The Bicycling World, Vol 17, No 7
Articles in this issue
- Editors Fourdrinier and Dean correct last week's erratum, naming H. Crowther of Philadelphia and N. L. Collamer of Washington as the paper's Baltimore meet representatives, and attack the Association's ruling that the Kings County and Hudson County Wheelmen may enter fresh men in the re-run of their Decoration Day tie. They also argue W. A. Rowe's defeats by Howell prove nothing, since he got only ten days' outdoor training in two months.
- Clipped from Bicycling News, Mr. Hillier dissects Rowe's riding form — an upright seat, wobbling shoulders, unsteady steering at top speed and a heel-drop that is not true ankle-pedalling — while a second article calls his English mission a failure yet praises him as a straightforward man free of the usual professional gasconade.
- Wm. C. Thorne writes from Chicago defending the Chicago-to-Pullman road race, explaining that the Park Commissioners regulate traffic on the ten-mile boulevard course and furnished mounted policemen at every important crossing, and that residents turn out in force to watch.
- "Ratchet" questions the officials' recognition of Beazley in the inter-club road race and reports the Kings County–Hudson County tie will be run off over the Irvington-Millburn course on 14 July with the same men and officials. He also warns riders away from South Scotland street in the Oranges and previews the Orange Athletic Club's 23 June meeting at Roseville, where Harry Wolcott, B. Hotchkiss and W. Keck have entered the two-mile.
- "Linneus" reports Consul Edwards of Bowling Green, Mo., has raised $150 in prizes for one-, five- and ten-mile races on 4 July, that the American Wheelman has not appeared for a month, and that the Sedalia Cyclers have organised under Joe H. Kelly. He adds that C. C. Hildebrand rode hands-off the forty miles to Ballwin and back, and details $100,000 of Telford and wooden-block street reconstruction on Pine, Grand and Easton avenues.
- "Mercury" describes the Buffalo Club's century run from Erie under Captain Hotchkiss on Decoration Day — twenty-eight starters, twenty-three finishers, 101 miles in 9h. 51m. riding time — and reports the club has invited the New York State Division to meet in Buffalo during the tournament.
- "Mentor" describes the St. Joseph Ruralists' Bicycle Club's Memorial Day reception for about seventy-five visiting wheelmen from the Omaha Wheel Club, Leavenworth County Wheelmen, Topeka Wheelmen and Kansas City United Wheelmen, with a collation at the Union Depot Hotel and a parade of over a hundred riders to the insane asylum grounds.
- "The Jottist" notes clubs everywhere frowning down the sidewalk-riding nuisance, C. I. Shean pledging $500 towards a Springfield athletic park and bicycle track, the Rhode Island Wheelmen's second annual races at Roger Williams Park on 21 June, and judge B. H. Trout's correction that Anthony and Fred Smith collided without a foul in the Taunton–New Bedford team road race.
- Paragraphs announce H. D. Corey of the Pope Mfg. Co. engaged to Miss Wallace of Newton, the collapse of F. P. Prial's Athletic World after three or four issues, English's insistence on Rowe's £15 forfeit after the accident, and an editorial reply that dry graphite or plumbago will not serve as a ball-bearing lubricant — "Oil is the only satisfactory lubricant."
- Writing from England, Morgan claims Hillier and Sturmey now admit Rowe's records are genuine, rates Howell and Temple the best generals in cycling, and recounts Rowe's foot-narrow win over W. Wood before three thousand at Jarrow — immediately after which Rowe collided with a spectator, was knocked unconscious and the man's collar bone broken. He adds that Eck's new team sails home soon and that Temple and Woodside will close the tour at Bull's Bridge, Dublin.
- Interviewed at Glenmere, Lynn, after landing from the White Star steamer Republic, Rowe blames incessant rain and snow at Torquay, indoor board racing and only ten days' outdoor work for his losses to Howell and Wood, accuses Wood's northern followers of foul language and threats with stones and sticks, and says he rode Coventry's quarter-mile track in thirty-three seconds and would change the Columbia Racer for no machine made.
- A special cable from Berlin dated 10 June reports Ralph Temple won the great professional event in German record time by five and two-fifths seconds, while W. E. Crist ran second to Loehr in a field of twelve for the amateur championship of Europe before twelve thousand spectators.
- The committee fixes the contest for Mr. Kirk Brown's medal for Saturday 23 June on Conshohocken Hill, open to amateur wheelmen resident in Philadelphia, Camden, Wilmington and Reading, with entries and a ten-cent fee to A. G. McGlathery of 1807 North Broad street.
- John A. Wells climbed Fords Hill, Fairmount Park, fourteen times on 4 June, beating the seven ascents of Shurman of Boston; timer W. W. Johnson's figures run from 6m. for the first climb to 11m. 2s. for the fourteenth, total time 1h. 46m. 2s.
- On 7 June Wells rode a 45-inch Pony Star up and down Newark's Eagle Rock six times in 1h. 32m., watched by Ed. R. Collins, C. L. S. Walker, Frank Brock and Percy M. Harris, then scorched ahead of them all the way to Oraton Hall and had to wait for the rest to come in.
- Cabled to the Herald from London, 9 June: Fred Wood of Leicester won the 25-mile champion stakes by six inches in 1h. 19m. 30s. from the American Knapp, while Crocker and three others fell in a heap without serious injury.
- With only one entry received, the World places its race for riders of 45 and over in the hands of its Baltimore representatives H. Crowther and N. L. Collamer, requiring at least three starters on road machines of any type, the winner to take a gold and enamel medal.
- Results of the 9 June Lancaster races: E. I. Halsted of Philadelphia won the one-mile open in 2.52, the half-mile one-legged race and the half-mile State championship, while Reading took the three-mile club team race with 21 points to Wilmington's 15, Wilhelm crossing first every lap.
- H. D. Corey of the Pope Mfg. Co. reports enamelled machines almost wholly displacing nickel, Rover-type safeties selling chiefly to elderly and professional riders, over three thousand wheelmen within ten miles of Chicago, and forty-seven Columbias among the seventy-one starters there; he praises Henry E. Ducker's plans for the September Buffalo tournament.
- Jno. A. Wells denies the report that his hill-climbing machine has extension levers, giving his 45-inch Star's levers as 24½ inches against the 23½ inches on stock 45s at Strong & Green's, and answers Percy M. Harris's claim that it cannot develop road speed by noting he beat Harris and Walters back to Newark after six Eagle Rock climbs.
- C. Union Brewster submits signed evidence for the Fruit Vale–San Jose ride against time by H. A. Mathews, B. C. Austin Jr. and himself, Mathews taking the record with 2h. 44m. actual riding time, some sixteen or seventeen minutes inside the old mark, while Brewster lost time to a header near Mt. Eden.
- Brewster corrects the Centreville distance given for the 25 February run — the road-book figure was measured from the Oakland Mole, not Fruit Vale — and rebuts "1874" by naming W. G. Davis, holder of the coast's half-, one- and five-mile records, rather than Elwell as the fastest man in San Francisco.
- Chicago Tribune and Inter-Ocean clippings supplied by the Gormully & Jeffery Mfg. Co. report that in Gormully & Jeffery vs. the Pope Manufacturing Company, Judge Blodgett dismissed the bill for want of jurisdiction because the Act of 3 March 1887 dropped the clause "or in which he shall be found" from the patent-suit venue statute.
- Trade round-up: Wm. Read & Sons place a second order for the New Mail, T. F. Ryan of the St. Nicholas Mfg. Co. reports the "National" and the boys' rear-driving Electric safety selling fast, G. M. Worden made the first bicycle ascent of Nason's Hill at Biddeford on a Springfield Roadster, and A. M. Hill cut the Southern five-mile record to 16.19½ on a 53-inch Columbia Light Roadster.
- Wm. Read & Son show the first Ivel tandem safety to reach America at 107 Washington St.; both riders steer, one can ride it alone, and with extra joints, patent wheels and axle it converts into an Ivel safety, tricycle and tandem — four machines for about $500.
- Full specification of the Special Sparkbrook built to L. H. Johnson's designs at Orange, N. J. — weldless steel backbone and forks, hollow Warwick rims, tangent spokes wired and brazed twice, Bown's Æolus ball bearings, ball-bearing steering head, Anglo-American saddle and 38 lb weight — priced $122.50 for the 48-inch and $135.00 for the larger size.
- Chief Consul J. Fred. Probst announces the Indiana Division's Fifth Annual Tour, leaving Indianapolis 8 July through Rushville and Brookville to Cincinnati, by boat to Maysville, Ky., then awheel via Blue Lick Springs, Lexington, Danville and Bardstown to Louisville on 15 July; a memorial medal goes to every rider completing the test run inside the time limit, total cost about $20.
- A. E. Mealy directs all Division members to report and register at the Carrollton Hotel, League headquarters, on Sunday 17 June, warning that no badges or entertainment tickets will be issued except on presentation of League tickets and none at all for the excursion at the wharf.
- Chief Consul N. H. Van Sicklen lists the committees for the Fifth Annual Illinois Meet at Springfield on 3–5 July: Chas. Hansel chairing the general committee, E. S. Bennes finance, T. F. Sheridan reception and printing, Dr. G. N. Krieder entertainment and A. A. Billingsley the parade.
- Chief Consul Robt. L. Thompson accepts O. A. Ward's resignation as Vice-Consul and appoints C. W. Dibble of Osceola, then prints the year's roll of thirty-five Iowa consuls with hotels and L. A. W. rates, and names the racing and rights-and-privileges standing committees.
- List 143, dated Boston 15 June — 120 new applicants bringing the League to 10,118 — set out by division and club from California to West Virginia, with the Port Huron Wheelmen alone supplying fifteen of Michigan's eighteen names.