New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-08-11
OBITUARY
Colonel Albert Il. Pope Dies at His
Summer Home.

Boston. Aug. TO- - Colonel Albert A Pope
me pioneer bicycle manufacturer of the United
states. and well known as one of the first advo-
Ca'es OF the existing good roads system, died at
ms summer home in Cohasset late today. Colonel
rope mad been in Ill health for months, due TO
me breaking down Of his nervous system. which
followed the financial embarrassment of his bicycle
company. Since July 9 he had been seriously i'll
ana his death had been expected.
Colohel Albert a. Pope really a lieutenant
colonel said to have been the youngest Massachu-
Setts sent 10 the Civil War He was also father
- the bicycle business in America OF the
ueiS III the automobile industry and probably
uIu more Tor the cause of good roads than any
"'ner one man in the country Then, after life
tile OF success misfortune overlook him. and he
E'eu merely nominal head of the Pope Manufacture
ing company. which he founded and made great.
when the first imported bicycles began to appear
"a rs country In 1876, Colonel Pope foresaw their
posSinlllties. The next year he began a lone fight
l" introduce the wheel here lie met with great
opposiuon Through legislatures and courts all
over the country he carried his claim that wheel
il'h hAd rights in the roadways and common
country roads, as we'll in city parks and boule-
Na'us' Aet the cities opposed him. too. 1t cost
iiin thousands OF dollars to open 10 the bicycle
the parks Of New York. Chicago and Boston
/" '-e course or his campaign of public educa-
ton he founded The Wheelman" still I'm exis.
tehce as Outing on that he spent 90GO
II was early IN 1917 that the Pope Manufacturing
N'"pdhy came INTO existence for the purpose Of
marketing small patented articles Then he con-
ceived the idea Of manufacturing birycos here and
PAID special visit 10 England and the Continent
70 look INTO the business. and N September OF
iN'' ne placed the first order for importing wheels
from England The next year he began rnanufact-
uring them here. placing the order with the Weed
Sewing Machine Company or Hartford Conn "a
concern which he first controlled then bought out
mat hrst year he put fifty machines Those
were Inc old high wheels, first seeu here at rho
Philadelphia Centennial Exposition The first made
here was the standard followed by the Expert
Then IN" safety came into use am, Colonel Pope
took up its manufacture a time when hardened
"heelrnen looked upon It with as fit only ~
weakngs
The safety" wheel however. soon became a
craze The business grew III II en,nloved 60 600 900
capital and an army or uen including three thou
sand agents. There We're four factories with over
seventeen acres ~ flooring Colonel Pope WAS said
AZ one time 70 he worth $40 600 600 The sudden
drop in the bicycle business few wears ago how
ever. caused him considerable financial enbarrass-
mcnt.
Then the automobile business began 70 assume
prominence Colonel Pope again proved fairs sighted
and became Of tho yipneers I'm the field The
Pope interests became so involved however. that in
August Of 1907 Albert L. Pope son Of Albert A
Pope. and vicep president % the Pope Manufacturing
COMPANY was made anCillary receiver. The Pope
Toledo works were recentIv sold but the concern
still controls tho America Bicycle Company and
soma allied bicycle interests and the Pope Hartford
automobile plant.
As a promoter 81 good roads Colonel Pore A. one
time employed more than one hundred clerks who
cent out literature and letters on the subject He
addressed large commercial bodies Through his
efforts Congress and many state legislatures
adopted highway Improvement measures. lie en-
listed the active sympathy - forty-hye state gov
ernors Secretary Eikins OF the War Department.
sent for Colonel Pope iay when the latter was
IN Washington. tn iSe2 There were IN the Sec
retarys private office AZ the time many prominent
men. Secretary Elkns said a he shook hands
with him. There is not another that I
would rather meet than I would you. You are
building a monument for yourself that will live
longer IN the memory Of the people than any one
that stands to-day"
The colonel born u Boston iu 1888 and after
a common school education began his business
career clerk in sho" store al 81 week lie
came OF old New England stock, bur his father.
Charles Pope met financial roverses and the boy
mad shift FOR himself lie DEVELOPED his business
originality hy specuatng in Vegetables Then the
war finished his education He went to thu front
second lieutenant in Company l. 25th Massa-
chusetts Infantry. when only nineteen years old.
IIc Wa brevctcd ma or for bravery at Frederick
burg and Lieutenant colonel in March. 1850. lie
was command OF the regiment at Fort HUI. and
led II into Petersburg when he was twenty-one
He man OF genial personality and great
liberalty lie was an officer and director OF many
corporations and member of many social organiza-
tons in which he was active. lie declined all
Linder. OF Newton. Mass. -Four sons Albert. Har-
old Charles and Ralph. and one daughter Mar
garet. were born TO them.