The Bicycling World, Vol 20, No 10
Articles in this issue
- New Year leader crediting 1889 as the first year roads improvement received organised attention from wheelmen; corrects the notion that the Board of Officers can alter the method of electing L. A. W. officers, reviews Geo. A. Perkins's draft New York Highway Improvements bill, and names the Luscomb-Perkins-Beal ticket that will oppose Dunn and Bidwell in February.
- Reprinted anecdote from a prayer meeting at the First Methodist church in Portland, Ore., where a woman blamed Providence for the mud and the pastor answered that God is not responsible - Portland has no mud because it has men who know enough to make roads.
- "Hawkshaw" argues that every rival to the L. A. W. has died while the League grows, replies to readers who thought his "man who grumbles" paragraph was aimed at them, and regrets New York's loss of M. L. Bridgman, ex-President of the Kings County Wheelmen, to Chicago.
- "Argus, Jr." reports the death of Charles A. McClenahan of the Maryland Club at Port Deposit from typhoid fever, and New Year's Day open houses by the Chesapeake Wheelmen and the Maryland Club, whose house committee of H. F. Williams, T. J. Lindsay and J. H. Bennett entertained from two o'clock to midnight.
- "Toney" profiles Captain Milton Irving Deane of the Fall River Ramblers and his racing at Taunton and Fall River, notes Worden's departure for Toledo and Captain Nat Rogers's from Wakefield, and credits Miss Kirkwood of the Middlesex Club of Melrose with over 2,100 miles in the season.
- "Nitram" gives the Wheelmen's Bowling League standings with the Atalanta Wheelmen in first place and Brooklyn beating the New York Bicycle Club by 54 pins, and reports that the Plainfield Bicycle Club's gymnasium - costing $2,800 rather than the estimated $2,000 - has brought over 25 membership applications.
- "Ariel" reports Van Sicklen's acceptance of Merrihew's challenge for a Chicago team race against the Wilmington Wheel Club, denies that Pennsylvania is "solid for Luscomb," and describes the Philadelphia Bicycle Club's german and the South End Wheelmen's boxing and wrestling exhibition.
- Weekly news roundup: Australians George W. Burston and H. R. Stokes finish a twelve-month ride from Melbourne through Java, India, Egypt and Europe; McDowell beats Frankie Nelson and Hattie Lewis in a six-day bicycle-versus-roller-skate race at Kernan's rink, Baltimore; and two new papers are promised - Joseph Goodman's Cyclist at Hartford and Van Sicklen and Barrett's Bearings at Chicago.
- Full-page engraving of Pat reading Mary Ann a letter from Tim in "Ameriky," who is "workin' fer a Boysikle Mon, an ridin' an Agle," with an inset roundel of a top-hatted man astride a flying eagle.
- The paper's standing letters department, opening with the editor's note that he is not responsible for opinions expressed and reserves the right to expunge improper matter.
- Arthur Allen Dean of Danielsonville, Conn., answers both correspondents on Connecticut road signs, disowns the World's headline "No Need of Sign-Boards in Connecticut," and notes that Winslow T. Williams, L. A. W. No. 5, has kept wheeling alive for nine years on roads where six miles an hour is good riding.
- H. G. Rouse opposes B. Taylor Bruce's call for the Racing Board to order entrance fees returned to starters, arguing few tournaments pay expenses and citing his own Peoria meet, where forty-five entries at fifty cents netted $22.50 toward a race whose prizes were worth about $200.
- The Bridgeport correspondent replies to member No. 23,257: the city has no Selectmen but a Common Council, Board of Public Works and Street Commissioners, its racing course is closed to riders only a few hours a day, and its L. A. W. hotel gives a fair discount.
- The Maryland correspondent holds that the memorial sent by Butler, Share and Beal to Gov. Jackson is ill-advised, that the local Rights and Privileges committee believes a statewide road bill could not pass, and that the Division's success in Baltimore city politics should be left to the local Highway Committee.
- "Nitram" reports the club's fair netted about $1,000; the Harlem Wheelmen won the most-popular-club chair with 438 votes to Brooklyn Bicycle Club's 419, and Dr. Johnson's 4,600 on the "Bicyola" took a Columbia Safety.
- "Marnola" reports the Louisiana Division has grown from 57 members in 1888 to 100, with a 95 per cent renewal rate, and that New Orleans men ride 365 days a year - a 50-mile road race was held in 80-degree heat in which one rider fainted.
- First of Geo. D. Mitchell's letters: landing at Liverpool from the "City of Paris" after a second-cabin crossing, then a week at Coventry selecting wheels among fifteen makers, with notes on the town's 3,500 hands, the Coventry Machinists' Company's 7,000 machines, Singer's forty bicycles for the Royal Army and a tandem built for fifteen bandsmen and a bass drum.
- The long-promised road book has finally appeared - some 260 handsomely bound pages with eight maps corrected to date - and the paper congratulates H. J. Crowther and the Road Book Committee.
- Item from the Burlington Free Press: bad roads have pushed potatoes at Vergennes to 65 cents a bushel, and farmers find it more profitable to feed sweet milk to stock than haul it to the creamery over mud.
- Review of the 1889 Christmas annual of the Cyclist - Moore's illustrations, the verse parody "John Quillpin," Isaac Vaulton's "Compleat Cycler," Henry Sturmey's tables of gears and a complete English racing calendar; orders taken at this office at fifty cents postpaid.
- William H. Rhawn, with A. J. Cassatt, George W. Childs, Jay Cooke, Joseph Wharton and others, offers $200, $150 and $100 for the best papers on road making and maintenance, to be judged anonymously under the auspices of the University of Pennsylvania and sent to Provost Dr. William Pepper by April 5, 1890.
- The editors direct readers to Holmes & Co. of 109 Kingston Street, Boston, who warn knit-goods manufacturers that infringing their patented cycling pants and tights will be met with legal proceedings.
- Standing notice giving the League's headquarters at 12 Pearl Street, Room 27, Boston, with Abbot Bassett as Secretary.
- Roll of League officers: President Chas. H. Luscomb of New York, First Vice President James R. Dunn of Massillon, Ohio, Second Vice President Sanford Lawton of Springfield, Treasurer W. M. Brewster of St. Louis and Secretary Abbot Bassett of Boston.
- Membership rosters of the League's committees - Membership (A. E. Mealy, F. L. Casselberry, George C. Pennell), Improvement of Highways (Chas. S. Butler, Wm. W. Share, Junius E. Beal), Rights and Privileges, Rules and Regulations, Racing (C. S. Davol and four others) and Transportation.
- Circular No. 9 from Chief Consul Wm. H. Emery directing Local Consuls to distribute three copies of the book on "Improvement of Highways" to Superintendents of Streets and Selectmen and to press their Representatives to support the coming road bill.
- Reprint from the Chicago Times using Profs. Jenks and Ely's estimates: hauling 100 bushels of grain one mile by wagon costs sixty cents against one-third of a cent by rail, so the farmer's worst enemy in transportation is the wagon road, not the railroad.
- Chief Consul Robt. Holm reports the Division has grown from 274 to 330 members but fell seventy short of his target of 400, blames the silence of Kansas City, St. Joseph and Joplin, and offers a calendar to every member who secures a recruit during January.
- State-by-state tables of League membership for 1889 and 1890 - New York down from 2,467 to 2,126, Massachusetts up from 1,236 to 1,604, Connecticut from 471 to 730 - with totals of 11,948 and 12,152.
- Sec.-Treas. Joe. H. Kelly's account from Sedalia, Mo.: $381.44 opening balance against disbursements for stamps, printing, express and framing the Kansas City hotel certificate, leaving $332.49 in hand; approved by Robert Holm, Chairman of the Finance Committee.
- Explains the official pointed sign-board, white ground with black lettering, and the three authorized stencil signals - O. K. or direction, cautionary, and danger - with the outfit of two stencils, brush, tube of ivory black and turpentine can furnished to Division officers for $1.00 delivered.
- Nelson H. Gibbs, Sec.-Treas., tells members who have not yet received a Road Book to apply through their Local Consul, or to call at 218 Westminster street if they live in Providence.
- Chief Consul Robt. Holm appoints Braun's Hotel at Farmington the L. A. W. hotel for that town, at regular rates of $2 a day and $1.50 to members presenting their ticket.
- List 222 - 37 names bringing the total to 12,189 - arranged by Division from California to Wisconsin, printed with Article III of the Constitution and the two weeks allowed for members to protest a candidate.