The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1899-12-27
BICYCLES.
Smooth Schemes by Which Dealers
Are VictimiZed.
Curious stories Of Thcfts by Re
spectacle Appearing Persons-
W omen Are Engaged In
the ThicvinE.

Whether bicycling in the long run is
cheaper than riding i'll street cars, it is
certain that some persons of uuscrupu-
loa, t,uG.ucir, make money 10y heir
! cycling adventures. They are those
WHO make d practice of stealing bicy-
Giles aud selling tEcm for what they can
get Four or five Years ago, when the
price of the cheapest wheels almost
/ rguaied that of the best in the market
to-day, the business of bicycle stealing
was really in its infancy. Men who had
engaged in various lines of crookedness
soon discovered that the demand for
wheels ut low price furnished eNceF-
/ tI1uui Inducements for them to make
/ bickcLe stealing regular occupation,
/ and the tactics they employed in order
/ to get possession Of machines were
numerous and often extremely clever.
/ During the last two years wheel
/ stealing has been carried on to a great
er or less extent, but until this sum
mcr comparatively few complaints have
| been heard from dealers and individ-
u;u riders sia,eAs9G. The thieves have
lately started o-t again in great earn
rstncss, ;.nd their modes of operation
differ in many respects fspm those pur-
sued formerly. Dealers tsll some curl
ous stories OF the way they have been
robbed by honest-looldng and appar-
! emily respectable persons who have
come TO their shops ostcnsibly to buy or
to rent wheels.
Last week." said dealer on the
West side. "a Young man came into my
store and asked to see a new mans bi-
cyclc. with a 24-iuch frame. lie said
that his own wheel did not run smooth
Iv and that he desired to get another
one. He incurred nv cash price for one
,f tIe hest rp,c,.i ires in the store and
then decided that he would like to ex-
change his old wheel for the one we
,vero examining where is your
wbcelo' | asked. 'Of course | must see
il before ! can tell how much | will be
.,l,I, to allow Won, forit'
".Tt,s. c,.o -. civ d,o,s, ~, from bere
=, , ra,,o;r. sI,o,,, lid ,,,,, visitor The
,a,.;.o,. I,,I ,ne og Wheels off obont
,,,,i,,,,t,.s ,,,o, ,,,1 ,,.os straiobtering
t,,, fr,,,t f,rg ,.Liob I bort o little in
-, ,,,,;,t.,,t If war, ,,.iu ;rst step in
tI,o,,, f,.,. men, ,.,,, COR, soe II,
,.,r, -. -. a,
"o ''''''' "l,P''i N''' -'J ~
''',D,''.',,,S .,S ~, ,ll, a,,s,,io;o,s
l... : Ill NO ,re,crolI,. hut I had al
ra,dr had sone c,nerience with
.,,,,at,, .t,lI,i,,, inai,idnole and made
49,, INV mind 7 would not ne taken in nv
~, o,,,i, I ,yas alone in the sbon nj
10 - I,,t rosol,ed ravartbeIass IN
sao r. tharo ,,os orything in the mans
,,,roo {, agreed IA stem over 70 the
III r,Iooo ,,'itb him and take n look
y his wheel When we arrived there.
instead Of walking To the back of the
sbor whore tbe renair department
,,og st,ppad nurnnselv about ak or
eiobt feet from the front door TO look
n u machine which. | remarked. had
. ver,, odd oppearance A few seconds
lo+ar + ,,olI,cj out of tbe sbon. and as
did en- saw n man rush into NV store.
Whom c-ot there ne was inst canning
o,,t with a new s7s bicvcle and seemed
o,,r,,rraeeed when he met me face to
foce
"T was inst seeing how easily this
,,,hoaI rnps, he pxcIaimed when / con-
fronted him If can dispose Of my
own hike I'll come back in a day or so
a,,d INV tbie orn Ttiso daisv'
",ob yes said 7 its n beautiful ma
him ~ - yon had got II outside of
| n,;s donr ,vbCp saw Won. Won bet
,.n,,1d have vour nicture in the rogues'
! .,1Iar,,, uis evnIopatiops were pro-
! r.,.a i,,+ tI,e,. d;dr,t convince rne of his
| borest intention The fact Is that he
.,,s v.stchipo for me TO po into the
| otLer sbon and the moment did so
| ~ ironro,.ed bia onnortunitv."
.yra A. pot foar the men tbieves
II, 60 r,,,c,, as 900 do the women /.
s,id 9pother dealer az for example.
,,,ar c,rnos H. here IN rent a bicvcIe
"a 49,, ho.ya ory doubt as Ia Ills homes
., ,,c ratIv refuse IN Let him have IL.
ID
| ,.,,y,,or, ,,,, corpe In All rfg0ed out ..,s-
a spin and with her face covered with
| O. ~ - lo,, .,Id tbot o,,r