The Bicycling World, Vol 6, No 14
Articles in this issue
- The lead editorial weighs New York and Washington as sites for the 1883 L.A.W. Annual Meet, at first favoring Washington over New York's forbidding Central Park pathways and difficult approaches, but ultimately argues the Meet should go to New Haven, Connecticut, citing its central location, good streets, and Capt. Marsden's experience as League Commander.
- The New York correspondent recalls the city's early bicycle-club days before touring a Citizens' Bicycle Club 'musical' social evening attended by a delegation of Kings County Wheelmen and members of the Ixion Club, and previews the Ixions' upcoming 15 February sociable at Trenor's Hall.
- A Louisville correspondent signing as 'h.' describes a forty-mile winter ride with a companion, 'C', from Louisville toward Bardstown on a 54-inch Expert and a 48-inch Star bicycle, including a stop for dinner with a Mr. F along the Bardstown pike.
- A correspondent signing 'Count', writing from Xenia, Ohio, reports that the proposed Ohio Legislature bill forcing cyclists to dismount at the sight of any horse has found no newspaper support in the state, and that its author, Mr. Green, is said to be reconsidering it.
- The Missouri Bicycle Club's second exhibition at the St. Louis Natatorium, 24 January, is reported by 'One of the Eurotas', featuring drill riding, a comic novice act, and trick riding by Coler Stone and Fred Becker, plus a tricycle race between two young ladies.
- Julius Wilcox of New York explains the tricycle-trade distinction between 'gearing down' (reducing effective driver size for hill work) and 'gearing up' (increasing it for speed), giving two worked rules for calculating the required teeth on the gear wheel.
- Quoting Massachusetts chief consul Fred S. Pratt's 1882 letter on the benefits of state L.A.W. divisions, the Ohio League of Wheelmen's president describes how the L.O.W., under President Miller and secretary C. J. Krag, organized Ohio wheelmen's opposition to the dismount bill far faster than scattered League members could have alone.
- Correspondent 'o.t.' describes the Capital Bicycle Club of Washington's second rink exhibition on 29 January, packed to capacity, with Capt. Seely's twelve-man drill squad, a surprise giant portrait of the club's 'Klub Kat' mascot, and fancy riding by 'Cyclorum Rex' Rex Smith.
- Secretary W. Cowles announces the Hermes Bicycle Club's tournament at Chicago's Exposition Building on 22 February, aiming to rematch Louisville's A. G. Crawford and Cincinnati's Reed alongside champion amateur Chas. H. Jenkins and W. T. Franke.
- Club-by-club notes cover the Ixion Bi. Club's planned 15 February reception at Trenor's Hall in New York, the Kentucky Bi. Club's election of Aaron Cornwall as president, the Pennsylvania Bi. Club's vote for a new black-cheviot uniform, and reports from the Massachusetts, Cornell, Oberlin College and City of Brockton clubs plus the Boston Ramblers' drill challenge to the Crescent Bicycle Club.
- The Boston Bicycle Club's fifth annual dinner at Young's Hotel on 3 February drew about a hundred members and guests, with President Charles E. Pratt presiding over toasts answered by Boston Mayor Palmer, John Boyle O'Reilly, and the presidents of the Worcester and Providence clubs.
- The Capital Bicycle Club of Washington marked its fourth anniversary with a dinner at Harvey's on 31 January attended by about sixty, including District Commissioner Morgan, opening with President Leland Howard's address and continuing into a comic club census, an essay by C. R. Dodge, and a mock prophecy by Capt. L. W. Seely.
- The Cleveland Bicycle Club's first public riding and drill exhibition, January 31 at the skating rink, featured sixteen riders under Captain Fred T. Sholes in squad drills, interlocked-hands riding, and standstills; W.H. Wetmore closed with a solo fancy riding performance that earned him the title of Ohio's champion fancy rider.
- Writing as 'Dot' in the Tricyclist, a contributor argues that sociable tricycles should carry a second brake on the non-steering side rather than leaving control solely with the rider who also steers.
- Reprinted from the Spirit of the Times, the account of the 26-27 January professional races at New York's American Institute Rink reports W. C. Young's win of the 26-hour race with 257 miles over W. J. Morgan and W. M. Woodside, and dismisses the earlier 25-mile match between John S. Prince and Woodside as a staged 'humbug'.
- League business includes new membership applications from the Scranton, Springfield and Boston Ramblers clubs, W. F. Guilen's resignation as New York chief consul, a circular from corresponding secretary Fred T. Sholes urging chief consuls to recruit members, and the new Massachusetts Division's organizing letter from secretary F. P. Kendall.
- The B.T.C. lists 1883 membership renewals including J. S. Dean, Willis Farrington and the Gilmans of Nashua, and notes a members' excursion to England sailing 21 July 1883, to be arranged through chief consul Frank W. Weston.
- Miscellaneous club notes cover the Massachusetts Bicycle Club's Tuesday dinner at the Hotel Vendome, Marblehead wheelmen attending the Thorndikes' ball in Beverly, Scranton's dinner honoring President Sturgis, and a Crescent Bicycle Club ball, followed by items on John S. Prince's planned Western racing tour, C. J. Young's new endurance record and challenge, and H. D. Corey joining Stoddard, Lovering & Co.'s bicycle department.
- The 'To Correspondents' column briefly answers reader letters, including S. C. F. of New York, F. R. M. of Washington on the Capital anniversary clippings, 'The Kid' of Louisville, and P. B. R. of Ithaca, who is offered cabinet photos of John S. Prince or Lewis T. Frye.
- John W. Wilson of Boston publicly challenges C. J. Young to a three-event contest, a ten-mile bicycle race, a three-mile walk, and a five-mile bicycle race, for $100 a side, backed by a $10 forfeit lodged with the Boston Globe.
- A comic verse signed 't.w.' mock-heroically celebrates the speed and daring of bicycle riders while parenthetically undercutting each line with the mishaps, wobbles, headers, sprains and saddle-soreness, that really befall them.
- The editor test-rides the new 'crypto-dynamic gearing' on a front-steering double-driver tricycle, finding the low 23-inch setting effortless on the flat and the high 56-inch setting delivering a powerful 'swing' once under way.