New-York tribune., 1899-07-11
CYCLING.
BETTER CLASS OF wHEELMEN OPPOSE
SUNDAY RACING.

THE HARLEM wHEELMEN TO FORBID ANY OF llS
MEMBERS TAKING PART IN SUCH CONTESTS
"A DANGEROUS PLACE IN BROOKLYN
MAY BE IMPROvED-NoTEs
AND COMMENTS
The prevalence OF Sunday bicycle racing In this
neighborhood this year is generally depored by
organized wheemen and by the better class OF
citizens as well. Heretofore the League OF Amer
lean Wheelmen has seen able to check this Sab
bath breaking practice, except In n few Isolated
cases but with the entrance into the field OF
rival organization seeking to control the sport the
evil has grown 10 alarming proportions Now IRON
three TO FIVE Sunday meets are held In TINS I'M
mediate vicinity every Sunday at which ADMISSION
Is charged and in some liquor Is sold on the
grounds At OF the races racing men VINO
are members OF reputable clubs have taken part ~
omen opposition 10 the mandates OF those cluos
that they should not do 1t frequently happens
that the Youthful racing men have FAMILY connec-
.ions which made Il undesirable that their names
should be published as racing on Sunday. In many
cases this family pride is protected by the racing
men entering under a false name. The promoters
Of the meet know this. but go long az they get
the entrance money they make no objection some
OF the best known amateur and professional rlders
Of the district, however, have TO date reluSeu u
allow their names to be used in connection with
such meets.
Races have taken place regularly every Sunday
AZ Newark and Maspeth vet the police have not
attempted 10 interfere with the practice The Ma
tional Cycling Association the official title OF
the outlaw organization. has given It's oinc'aI
sanction 10 Sabbath breaking Now, peculiar
complication presents itself lr,derick H. House
is the president Of the Natiorai Cycling Associa-
ton and he is also a prominent official oil Inc
Harlem Whoelmen. At me':ing OF the Harem
WheeImen tonight resolution VIII De l"''o
duced which Is expected to he passed almost una'-
mouslv. condemning Sunday racing and calllng
upon It's members TO keep away from such coiI-
tests The cycling association puts "Se,,
on record I'm the most positive terms ana IL VIII
forbid It's racing men TO ride or its members 10 serve
as officials at such meets. The meeting VIII pe He.u
at the clubhouse, No. q West One-hundron-ahu-
twenty-fourth-st tonight, and the session prom
ises to he a lively The resolution whch VIII
be introduced and which has already received
tho Endorsement Of many OF the prominent mem
bers. Is follows: ,,
whereas II has come to the notice OF this clu9
Greater New.York on the first day of the week.
popularity known as sunday; ana 10, h,s attended
Whereas The financial success than nds Az Az 80 ~
these exhibitions WILL in all probability , sau 10 q
movement to establish Sunday racing "l.hdn "l.hh ',,s ~
,his clnb vii he compelled to ride in competiticn
on the Sabbath day in order to MAINTAIN the ''''
W6eTeas We believe that the practice OF racing Ing
on sunday bd TO is be hgh Standing and respectaby
Of This orranization: therefore he 1t l.,
Resolved That the Committee on Racing ue IN III
s.rnotod 70 discourage the entrance OF any mem
Der of the Harlem Wheelmen IN any race '""'
may RSeoveG ole ng That members OF the Harlem Wheel
men urged not to accept PosddtU"S d unIess thew
do do en as indyiduals and stipuate that the name
Of the cllb shall not appear on the programme
"H ResSved % That the Board Of GOveTnors be ofGps em
C6nGecon co with sunday racing conduct
nreiudcial to the clubs best intereSts anu o,inn
ndnr section 2 OF Article III Of the constitution
Of the Harlem Wheelmen.
There Is n dangerous spot In Brooklyn known 10
about every wheelman who has ever been on the
Core,, Island cycle Path and which has been re-
ferred TO in these columns several times 1e'. !"
the face OF this Park Commissioner brewer ""en
Informed Of the dangerous spot the other day saiu
that II was the first time that he mad heard any
thing about IT, and requested the wheelmeh 10
f;rnIsh hin, some further information about the
matter The spot referred 10 IS the narrow space
leading out from the Cycle Path In Fort Hamilton
ave into the circle at the southern entrance oi
Prospect Park. There were dozens OF cohs'o"s
M this point on Sunday. and several wheeis were
wrecked as we'll Wheelmen who are iamiUar VII"
the situation generally dismount at that point on
holidays and Sundays preferrng this inconvenience
rather than to take chance OF injury TO thefn-
selves and to their mounts. Until improvements
have been made a bicycle policeman should be sta
place is Just outside OF the Rendezvous. popular
stepping place with wheelmen.
The narrow space through which many OF the
riders go is only six feet wide, and when throng
is out it is always dangerous, for the riders are
going I'm both directions. There is plenty Of room
there for the opening TO be wdened by at least
six feet without interfering with anything 1t
would be better still II the trolley pole TO the east
were removed entirely. As the trolley pole Is on
park property there is doubt that the Com
missioner could have It removed. II he felt so dis
posed The wheelmen OF the district hope that
Mr. Brewer, now that he has been informed OF
nuisance I'm his Department. Will take some Of
Acial recognition Of the fact and see to 4 II that "a
be so much trouble II riders going toward the
Concy Island path would take the narrow row space pt
throng and confusion the riders get tangled up and
some bad falls and collisions result.
every time that l take a ride up Eighth-ave."
said n member OF the League of American Wheel
men Yesterday II cannot help thinking of my
grandmother's crazy quilt or when she was so
proud and so exceedingly fond. Now, that crazy
Quilt was a thing OF beauty and considerable ar
tstic conception was displayed in its manufacture.
Not so with the asphalt In Eighth-ave below
Fifty-ninth-st The reason I referred to the quit
was the crazy manner in which the street was
originally paved and the manner In which II has
been repaired since. 1t is certainly the iaost
wonderfully patched up piece OF roadway that
I have ever seen and under proper local govern
ment such thing would be impossible. The
thoroughfare presents most woful appearance,
and II il a monument to contractors incompeency.
have seen asphalted streets In many other cities
but in none Of them are the conditions so bad
as they are here. There Is only one explanation.
Either the work improperly done In the first
place or repairs were not made In time our city
officials seem to have forgotten that Old saying
about n stitch in time saving nine; This apples
to asphalted streets just rs forciply as II docs
10 socks our city has been cheated on many or
ts contracts and Il is about time that something
was done That outrageous job In Glenmore-ave.
! RrookIyn has never been investigated, so FAR rs
! | know That was about as wretched piece
| of work as any city called upon TO pay
] hnnr IAnhl no