The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-02-24
WANT SIDE PATHS
Wichita Wheelmen May Or
ganize TO Agitate Measures
FOR STREETS AND PARKS
Cycle Racing No Longer in
Favor by [. A. W.

1t was given out on good authority
| yesterday that the wheelmen Of Wichita
are seriously considering plan of or
ganization and will. when perfected, agi-
| tate the building of side paths onal the
principal streets of the city, and through
the parks. This sentiment among wheel
men has been brought about 10y the strict
enforcement Of the bicycle ordinance
which prohibits riding on the sidewalks,
except during the wet spells, and even
| then with restrictions that are calculated
| to make the hump on the back of the
wheelman decidedly tired. In Wichita it
is estimated that there are in the neigh
borhood of 1900 persons who use wheels,
and they think they should be entitled
to the same rights which the laws of
| other states give to wheelmen.
The plan is to petition for the building
| of four-foot paths along the streets ad-
joining the sidewalk, these paths to be
made either of packed cinders and sand
or macadanlized. the paths to be on one
side Of the street only. In the parks the
paths should be six feet wide as wheel
men would want to use the parks
for pleasure rides, and there would be
several wheels on the paths at one time
If the wheelnen of Wichita organize for
this purpose they will doubtless be
strongly reinforced 10y the L. A W..
which is agitating the same measures in
the east only on a larger scale, the leg
islatures of some states having appro-
priated funds for side paths along the
country roads.
prominent citizen and member of the
L. A W. who is interested in the mat
ter said yesterday:
81 believe the wheelmen of Wichita
viii demand better street privileges. If
it were not for the dudes and nonsensi-
cal scorchers who think they have to go
like a cyclone all the time, the wheel
would be in better favor with the pub
lie, but these fellows can still be regu-
lated and disciplined on the paths as we'll
as on the sidewalks. I believe we should
have these side paths in Wichita, It is
a movement in line with the League of
American Wheelmen which will place all
movement for side paths, where entire
good roads are not Immediately practical.
Under the leadership Of the League hun
dreds Of miles of these paths have been
built during the past year, and hundreds
Of thousands of dollars have been spent
in their construction. In the state of
New York alone nearly s2OO, 900 were col
lected for side path building. and much
of it has already been expended. So sue
cessful has been this project thus far
that it is freely predicted that many of
the states will be u network of paths
within d short time.
while all of this good work has been
done by the L. A. w. during the past
year, much more will be accomplished
during the present year, for the organiza-
ton has learned by the year the lessons
of experience. and will be able to i'm
prove its work in every direction. This is
a question which is of the utmost i'm
portance to every bicycle rider, for the
Building Of the paths, when undertaken in
an organized way, is very simple and
easily accomplished. But it is necessary
for greatest success to have united eff
fort andthe League expects many re-
cruits to the rank for this work alone.
If it secures them the side path move
ment will assume proportions which will
be almost astounding.
Another thing which is gradually put
ting bicycle riders much in favor" said
the gentleman, SIS the fact that the Lea
que of American Wheelmen has divorced
itself from cycle racing. For four years
-
should discontinue its control OF a racing
department has agitated the organiza-
ton and wheelmen generally. During the
last year the question assumed an acute
stage owing to the opposition of a pure
" racing body and because of the stand
taken against the department by many
of the leaders of the League. The state
ment was repeatedly made that racing
troubles were the cause OF the decline in
League membership, and that If the Ma
tionaI Assembly discontinued this fea-
ture the organization would receive many
applications from wheelmen who take
greater interest in the more dignihed OBJ
jects Of the league, such as highway i'm
provement, securing of wheelmen's rights
and privileges. hotel accommodations,
road maps and touring facilities and the
many other objects for which the L. A.
w. has been constantly striving.
''Since the assembly almost unanimous
" decided to drop the racing department
those who have consistently opposed 1t
IS well as those who favored It have con-
graduated the League and freely pre-
diet that the organization will immedi-
ately feel the effect of the action. In the
centers Of population this effect i al
ready being felt. and it viii probably
soon extend itself TO the other localities
Of the country. The larger cities have
usually taken the lead in league recruit
Ing. and as they have been the most oD-
posed TO racing it is natural to suppose
they wiz be the first to show the favor