Evening star., 1938-03-27
Cycle Days
Continued From Page C-4.)

1896 the new International Athletic
Park on the Conduit road near the
District line was opened and became
for several years very popular. Later
track was built in what was called
the Colosseum. at Fourteenth and A
streets NE, but the life of this track,
which was boWl-shaped affair, WAS
not very long. 'and from this time on
the bicycle racer had to resort to road
racing or to the use of the Bennlng
or some other horse track
60 FAR as the writer knows, there
were no woman members of the
Capital Bicycle Club. but they we're
welcomed by the League Of American
Wheelmen, where they soon became
quite factor as early as 1892. One
hundred women from outside Of
Washington attended the meeting of
the league held in this city that year,
and just how many woman riders there
were In this city at that time to greet
the visitors the writer cannot say,
many. Mrs. William F. Smith, then
wife of Washington bicycle dealer.
is credited as having been the first
lady to ride bicycle in the United
States, and Mrs. Belva A. Lockwood
was the first woman to ride tricycle.
in this city. BY July 16, 1884, this
machine had become so popular that
the Potomac Tricycle. Club was
formed
OF course, just about the time the
bicycle was at the pinnacle of its
fame, along came the automobile, and
the rest is well known. But, strange
as it may seem. the writer predicts
that in a decade or less the wheel
will become quite as popular as it was
80 years ago, and even more So And
the more taxes that are placed on oil,
gasoline and cars, and the more un-
necessary restrictions that are placed
on the automobile driver, the sooner
this return will take place. 1t is very
easy sometimes to kill the hen that
lays the golden egg. and everything
seems to be working toward this end,
so far as the automobile is concerned.
In 1909 the name of the Capital
Bicycle Club was changed to the
Capital Club, and the old quarters
were retained. In 1911 the Federal
Government bought the square in
which the clubhouse stood. and the
following year the club moved to l347
Pennsylvania avenue, and here its
activities ceased.
While the club existed many promi-
nent men filled the Office of president.
the list, from the beginning. being:
c. E. Hawley, John M. Killetts, Ru-
dolph Kaufman, J. @. Rice, Edison
B. Olds, Gabriel F. Johnston, w. s. ,
Dodge, Irving Williamson, Charles
Richards Dodge. Francis H. Stephens,
Norris Macdaniel, w. D. Writ, L. S.
Bacon, Harry N. Low, w. S. Harlan,
Thomas Bradley and S. E. Lewis.
Mr.. Low, whose name appears in
the foregoing list, became a member
of the club June 9, 1888: served as
an officer for long while and be-
came its president in 1901. He was
an unusually delightful man and only
died quite recently. His daughter,
Miss Adrienne Louise Low, who Is a
capable portrait artist and a member
of The Star family, loaned the writer
group picture used in this story.
The final act in the affairs of Capt.
tai Bicycle Club occurred some Is
or more years ago, when the corner
stone of the club building was brought
to light during the razing operations
of the buildings in the area now oc-
cupied by the Department of Com
merce Building. At this time Mr..
Hansmann and DR.. Schooley were
called upon to oficiate at the opening
Of the stone. but nothing Of particular
value was recovered.