Evening star., 1934-05-20
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

The League of American Wheelmen,
largest organization Of bicyclists in
WbeeIuer the country, held its
fifth annual meet fifty
Meet Here. years ago in Washing
ton. This was before
the day of the so-called safety
bicycle, the standard machine con-
sisting of a large wheel, over which
the rider sat. with little wheel be-
hind. The Star of May l9. 1884, says:
The smooth streets of the Capital
are enlivened today by the whirling
wheels of our bicycling visitors, who
have now an opportunity of enjoying
those leagues of asphalt pavement
which render Washington the Wheel
mans paradise. The peculiar ad-
vantages which this city offers for
the sport has made bicycling very
popular here, but the meet today will
give us a new idea of the hold that
the latest mode of locomotion has
obtained on the community at large.
The league has now a membership
of over 1000, but this roll. long as
it is. does not exhaust by any means
the number of those who ride the
swift and silent wheel. 1t is in fact
question that divides bicyclers
whether the league. in its present
form at least, is truly representative
and beneficial. This problem of or
ganiZation is to form an important
feature in the business sessions of the
present meeting. and it is to be hoped
that such a decision will be reached
as shall advance the common inter-
eStS of all
The advantages which this city
offers wheelmen. with its fine streets,
its beautiful suburbs, its delightful
Spring climate, its central and ac-
ceSSible location and the peculiar in
terest and value Of its political at
fractions to all young Americans,
make it the natural home Of BIZ
cycling. and the convention could not
do better than to adopt the sugges-
ton to make Washington the per-
manent meeting place of the league"
Probably few Washingtonians re-
member or know that the space now
Arsenal designated as Washington
- o. AA Barracks. at the foot of
Point Four and half street,
was originally styled the
Arsenal" 1t is this area to which
reference is made in the following in
The Star of May "a. 1884:
Since the Washington Arsenal was
dismantled and the work shops
closed, the spacious grounds Of Arsenal
Point have been practically useless.
Occasionally a squad of soldiers is
stationed there, and the officers
quarters are occupied during a por-
ton of the year by few officials,
who vacate them during the Summer.
While they are absent the grounds
are closed and the public are refused
all access to them just at the season
when they afford an opportunity for
families confined to the city to get
the benefit of the shade and cool
river breezes, available In conjunction
only at this point. Now, won't the
Secretary Of War, or whoever is in
authority there, do the sensible, prac-
tical and humane thing by throwing
open these waste grounds to the pub
lice and making them Of some earthly
use? This wind-swept Arsenal Point
stands to Washington in Just the
that the breezy Battery does
to Charleston, S. c., and should be
utilized in the same way for the pub
lie health, comfort and pleasure. To
this end a few inexpensive benches
should be put under the trees as a
resting place for visitors, who now
have to seat themselves on the
ground"