometimes when 1t is found
to be extremely difficult to get air in the
tire, the plunger having spread and not
working. A new washer will remedy the
matter. Another failure of the tire to
hold air can be traced to the valve. In
some tires nut is screwed on the outside
to keep the tube in it's proper place. This
nut should be screwed down as tightly as
possible, though If not looked after 1t
sometimes works loose. This gives "a
play to the whole tire when in use, and the
air is forced out. If the nut is kept tightly
in place this difficulty will not occur.
A census was recently taken unofficially
of the bicycle business of Chicago. There
are twelve firms who do a general manu-
featuring business on large scale, turn
ing out from few hundred to ten thou-
sand or more machines annually. This
includes those i'm the city proper and Chi
cago suburbs. one on the south side gives
employment to 450 men and boys, two at
South Chicago employ 70 to $50 men each.
according to the season; three in the west
division find work for nearly a thousand
persons, while half a dozen situated on
the north side and in the northwestern
suburbs have need of the services of 1900
persons In all there are about $500 per-
sons engaged in the manufacture of bicy-
cles i'm Chicago These employees receive
in wages nearly $4,000 weekly, or an ag-
gregate each year of $2,37l, 300 Besides
these there are 1877 stores at which bicy-
else on sale, while more than thousand
establishments keep them as a side line.
moderate estimate places the number
of persons engaged solely or principally
in the sale of wheels at 1900, whose SAL
aries will foot up to 81, 1901 900.
Does the use Of nickel I'm the composition
of steel have a tendency to strengthen itf
This Is a question that has been studied
by experts, and It would seem as though
they have reached some conclusion in the
matter. In our navy most of the armor
used for the protection of ships has a
part of nickel in its composition. In
Germany when the reorganization of the
military was effected the gun metal was
changed, and a portion of nickel added to
the steel to reduce the liability of BURST
ing when in action. While the use Of
nickel may add to safety in implements
Of war, the question now agitated Is
I whether the use of nickel-steel tubing
strengthens the frame of the wheel to any
considerable extent. By many IL Is
claimed that the quality of tubing now
used py most OF ihe HldnClhclureTs OF
high-gHade wheels Is plenty strong enough
to withstand the weight and strain that it
is known to be subjected to, and that tho
strengthening Of the frame Is not neCes+
sary, especially where the weight cans
not be reduced This is one side Of the
question. The other side takes an en-
tirely different view.
North Carolina is working for good
roads In a manner that might be profitably
emulated by other states, particularly In
the South, From recent report the
fact appears that 100000 has been raised
by taxation for road Improvement pure
poses, one county alone having created a
fund of $4,000, another one of S12, 900 and
third one Of $500. Some of the worle
has been done by convict labor with sat,
isfactory results. About thirty counties
have levied road tax.