The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-09-01
CYCLIST HAS HIS SAY
Thinks Order to Wheelmen Is
Too Sweeping.
GO AFTER SC0RCHERS
But Would Be Liberal With
Honest Travellers.

TO the recent order concerning the rid
ing upon the sidewalks. A representative
cyclist, when approached yesterday, asked
the Eagle the privilege of an explanation
and their side Of the question. He said:
81 think the ordinance as it is, occard-
ing to the spirit. a fine thing. No conscl-
entious person would object TO it. But &C
cording to the construction placed upon
it here lately, it is all wrong. There IS
no first class cycling club here now as
there should be. or this matter would be
looked after Immediately. The sidewalk
clause OF the law is the only one that
has ever been brought into question Out
side Of that the law is a perfectly dead
letter and always VIII be-"
What do you mean by that?'
why. it is this way: If l remember
rightly. the ordinance forbids riding upon
the streets at a greater rate than four
miles per hour. Now, just imagine such
a thing I can easily walk four miles in
an hour. Imagine a man consuming III
teen minutes in going from Douglas and
Main to the court house and back OF an
entire half hour from the Santa Fe depot
to the court house and back, when he can
do it in half that time or less. Horses
go nine or ten miles per hour and nothing
is thought OF it.
This bell business is all right, but how
many bells ring at every crossing accord
ing to the ordinance, 1t was never i'm
agined that this would be kept up, but
was more of d warning for cyclists to be
recent construction placed upon it is car
ried into effect, we might as well sell our
wheels TO our country friends and walk.
It is all right in the paved district, and
where the road is passable, but the con-
struction allows only for mud. Now, it
IS absolutely impossible for a wheel above
say 90 br IS gear, TO so to the packing
house without doing it upon the sidewalk.
The dust upon every street is from two
to four inches deep and is as impossible
10 a wheel as mud. Now, is the city going
10 institute check stands at the ends Of
the pavement TO look after wheels while
The owners walk beyond to where they
are going. On the West Side, Chicago
avenue was wet down to fine mud TO
keep the dirt that had been filled in from
blowing away, while long needed repairs
on Maple street had reduced that street
to an impossible condition. Every one
was glad of all this. but if cyclists are to
be compelled to walk, some at least will
sell out and move. In the street very fire.
quently wheelman is run down by some
fool driver. but you never hear one of
them kicking much about it. A short time
Rgo 1 was run down in plain daylight on
q main street by a carriage which was
racing with another. The horse struck
ne broadside as L was making for the
gutter TO get out Of the way. Ny pack
ages were scattered everywhere, my
wheel damaged, but L seemingly had no
recourse"
you think, then, that every one should
be allowed TO ride upon the sidewalk il
they see fit, do your
by no means; but the construction Of
the ordinance is entirely too sweeping
There are a class of kids in this town who
think they are scorchers. They make all
this trouble for us all. Their handle-bars
ire down near the front hub, and they
slide around at top speed, Irrespective of
every one else A more sensible cycIist
Is in as much danger from them as any
one else. They are the fellows who run
into old men and women IS Well as the
little ones. and the AK falls upon the more
quiet fellows who happen to pass over the
same spot upon wheel l have ridden
upon the sidewalks no small amount. but
always see where l am going. and never
even approached running into any one,
because / take a decent gait and am al
ways looking for some one to unexpected-
~ step out ahead. In some parts of the
city many of the young ladies and chill
dren spend their evenings in riding uD and
down the Sidewalks in the neighborhood
of their homes. II would be dangerous for
them to ride in the street on account Of
the many passing teams who occupy ali
OF the available road, which just now IS
inches deep in dust Is the city to forbid
their mode Of amusement because A few
Tool riders make themselves a nuisance
Wherever they go? Show me a single con
in this city who would arrest a voung
lady for riding anywhere. The business
man. or more particularly. the working
man would he coiared in a j.fTy. For my
part would not stand by tank Of ice
water and suffer from thirst. And. in the
same line, l would hardly ATTEMPT n
grind away along a rough or dusty street
IN The hot sun when nice. shady side
Wax was going the same way that I was.
me wheelmen do not kick much about
any thing. but there are more wheels in
sAe city than vehicles. and While a little
over a fourth of the people in the CITY
roe counting the aged. sick. babies and
a. . looks as though the wheel v-o,,l1
nave the right 10 so where II pleases. so
'ohg' OF course, as each individual wheel
pieaSeS 10 interfere with no one else.
These sooroherS am as ready to so after
as quick as anybody"