Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-08

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Wheeling as a popular pastime has passed.
its meridian, and is putting on the "sere
and yellow leaf as unmistakab.e as nature
Whether It will initiate nature and bloom In
the spring remains to be seen At present
the prospect is not as cheering could be
wished In Omaha and vicinity wheel rid
ing is steadily decreasing. Streets aud high
ways which were thronged with riders two
years ago are now all but deserted. Riders
are few and far between, most OF them 80
fcrlorn that they ride soberly lest the whirr
Of the wheel arouse the ghosts Of former
days. Like conditions prevail all over the
country. The New York World says in that
vicinity "the finest wheeling weather brings
with it the melancholy conviction that the
bicycle is declining in public favor. That the
wheel should disappear from the crowded
streets Of Manhattan was to be expected and
desired. Thereby is existence made safer
alike for those who ride and for those who
dodge the riders. 1t was also to be expected
that the exclusive haunts of fashion should
quickly drop "a form of exercise which per-
mlts of no distinction between fashionable
and unfashionabe people. But the real loss
of popularity is not limited by these con-
ditions. The suburban roads of Long Island
| and New Jersey which witnessed the growth
| and glory of wheeling are now watching its
decay. 1t is melancholy not merely as an
| illustration of the fickleness of the public
| taste, but chiefly as an evidence of the in
ability of the average American to enjoy
| life"
According to the reports Of the park guards
of Philadelphia there has been a noticeable
decrease in the number of bicycle riders
| during the season now closing. Commenting
| on the report the Record says: The
| bicycle craze has evidently reached its
climax, and, Notwithstanding the recent
! extraordinary performances Of a young
| woman in New York, there is a growing
belief that henceforth the wheel will be
used less and less as a sporting implement
| and more and more for purely utilitarian
purposes. There must be some good reason
for the marked falling off in bicycle riding
| for pleasure. In the first place, the natural
tendency in this country is to overdo every
| thing. We rush into new pleasures with
| such vim and force that we soon exhaust
| our energies. In the next place We are
constantly craving after novelty, and a
popular amusement soon pals upon us. The
coming fad (Which will be confined for time
| to the comparatively wealthy people) Is the
owning and running Of automobiles, and the
manufacturers of bicycles all seem anxious
| to enter the race at the very start so that
| they may recover some of the lost activity
| due to the decline in the manufacture of
| bicycles. They hope to reap large profits
| from the sale of automobiles while the price
| shall continue TO be high.
| Meanwhile the bicycle trust is planning
to "save the trade by pushing the small
| fry to the wall. AS is usual with trusts, the
statement is made that it's purpose is some
what benevolent. "The manufacturers will
be benefited" says Colonel Pope, vice presl-
dent of the trust, "and the buyers will be as
well off as ever for there will probably be
no increase in the price of wheels although
| the cost of materials has of late been rap
idly advancing. The prime object of the
trust is economy of production. 1t will here
after cost less to turn out machines, as there
| will not be so many standards OF parts. Some
statesmen and clerks will lose their positions,
but there will be no reduction in the force
of mechanics. In fact, the workmen will gain
| by the change, for under the new regime
| they will have steadier employment and
! longer tenure of service. Some of the smaller
plants will be closed in order to further the
| policy of minimizing expense, but the num-
ber OF men who will be thrown out of work
will be small, since the trust will make more
bicycles than the past aggregated output Of
| the individual factories"
Tom Cooper is now practically champion
OF the United States, The final race of the
season will be decided October at Provl-
dence, r. l., but Cooper already has sufficient
| points to give him an undlsputed claim TO
the championship even though his work at
Providence should not be first-class. AS the
men now stand Cooper has 40 points; Kiser,
AZ; Stevens, 80 and Kimble, 27, and as 5
points are given for first place, for second
and for third and fourth Kiser Is out of
the running. Cooper is at present in
Chicago. where he went to ride during
carnival week, but he has been suffering
with a large boil on one OF his legs and has
been obliged to remain on the ground. After
the meet at Providence Cooper will return
10 Detroit In company with Earl Riser, the