Omaha daily bee., 1898-08-16
SPOILSTHE WHEELMEN'S DAY
MANY Headed Management of the Exposition
Makes Another Blunder.
ARRANGEnENTskT THE GATES INCOMPLETE
Riders Unable to secure Admission
Through the Inability of the Sew
eraI Departments 10 Get Close
Enough Together.

The many-headed management Of the ex-
position has come very near to making
Wheelmen's day a failure. The various
managers, relying on each other to make
the necessary arrangements, have made
none. The natural consequence is that
visiting wheelmen are disguised, and the
plans which the local committee have
worked up are spoiled.
II am thoroughly disguised with the way
the management has carried on things"
declared State Consul O'Brien, who is at
the head of the committee on arrangements
and who has worked hard during the last
four weeks In getting things in shape for
the day and securing the presence of wheel
men. THAT management has spoiled the
plans we have been working on a long time.
1t will send away the wheelmen visitors
with a very poor opinion OF the city. 1t will
result in a parade Just about half as big
and attractive as 1t otherwise would have
been"
Four weeks ago Chief Consul o'Brien
made arrangements with President Wattles
that wheels should be admitted today.
Ordinarily wheels are barred from the
grounds, but President Wattles volunteered
permission to allow them inside all day,
providing that the wheelmen did not ride
them until 6 O'Clock in the evening.
Naturally a visiting wheelman would not
care to leave his wheel down town and go
to the exposition during the day, and then
pay another admission to take in his wheel
in the evening to take part in the parade on
the grounds.
Shortly after 0 O'Clock yesterday morning a
big batch Of the visiting wheelmen and
wheelwomen went to the wagon entrance on
Sherman avenue, south Of the viaduct,
where it was understood they would be ad-
mitted with their wheels. Among the num-
Der were fifty wheelmen from Sioux City
and Council Bluffs. There was a
Denver contingent and representatives from
other cities. When they reached the gate
they were refused admission.
The party put itself in communication
with Mr.. O'Brien, who went at once to
see President Wattles. The latter said tina
orders would be issued at once to admit the
wheelmen. The party waited before the en-
trance for an hour, but no orders to lie
them in arrived. BY this time O'Brier
reached the grounds and by energetic hust.
ling secured an order from the bureau o
admissions to let the wheelmen enter witt
their wheels. When this order arrived
however, it was not found to be sufficient,
authoritative, for the gatekeeper refused
admission until an inspector was at hand
No inspector could be found.
by tnlS Ilne the Wneelnen were a Ver'
disguised lot of individuals, as they hat
been waiting for nearly two hours. FINAL.
a big majority of them checked thei
wheels on the outside and went in. Other
left for the heart of the city. At 1913
Mr.. O'Brien saw President Wattles one,
more and the latter wrote out an order I
admit the wheelmen with their wheels
This was sent out to the grounds early Il
the afternoon, so that it may be possibl
that admission to wheels will finally b
given.
But it Is too late declared Consu
O'Brien. by the time the order reache
there most of our visitors were in tn
grounds and had left their wheels outside
OF course. none of them will pay anothe
admission to get their wheels and help Il
out on the parade. The result will be tina
our parade will be nothing like what W
planned it, although we will do the best W
can"
Blunders Come Fast.
During all this time wheelmen were a.
irving at the gates and were clamoring fl
admission, only to be turned down. Final
the trouble reached Superintendent Fostt
of buildings and grounds, who sent out
couple of office boys to allay the feelini
of the wheelmen. These lads informed Il
riders that they could check their vince
ouNoAht AIN lLtlI mere uulll y u CION
and they would see that they were brougl
upon the grounds in time for the parad
Some of the men accepted the propositlo
but more went home in disgust, declariI
that they had been buncoed. The ~situatio
however, was remedied a little during Il
afternoon and as more wheelmen %continu,
to arrive they were allowed to enter Il
grounds. their wheels being taken care
by A. j. Webb of the Admissions departmer
The climax of the difficulty was reache
however, just before I o'clock. the hour fix
for the parade. Major Llewellyn. chief
the exposition police, had not been inform
OF any parade and consequently had issu
no orders to the night men who were
duty at the time. There is a rule that /
cycles are not allowed on the grounds a
when Chief Consul O'Brien started out alo
the Midway to notify his men TO get tht
wheels and prepare for the parade, he W
halted and pulled OFF his bicycle. He tri
to explain, but the guards informed h