Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1940-05-25
WHEN BICYCLISTS
.SNARLED TRAFFIC
WHEN CYCLE CRAZE FIRST HIT
MONTANA. CITY FATHERS
WERE KEPT BUSY
Nine of Every 10 Riders Were NOvices
And Accidents Were Many; If Mems
Bicycling Brooches Caused Ripple,
Ladies Boomers Were a Riot!
BY ENID DAVIS

Drivers who invent appeIlatiOns
! while lodging an occasional bicycle
| rider should thank their lucky stars
! that they were not here during the
first full flush of the bicycle craze
when the flat below Butte was so
full Of cyclists that it resembIed
nothing more than a disturbed
ant hill, when BOzeman's streets,
Of q summer evening, spOrted
continual bicycle parade, and the
MisS0uIa city fathers worked far
into the night drafting traffic rules
to cut down the number of acct
dents due TO bicycles; when, more
over, 8 out Of every 10 riders were
beginners Of an unpredtctabiIity
common only to amateur bicycle
riders
pastime to wend its way from Paris
to Montana. Paris designers, In the
spring of 1894, were completely baf-
fled by the need to invent, adapt or
otherwise arrive at suitable costume
for bicycle riding, the new sport Of
the fashionable circles. Divided skirts
were thought to be more graceful for
the ladies. Still they would get caught
In the wheel. And trousers, while more
trousersl For men the problem was not
so great although some Of the riders
felt a bit elf-conscious, perhaps, on
their first public appearance In knee
breecheS.
The New York World. however, was
heartily In favor Of the latter and
only wished that they could be worn
all day long, for, as they pointed out,
they show off the fine leg and stimu-
late the scrawney shank to better
things"
Craze Was Universal
In Montana, even the most dignified
men-doctors, lawyers, jlrtsts, business
men-were seen "whirling along In
ecstattc glee through the public streets
wearing knee breeches, jaunty caps and
sweaters" according to the Miner of
May 20, 1895.
But II the mems knee breeches
caused a ripple of interest, the ladies'
boomers caused torrent. This much
maligned garment made but shy ap-
pearance at first. But with growth OF
appreciation Of its practically and
realization that 1t was not SO "bad"
as at first believed, it was adopted by
all riders Of the weaker sex. The
oloOmerS were not of uniform design,
Some ballooned from waist to shoe
tops. Some were complemented by
heavy leggings. And some, highly
by the gentlemen, were worn |
On any fine evening you could see |
he couples, thus attired, spinning off |
)ver the countryside. The gentlemen |
lad mastered the machine behind the |
ence of the athletic grounds and could,
therefore, offer much advice and help
o their partners, who were quite baf-
led by che intricate machine.
There Were Accidents
In spite OF this fine training, acci-
ents did happen. Just out of Living
ton, Judge Savage and his friend,
7ere injured when their horse was
eTror1yed by bicycle rider. Near the
Id Bell smelter south Of Butte, Albert
.ader and another cyclist c0Ilided and
I'D 70 pe taken to the Haviland and
blackburn hospital. Miss 6ye of the
;hicago Bee Hive store ID Missoula
lily suffered badly laceratAd and torn
garments when her left foot became
uEapgied IN the pedal. Perrin Irvine
} warm Springs, lost control while
casting down the @hump" and were
0taa badly injured. IKE Heflbronner
aca1le q hero overnight by his brave
sBcue OF Miss Mamie Rutledge who
)de over the end of q bridge, dropped
x feet intp three feet Of wateri
In Missoula the accidents became so
euuenf chat strict rules became nee
ssary. Each bicycle had to carry a
intern at night and must sound an
arm when passing any pedestrian
vehicle. A speed limit Of five miles
/ hour was fUriously contested by the
cycle riders who held that It should
raised TO eight
On June 10, the Butte Wheelmans
staged q 10-mile race In
hicn there were az participants.
rsneS ranged from q pair Of racing
ras 70 q fishing rod and included d
nOx hat and 12 photos Lyman wv.