The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1901-01-08
RISE MD FALL OF tBE BICYCLE
Tho wheel N" Longer IL Factor In Politics.
From the Philadelphia Ledger.

1t cannot have escaped tho notice
OF the least obscrvant that the bicy
Gle ls rapidly disappearing from the
street and park drives. 1t was at
the zenith of its popularity about
three years ago, when every class of
cltizon rodo tho wheel, from tho
millionaire to tho street cleaner.
Tho army of cyclers became 50 great
that it welded political power and
dictated municipal and State legisla-
ton. Laws were stretched to their
utmost limit in the effort 10 givs he
rnan, woman or child on the wheel
the right of way in crowded streets,
regardless Of timid pedestrians or
thoir own safety. Now person won
ders what has become Of the fresh
young girls whose forms must bo de-
veloped, the sturdy matrons whose
superiluous adipose must be reduced,
the young men and maidens whose
longing for country air and scenery
enlivened the park drives and dotted
the turnpikes leading into tho city,
all spinning through the streets on
their wheols from early dawn to late
bedtime.
That they havo gone from tho
streets there is no question. The
stamp of business is apparent on the
small minority of wheelmen now
seen on tho highways. The district
messeng r, the bu,cher's boy, tho
gas man, the woman with a bundle,
the clerk hurrying to the Office and
the machinist to his work, these form
the great majority of those who ride
the wheel to-day; the others men.
tloned are conspicuous by their alb
sence.
ut is just because it became
fad" SAID Secretary Collins, of the
Pennsylvania League of American
Wheelmen, in reply to the Ledger
mans question.as to the cause of the
decline in bicycling. "It's rapid
rise to popularity was what brought
on it's downfall. Whom good
wheel cost all the way from $75 10
$3.50 the general public could not
afford to own one. Decentralization
of the low wheel, dozen or more
years ago, and its adaptation for lady
riders added a new class of devotees
to the pleasures of bicycling. The
wealthy took it up as now and
healthful amusement. Clubs Of gen
tlemen were formed, regular meets
we're held, long trips we're made,
friendships were established and the
subject became one of absorbing in
terest. The addition of the feminine
element gave new zest to the sport
and powerful impetus to what had
become an undouhted fad.
"The demand for bicycles ran
ahead of the supply and the manu-
facture Of wheels which had up to
that time been carried on in small
way, was taken up all over The coun-
try by every establishment having
machinery suited to the purpose.
Sewing machine, and typewnting
machine makers, turned out wheels
in great numbers. The prices drop
ped gradually, until every stratum
of society was able to supply itself
with what had hitherto been luxury.
''As the 'hoi polloi' swelled the
ranks OF the wheelmen and filled the
streets the more select classes com
menced to drop out long before the
epidemic had reached it's height. As
society fad bicycling had it's day,
but the ground swell continued to
rise, aid probably reached it's height
between three and four years ago.
The great bicycle meet IN this city
in 1897, the most successful ever
held, will never be equalled in any
city. The last rational meet, at
Milwaukee, was hardly a shadow of
it. There Were not as many people
there as we're often seen at an ordi.
nary club race meet. The fashion
for race meets has gone out. There
were not half dozen last sumner.
The fashion for bicycling was set
at Newport several years ago, when
on some special occasion many of the
residents of that aristocratic srm-
mer resort rode in procession. The
event marked its adoption by society