The Bicycling World, Vol 64, No 13
Articles in this issue
- The Motorcycle Dealers' Association of Greater New York and the United Cyclists will tender a dinner to the motorcycle, bicycle and accessory trade at the Hotel Earlington on January 10, show week; Governor Dix, Governor Wilson, Mayor Gaynor and playwright George M. Cohan are among those invited, tickets $2 for 250 guests.
- The Marvel Motorcycle Co., Hammondsport, N. Y., will build only one 1912 model, a 4-5 horsepower magneto-equipped single listing at $200, with higher-grade metals in the truss spring fork, Eclipse free engine clutch and N. S. U. two-speed gear as extras.
- Glenn Curtiss's name stays on the machine: the Curtiss Motor Co., Hammondsport, N. Y., will build one 1912 model, a 4-5 horsepower overhead-valve roller-bearing single at $200, with Bosch magneto ignition and a novel float-oil crankcase regulator.
- Bosch magnetos become exclusive equipment on all 1912 Excelsior singles and twins built by the Excelsior Supply Co., Chicago — one of the largest motorcycle contracts on the Bosch books — after DeRosier's and Balke's Excelsior racers had long used them.
- The Schickel Motor Co., Stamford, Conn., is equipping a large factory to build Norbert H. Schickel's two-cycle motorcycle on a large scale, with 500 machines in the first run and an eventual output of 125 a month, backed by a national magazine advertising campaign.
- London "Motorcycling" frets that cheap American machines will undercut British prices as American motor cars have; the Hendee Mfg. Co., Aurora Automatic Machinery Co., American Motor Co. and Pierce Cycle Co. already have British agents.
- A sectioned drawing shows that the Harley-Davidson "Ful-Floteing" seat uses no oil or air cushion: spiral springs "A" and "B" work under compression on both strokes of the seat pillar, set to the rider's weight by nuts "E" and "D."
- The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., Akron, O., declares a 12 per cent annual dividend on its common stock, up from 7 per cent, on gross sales of about $13,000,000 for the year.
- Over President Walter Davidson's signature the Harley-Davidson Motor Co., Milwaukee, warns the trade that its Ful-Floteing seat is covered by U. S. letters patent, that proceedings have already been begun against one manufacturer, and that dealers and users of infringing devices are equally liable.
- G. W. Campbell & Co., of Waterloo, Ia., has contracted with the Hendee Mfg. Co., Springfield, Mass., for three carloads — about 180 Indian machines — for 1912, expecting to sell 300 in northeastern Iowa.
- Toronto's leading dealers met at the St. Charles on November 22 to found a dealers' association for co-operative newspaper advertising and scrutiny of instalment selling; those present included Herbert Kipp (Indian), Walter Andrews (Pierce and Motosacoche), Steve License (Harley-Davidson) and W. E. Davis (Humber).
- The Motorcycle Dealers' Association of Greater New York will replace its December 19 business meeting with a "feast of friendship" beginning at 10 P. M., the chief topic being the show-week dinner to the trade.
- The assets of the bankrupt Reliance Motorcycle Co., Owego, N. Y., go to public sale at the plant on December 18 by order of trustee H. T. Patton, who will continue to fill parts orders for all Reliance models.
- Saul Lipski has sold his interest in the Standard Cycle Co., Milwaukee, and joined the National Supply Co., 207 W. Main street, Louisville, Ky., which will wholesale exclusively.
- F. A. Baker & Co., New York, market a non-skid tire chain for 26- and 28-inch wheels in types for chain, belt or shaft drive; it fits rear wheels only, as front forks lack clearance, and racing man J. U. Constam recommends it after tests on greasy asphalt and muddy macadam.
- Walter E. Flanders is elected president of the Flanders Mfg. Co., Pontiac, Mich., succeeding Robert M. Brownson, whose general-managership passes to Don C. McCord; sales manager George W. Sherman also resigns.
- The Jefferson Cycle Company, of St. Louis, is running a motor-driven, cyclometered wheel in its window with a guessing contest on the distance recorded from December 1 to 24.
- M. R. Albert, of Brown Bros., Ltd., London, sails late in December chiefly to attend the Madison Square Garden show and meet the American trade.
- The New York Motorcycle Show numbers of the Bicycling World and Motorcycle Review will be dated January 6 and 13, the first carrying a forecast of the exhibits and the second complete illustrated descriptions of every machine shown.
- A leader on what the Olympia show in London decreed: change gearsets with two to four ratios, spring frames, hand and foot starters, chain drive gaining on belt, gravity sight-feed lubrication and a growing ladies' and sidecar trade.
- The fixture calendar for December 1911 to March 1912, from the Augusta and Tampa Christmas Day meets and the New Year's Eve midnight scorches from Bedford Rest to Coney Island, through the Madison Square Garden show of January 6-20, to the Philadelphia, Chicago and Denver shows.
- The first 1912 motorcycle catalog out is the Pierce Cycle Co.'s, Buffalo, N. Y. — an embossed cover over 32 illustrated pages given largely to the construction of Pierce machines.
- F. A. Baker & Co., New York City, offer a limited number of 1911 Indians: the 2 1/4 horsepower single at $150 with battery ignition or $175 with Bosch magneto, in red or blue, clutch included.
- Toronto: the Canadian Wheelmen's Association is picking a team for the 200-mile Olympic road race around Lake Mälar, Sweden, and will petition the government for use of the Toronto Armories for winter training; eight riders and a trainer are expected to go.
- J. Leo Sauer, chairman of the F. A. M. Legal Action Committee, met 56 Toronto riders on December 6 and found the Toronto Motorcycle Club and President Falconer's Canadian Wheelmen's Association deadlocked over control of the sport in the Dominion.
- A jab at trade-rider pot-hunters who promote their own snap meets, ride for and win their own prizes, and pocket the money instead of buying prizes they do not want.
- Following Connecticut, New Jersey will supply motorcyclists with uniform number plates next year at no extra charge, the $2 registration fee unchanged and all licenses expiring December 31.
- A full-page allegorical cartoon signed Warwell, showing St. Gaudens's Diana above the Garden tower and the 1891 high-wheel field giving way to the 1911 riders as winged Father Time rides beside them.
- The 19th and final six-day race in Madison Square Garden, started a minute after midnight on December 11 under Patrick T. Powers, drew more than 12,000 to the start; twelve teams were tied after two days and the field was three and a half miles ahead of record until the Wednesday morning smash cost Van Houwaert and others.
- A colour piece on the Garden during the race: the ten-lap-to-the-mile yellow pine track banked at 45 degrees, fifteen muslin cots, the Bicycling World's first sales booth, the United Cyclists' Olympic banner, F. A. T. Moore's seven-year hot-dog concession and the Sixty-ninth Regiment Band that has played every race since 1891.
- Ludwig and Rossellen won the ten-hours-a-day eight-day race at Mainz, November 19-26, by six laps, covering 2,224 kilometers (1,382 miles); Echterhoff and Zeeh were second.
- A. R. W. Collins, winner of the Warrnambool road race, Australia's cycling classic, is disqualified on the protest of third man F. Lessing, who claims Collins held him by his clothing in the sprint; Collins has appealed.
- Frank L. Kramer beat A. J. Clark and Willy Lorenz of Germany in two straight heats of the three-cornered match at the Garden curtain-raiser on December 10; Joseph A. Fogler took the ten-mile open, Paul C. Heidrich the quarter-mile and Herbert Clouse the half-mile handicap, while Elmer Collins punctured chasing James F. Moran.
- The U. C. I. has approved August 25 and 28 and September 2 at the Newark Velodrome for the 1912 world's championships, awarded to the National Cycling Association after Mihlon and Chapman submitted dates; sprint, 1,000 metres and 100 kilometre motor-paced titles are included.
- The Crescent Bicycle Club of Baltimore ran to Clifton Park on December 10 and raced round the lake on a seven-eighths mile roadway; Joseph F. Solan, J. Fred Huber, Thomas W. Baker and August T. L. Leimbach took the class events.
- The J. D. Williams Amusement Co. opens a 40-team six-day race at the Sydney Cricket Grounds on January 1 with pedestrian events in the infield, and a month later the Austral Wheel Race leaves the Melbourne Bicycle Club for the first time since 1886.
- Hoffman of Germany won the three-heat match at the Berlin Winter Velodrome on November 30 with two firsts and a second (4 points), from Ellegaard of Denmark and Stol of Holland, both on 7.
- Gordon Walker, the Australian familiar to American followers of bicycling, is home again and will ride in both of the coming six-day races there.
- A London letter of December 3 reviewing the second Olympia show: the Sturmey-Archer three-speed hub, Armstrong, Bradbury and Clyno gearsets, the Amac, Puch Senspray and Brown and Barlow carbureters, and rebuilt Humber, Scott, Precision, Hudson, Rex, Excelsior and Lloyd motors.
- Two rival sets of board-track franchise resolutions are before the F. A. M. directors — President Hamilton's scheme of "preferred sanctions" with mileage and population limits, and Chairman Thornley's restrictive sanctions at $700 to $2,000 a year with a club-house benefit attached; a vote deadlocked and the matter goes over to New York show week.
- At Salonica, James Gylamett, a young Turk home from several years in the United States with a motorcycle, has had marriage proposals from two women of rank, one wealthy, and declined them.
- Lindsborg, Kan., has formed a club taking in practically every motorcyclist in town, organised by district F. A. M. commissioner Philip E. Zimmerman of the Hagstrom Bros. Mfg. Co., who is also arranging motor trucks for the Short Grass Motorcycle Club's August tour.
- Indianapolis: Charles Grimm of Forest Park and A. G. Ernst of Oak Park have passed through bound for Florida, reporting heavy roads and slow going.
- Chairman Estabrook reports a winter surge in F. A. M. affiliation, with clubs forming at Lorain, O. (Dr. A. M. Webster), Lincoln Park in Chicago, Whittier, Cal., Rome, Wis. (L. C. Notbohm), Charleston, S. C. and even Manila, and fourteen more repair shops added to the registered list of 400.
- C. F. Splitdorf, New York, maker of magnetos, coils and plugs, has given the F. A. M. 3,000 pocket road books with maps, mileages and a digest of state motor laws, obtainable from Secretary Gibson at Westboro, Mass., for ten cents in stamps.
- Frank Marshall, formerly president of the Terre Haute (Ind.) Motorcycle Club and a well known Indian racing man, has moved to Louisville and manages the motorcycle department of the Sutcliffe Co.
- The Providence Motorcycle Club doubled its membership in 1911 and has arranged with dealer and treasurer B. A. Swenson for larger quarters in his new Broad street building; a January banquet is planned and officers nominated, with E. L. Buffington and A. R. Magee up for president.
- The Chesapeake Motorcycle Club of Baltimore, founded last September, held its first dance on December 11; it now has 22 members, is campaigning for 50 and takes new quarters at 1801 1/2 Baker St. in January.
- Nearly the whole Louisville M. C. membership turned out for the first meeting in its new rooms just off Broadway; recent recruits are Indian racing man Frank Marshall and Arthur W. Ellis of the local Goodyear branch.
- Los Angeles: Jake DeRosier is said to be dickering with British champion C. R. Collier for a series of races here; Ascot Park has been reinstated and speed parties begin December 17 with Balke, Graves and Derkum, while Charles Fuller Gates is again local F. A. M. racing chairman and Jack Prince promises his new track by February.
- Augusta, Ga., looks forward to its club's fair-grounds meet on Christmas Day, with a 50-mile free-for-all and a match between a seven horsepower stock Merkel and a four horsepower "ported" Merkel racer.
- Walter Cunningham, on a 4 horsepower 1912 Harley-Davidson straight out of the crate, won the 67-mile Wichita to Wellington and return road race on Thanksgiving Day in 1:45:14, a course record, beating Max Wilson's 1911 Harley-Davidson by four seconds through snow, slush and mud.
- Mechanical trouble rather than speed decided the Tampa Motorcycle Club's meet at Tampa Bay Park: John Marsicano (Excelsior) took the 15-mile open after Frank Nelms (Indian) broke a chain, and Carl Torres (Thor) won the 10-mile.
- The United Cyclists' American Olympic Bicycle Race Fund gathers support: Charles A. Persons will give specially designed racing saddles made to Frank L. Kramer's and "Major" Taylor's suggestions, the St. Louis Cycling Club subscribes a record $50, a committee is drafting a New York bill against the muffler cut-out, and O. P. Warlick heads a new motorcycle committee.
- Bad weather and roads turned the Eastern Division C. R. C. A.'s December 10 run into a 10-mile "walk" to Centurion A. R. Cooley's house under Captain Segal's rule that entrants appear with at least part of a bicycle; Harry Baum finished first and a 100-mile version is planned.
- Howard French, dean of the Baltimore dealers, has written Jack Prince for estimates on a one-third mile board motordrome after rain wrecked the Thanksgiving Day meet at Electric Park; he plans a stock company with $25 shares sold to local riders and fans.
- A correspondent signing H. T. M. asks the editor for the address of a firm making or selling a small storage battery suitable for lighting a bicycle headlight.
- A. B. H., setting up a motorcycle and accessory agency in a prominent Brazilian city, invites manufacturers' best discounts quoted F. O. B. New York, terms cash against sight draft with bill of lading attached.
- W. M. G. of Toronto asks whether Volney Davis completed his return transcontinental trip; the editor answers that Davis reached San Francisco on October 14, 48 days after leaving New York on August 28.
- Brooklyn's bicycle and athletic clubs are invited to take decorated balcony boxes at the Eastern Division C. R. C. A.'s fourteenth annual ball at Alhambra Hall, Seventh avenue and One Hundred and Twenty-sixth street.