The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-06-27

| the slippery. qreasy mud resulting from
| the sprinkftng render IL highly danger
Gus. Here Is street that has for several
years been . menace 70 life and limb.
recon- rnendsd for improvements several
times by Commissioner Fernald, an eye
sore and q disgrace TO the public, carrying
an immense amount Of traffic, which u
congeseed upon one-third Of its surface
and this condition has been allowed to
exist for several years. Whyp
Washington street IL In much the same
| condition, except that neither side IL
paved, thus allowing the choice Of two
| equally poor and dangerous pathways.
But what Is the result when one side IL
paved this summer All the traffic Is
placed on the improved part. equal to
perhaps one-third Of the street. This nnr-
rowing Of the improved part Of our high
ways renders them dangerous and ,produc-
tive of accidents Nobody cares TO travel
on the unimproved side. IL causes tres-
pass upon the sidepaths and sidewalks In
some instances. crowds the traffic on or
near to the electric tracks 70 the annoy
nnce Of both the motormen and the pas
sengers, congests the traffic to such an
extent that Academia are doubly liable and
all bscause--well, whyf This half-hearted
way may be econ omical In one sense but
Ii Is costly and expensive In many others.
Ii Is 50 fruitful OF accidents that feel IL
duty to protest against 1t and desire to
enY Euat tQOuW III" GOuQltl8n VI IUH
streets be responsible for an accident to a
bicycle rider who is complying with the
laws Of the road, and who is a member of
the League OF American Wheelmer,
our organization Ia preparedsto protsot3its
members to the extent OF bringing action
for damages. Early this spring filed a
protest against certain streets and am
prepared to protect our members to that
extent.
In conclusion want 30 take this oppor-
tunity to call the attention Of every rider
OF the bicycle in this city to two city or
dinances. One prohibits the throwing of
anything injurious to bicycle tires In the
street, glass, nails, wire, crockery, metal
Of any kind, In fact about everything.
Should you see anybody doing this please
make complaint, for IL is intended to
have this law enforced. The opening Of
case Of goods on the sidewalk and
throwing the splinters and nails into the
streetsis a fruitful source Of trouble. qhs
sweeping of stores and offices and Deposit
ing the pins and pens IN The gutter II an
other. Carpenters are very careless about
small pieccs of wood with q nail or two
In them. Linemen repairing wires are
apt 70 drop small pieces into the street.
Milkmen drop cracked and broken milk
bot les In the gutter. In short the street
makes very handy dumping ground for
all things.
The other law Is the speed limit for
bicycle riding. The streets of the city
proper are no place for screening. Eight
miles an hour ID all the law allows. See
to 1t that you are not the enc 20 be caught
and punished as an example. The prac-
tice of racing with the electric cars Is
highly dangerous not alone to the particle
pants but to every person using the high
way, and should DC stopped. The en-
forcement of theslaw regardingsspeed will
put an end 20 it and IL 10 better that the
racing proolivities Of few should.bs
curbed than that onerous restrictions DO
placed on the great bulk of bicycle riders.
Very truly,
CLARENCE W. SMALL,
Chief Consul, Maine Division u. A, w.