The San Francisco call., 1899-09-21
MAY FORM A
NEW CLUB OF
WHEELMEN
Recruits Expected From the
Ranks Of the Olympics
and Bay Citys.

The recent announcement of the new
directorate Of the Olympic Club that the
monthly dues of the organization would
be raised from 50 to s. has met with some
opposition among the rank and file of the
club, and particularly among the mem
bers of the cycling annex The wheel
men are all young men, and even now are
paying about 81 80 a month more than the
members of any other cycling club. the
next highest being the Bay City Wheel
men, whose dues are s. a quarter In adj
dition to the 50 dues, the Wheelmen Pay
20 cents a month additional IS members
of the annex. This makes a total of S39
a year, a considerable item in the eX-
penses OF many of the young men.
An eX-preSident of the wheelmen, who
has also been president of the California
Associated Cycling clubs, crystallized the
feelings of a large number of the mem
bers, when he said in an informal dis
Cussion after the associations meeting
Monday night: "On the day / receive q
notice stating the dues are to be 50 a
month. / shall ndorse my resignation on
not afford to pay s. p month to belong
10 a wheeling organization, for, as mat
ter of fact, l derive no other benefits
from the Olympic Club, because l do not
have time to go there" The speaker is
probably better able to pay the sum men
toned than dozens Of others in the
cycling annex.
Speaking further. he said; MY idea
is that II they raise the dues, we VIII get
about fifty representative wheelnen to-
gether and organize another club, with
downtown headquarters similar to those
of the Olympic Gun Club. l know tina
a number of the old-time Bay CitYs are
dissatisfied with their club Just now be-
cause Of the recent large influx Of email
boys into the club, some OF whom have
been given places on the board OF d.
rectors No doubt they are excellent fel-
lows. but the men in the Bay Citys aged
from IS say. TO 80. gain nothing mentally
or otherwise by association with boys of
Is or 20; | believe we could get score
of the better class of old members into
our new organization. Don't be surprised
if you hear of new club about the
middle Of October: %th an n age limit Of
which will cater TO gentlemen cyclers
only"
Olympic Club, when informed of a pos
sible detection of members said: The
new board Of directors of the club have
given its financial condition most careful
consideration. 1t has been found that
nothing but heroic measures can save it.
The club cannot be supported on the ba-
sis of dues at 20 a month. The mem,
bers of the board have therefore decided
10 increase the dues to S. on the 1St OF
October. We expect to lose few mem
berS but the increased revenue and the
new members we will receive will more
than compensate. We will offer many ad-
vantages TO the members of the club
which no other organization could hope
to give its members
Clarence N Ravlin, formerly a well.
known writer on cycle topics here, has re.
turned from d six months trip TO the
mining regions of Alaska. He says his
prospects are excellent, and he expects tc
return north In about four months.
Jules F. Hancock. formerly treasurer OF
the Associated Clubs was married at st
Roses Church last Sunday 20 Miss Adaf
Averill of Nevada. They are enjoying
honeymoon tandem trip In Lake County.
Joseph A Ostendorf OF the Bay City
Wheelmen. now a resident of Los Angeles
writes his friends here that he is the
happy father of twins, both boys. Tn,
club members have wired him their con
gratulatons.