The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-02-14
BICYCLE PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION,
Company Composed of Representa-
tive Men Organized TO Protect
Wheelmen Against l. Oss NV Theft

For the last thirty days the work of
organizing company to be known as
the Pennsylvania Bicycle Protective
association has been going quietly on.
Now the project is in such shane and
the plans so matured that it was Sat-
urday announced by the board of di-
rectors that the association is an as
sured fact. Local wheelmen have had
considerable experience of various
kinds with companies of doubtful
reputation, located all over the coun-
try, who, for a stipulation. gave the
Wheelmen a contract so worded as to
fully protect the company against any
legal action a wheelman might take TO
recover the insurance on his wheel
when the same had been stolen, Owing
to the location of these companies as
regards Scranton, the local wheelmen
were compelled to institute a good deal
or long range correspondence and, in
the majority of cases, resulted in a
compromise that left the wheelmen in
more or less dissatisfied frame OF
mind.
with the Pennsylvania Bicycle Pro-
tective association, there will be no
difficulty of this kind, as the COMPANY
intends to confine its operations to this
and the adjoining counties, with
branches in the principal cities in each
county, and immediate action will be
taken ON all thefts. A decided novelty
of wheel insurance will be instituted
by this company inasmuch as when a
wheel is reported stolen, the rider does
not have to wait until his claim is
taken up by several loss committees"
and undergo "a lot of red-tape, but as
soon as his claim is reported at the
home office of the company. a wheel
will be loaned to him at once, that he
may not suffer any inconvenience from
the loss of his mount. In the mean
time the comLany, through it's agents
and representatives all over this part
of the state. and through the Barring
n McSweeney and Columbia Detective
agencies, will institute a careful search
for the wheel, which, if found. will be
returned to the rider and owner with
out any further charge.
If the wheel is not recovered the
company will give duplicate of the
wheel lost as near as the same can be
obtained, and, if unable to obtain a
duplicate wheel, will give new wheel
in place of the stolen one. Each wheel
will be protected by a copyrighted and
which will be placed in a prominent
position on the upper part of the frame,
indicating the fact that the wheel is
registered with the association, and
giving its register number. In addi-
tion to this there will be a private
mark for further means of identifca-
tiOn.
In addition to the wheel insurance.
the company has made arrangements
through the general agents of the Ma
tional Registry company, of New York,
to issue an accident policy.
The company will be incorporated,
and application has already been made
to the governor for a charter. The Off
GERS and directors of the company are
as follows: John a. Fritz, president;
j. NJ. Kemmerer, vice-president Frank
A. Branda, secretary; William w. Nc
CullOch, treasurer: directors, A. S.
Baker, Otto r. Conrad, NJ. Donaldson,
Wallace NJ. Ruth, G. dub. Dimmick,
W. f. Bittenbender and John A. Fritz.
The company will commence business
on March l, 1898, and have its head
quarters in the Mears building.