The record-union., 1898-10-29

The agitation in this city concerning
illegal riding and driving in the streets
has reached a point when some real
good may result. The wheelmen or
the city are coming into the line OF
obedience to the law, but large num-
Der, indeed a mighty number, OF drivers
of wagons and carriages and the IKE
are still contemptuous, and strange as
1t may seem, while every one else sees
these violations of a plain ordinance,
officials do not. and hence there are
few or no arrests, except now ana
then when some one is taken in for
racing and too rapid driving in the
streets.
One of the most serious offenses and
of which wheelmen most bitterly COM
plain is driving upon the wrong side
Of the way, and the next worst vice
is turning corners illegally. 1t is just
as easy when one is driving on the
right-hand side to continue on that
line over the street intersection to its
center and then turn into the right
hand side of the new direction Ana
it is worlds safer. In that way one
can see all people approaching on all
the crossings, and collisions become
practically impossible. Besides, 1t IS
the law. Why not then comply with it!
But what is the custom in this fair
city, carried on under police noses daily
and hourly? Why, if teamster, mack
or a carriage driver, the rider in a
buggy or a cart, desires to round a
corner to take a new direction, ne or
/ she begins to aim for the intersection
when three-quarters or half a DlocK
distant; she or he then drives dag
/ onally across a block Of streetWay
shaves the left-hand side corner, keeps
up the diagonal course and manages
| to get into the right-hand side or the
/ new direction when half block dls-
tant from the corner. This is a hoggish
practice; infinitely selfish. 1t menaces
| for whole block-or rather two halves
| all who drive in that space in the
same way, or in an opposite direction.
| 1t invites collisions, and it is diametrlc-
ally opposed to the express words or
| the law The Capital City Wheelmen
have in semi-official council shown
disposition to establish committees for
a time to see to it that the law in the
respects referred to above is enforced.
It is a good move. Since the wheel
men have been pursued for violation OF
the ordinance, and properly so, let all
| other violators be followed up also.
But what a misery it is, to be sure,
that this cannot or will not be done.
apparently, without private organiza-
tions taking hold of the matter.
=
Now that the indoor season for clubs
| is about to begin, it is suggested that
there are plenty of rational means for
maintaining club interest in the winter
season. Social parties, stag gatherings,
| indeed, lectures in the clubrooms, musi-
Gales. debates and the like will all
serve to make the clubroom enjoyable,
rational and wholesome: early hours,
gentility and courteous behavior of all
| toward all being observed of course.
Il
The Capital City Wheelmen did the
| public a distinct service by presenting
| the memorial to the City Trustees
praying that the mud and droppings
! be cleared off of macadam streets, and
| pointing out that failure to clean these
| highways means their early decay. If
| the club had done nothing else in all
| it's career, that one act repays for it's
existence and for membership in it.
| The association has, we are assured,
/ SClll OInST ueSlttl6Q lildlltIS III NiC"s
| to which, unless there is official atten-
ton given, it will feel it to be it's privi-
! lege and duty to call attention.
New York Tribune: Stories have
been told of how certain city nnagis-
trates have treated cyclists, but the
severity Of magistrates has been di-
rected against the scorcher class as a
| has LITTLE
sympathy for the scorcher. The ap-
pended information, however, comes
from a lawyer who has an office in
this city, and a man who is an enthu-
siastic cyclist. His name is William R.
Page. Mr.. Page lives in an apartment
house uptown, and his wheel is kept in
the basement of the house, that is, 1t
was kept there until recently. Accord
ing TO trustworthy information, young
man made diligent inquiries Of the
ianitor of the building about that BIZ
cycle. A couple Of days later the BIZ
| cycle was missing, and the police were
notified of the fact. Some time after
that policeman saw a young man rid
| ing a wheel at o'clock in the morn
| ing, and he had no light. An investi-
CATION proved that the wheel he was
riding was the identical one stolen
| from the apartment house. The young
man was arrested and taken to court.
| The man said that he had found the
| wheel in ST Mary's Park, and that he
| was on his way to return the machine
when he was arrested. The young man
was taken before a magistrate who,
after implying from his manner that
| a. man who rode a wheel ought to have
I n stolen discharged the man, saving
that there was not sufficient evidence
| to hold him. The exact words of the
MAGISTRATE. according to Mr.. Page,
were as follows: This is what comes
| from riding a bicycle. This man wants
to send this poor boy to jail-"
y
| A new tire has been made in Eng
land which is almost entirely built up
of cork with a thin rubber casing, and
its inventor claims that it is just as
| light and Just as fast as an air tire.
It has been said that the ideal road of
the future will be cork The bricks
out of which such a road would be con-
structed are composed chiefly of btu
men and cork, which, mixed with GER
| tain other materials and subjected to
great pressure, makes an elastic and
non-slippery road material.
| Paris is the home of the rational cy-
cling garb, but lately reports have been
circulated that the divided costume has
been discarded by most Partisan wheel
women. A cyclist who has just re-
| turned from the French capital says he
| did not notice that it had been dis
carded to any extent, but it is evil