The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1899-09-05
BICYCLE BUDGET.
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The present condition of some Of
Canton's principal streets is, to use the
vernacular Of the street gamin, ION the
bum," and the city fathers, recognizing
this point, have cast their eagle eye
about in search of some method where
by they may both cleanse the streets
and not crumble the brick nor leave
the interestices entirely devoid of
cement. After trying various methods,
including that of street sweeping, now
on trial, they have at last decided that
some sort of a system must be adopted
and the method is being considered,
both in point of cost and cleanliness.
The wheelmen of this city concur with
the council, in choosing the most salts
| factory and available method, to secure
the benefits sought. They do this main
ly on account of the benefits they, them
selves, will reap if a good plan goes
into effect. The benefits are these: a
smooth and even surface over which q
bicycle will pass without jolting both
the frame of the wheel and that of it's
rider, thus loOsening the various bolts
of the wheel and causing a breakdown
which may do great injury to the rider.
With a smooth path having no little
projections the tire will not be torn to
ed to boiling heat; and, too, the small
bits of glass which are strewn so pro-
miscuouSly about are picked up by the
street cleaner, and carried away in
stead of being washed into the small
kinks and there left to do a world of
damage in the way of punctures. Not
least of all, the wheelman does not get
an uncomfortable headache riding over
a smooth path as he does when riding
on brick paving uncleaned. Wheelmen
are only hoping that a system will be
adopted that will do away with the
sprinkler.
There are still a few scorchers left
in this dear old town" in spite of the
persistent effort of the police to weed
them out. However it is not so much a
question of speed, as the ability of the
wheelman to control his wheel, when he
propels it at a speed greater than that
set as the limit by our council. It Is
true that the majority of the accidents
in which the wheelmen participate are
not so much more the fault of the
wheelman, as to make him, alone, re-
sponsible, than the victim who becom-
ing greatly excited, cuts pranks that
would do credit to an Apache Indian,
part of whose business it is to act
like an Indian" When such is the
case there is little wonder that acct
dents are the frequent outcome, and
greater the wonder that these accidents
are not ten times more frequent and
disastrous.
Since there is no law to prevent this
athletic display on the part of the
victim, there must be law to regulate
the speed at which a bicycle may be
propelled. Then to on account of the
large and increasing number Of "infant
cyclists" who lose their heads in a
tight place, there is an ever present
probability of danger. Beside these
some infants" almost always finds it
necessary to take up the whole of the
street in their efforts to "shoW off" and
do tricks" making it particularly
difficult for a wheelman to pursue his
course without coming into contact
with the performing monkeys" as
they wildly wheel about in the wilful
fashion of disobedient children. If the
speed of experienced wheelmen is
regulated why not regulate the action
of the infant terrible while awheel?
Several Canton cyclists were seen as
to whether they would ride under the
N. G. A. next season, and they all said