The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1905-08-09
Voice Of
the People

TO the Editor of The Herald.
L.. ..a... Lat ;r.c.I1, L ,.nnd ,.laI

D LnG ELuItoT Oh lie
In your last issue read your COM
ment upon the enforcement of the
bicycle ordinance. also the article by
"a Rider
The practice as pictured by YOU
should by all means he stopped, but
are those fellows the one who are
arrested? How about the other
class of riders?
There is the man or woman who
rides the wheel TO and from work.
the one who rides the wheel while
engaged in his or her daily work in
going from house to house or from
one part of town to the other: the
one who rides the sidewalk only
when the street is in very poor con-
dition, and then at moderate speed,
and with due caution regarding the
rights of those who walk. ] dare
say if the truth is known this is the
class of riders who pay the fines
while the dangerous rider goes
"scott free" for whoever found a
policeman two blocks away from IA
saloon after dark?
What "A Rider" says about the
conditions of the streets is true so
much more Just for illustration let
me call your attention to East faki-
ma avenue The street is tull of
ruts. dust three and four inches deep,
stone and brick piles. with quite fire.
quentIy lath or shingle holding a
sharp nail with the business end up
Along the side of the street is mar
row, hard beaten trail (part of the
way) made by bicycle riders. But
frequently of late / have been
crowded out of this trail by team
sters who wished to escape the dust
and ruts. The cab drivers especial
" seem to take delight in crowding
the wheeman off the trail, absolutely
refusing to give way to the bicycle,
even though the rider may be COM
PEELED to dismount. Then, again. 1t
frequently happens that some of our
upper ten" want to try the speed
of their fast horses, and many times
of late wheelmen and wOmen) have
been compelled to dismOunt and flee
for their lives or be run down by
these horse racers. but what about
the fast driving ordinance? Where
is the police?
Even on the business streets of the
city 1t Is no uncommon sight to see
people speeding horses
Again, go down to the postoffice
most any time of the day and you
may find teams standing united.
But of course there is no danger
in that Oh, MOI. Drivers of
horses and people who walk have all
the rights. but the person who Is
unfortunate enough to ride a wheel
must keep off the sidewalks and get
off the street whenever he sees a
horse coming.
Our city dads and police are very
anxious to see the law enforced when
it comes to saloons and kindred in
situations. Why. they vote to allow
them to violate the law. Oh! Oh!
Yes! Why you know! OF course!
Yes, they help out on taxes. Yes, to
be sure. they help to raise the taxes.
But then il don't make any differ
ence how many murders, how many
wives and children go hungry or are
beaten to Jelly. or how many thefts
or fires result from the saloon; why,
no: that's nothing. But the very
idea of a man riding wheel on the
sidewalk! It's terrible, It's awful.
Yes, he might run into somebody
especially some poor drunken wretch
who might stagger into the wheel.
Noble city dads of North Yakima,
They deserve a leather medal.
A WHEELMAN.