The Canadian Wheelman, Vol 2, No 2
Articles in this issue
- The leading editorial urges wheelmen to use the enforced winter rest productively—keeping clubs alive, planning next season's campaign, compiling road information for the C.W.A. "Guide Book," and supporting The Canadian Wheelman.
- An editorial paragraph asks whether the Racing Board of the C.W.A. is too slow getting to work, questioning how the accuracy of the Toronto and Woodstock tracks and the season's records can be preserved and recognized in the United States.
- An editorial notes the Chicago Club's announced 1885 tour route—Buffalo to Rochester, across Lake Ontario to Cobourg, on to Belleville and the Thousand Islands, then by rail to Utica and down the Mohawk Valley—expecting many Canadians to join.
- Reprinting the Mirror of American Sports, the editorial argues the bicycle and tricycle have equal rights on the road and rebuts a judge's claim that a bicycle is harder to control in a crowd than a horse, citing a Chicago bridge incident.
- Short notes report that all Canadian records were made on "Invincibles," amateur photography's growing club popularity, the Springfield Bicycle Club's $7,000 tournament profit, Fred Westbrook racing in the South as "Patterson," and Frank Elwell's proposed Bermuda tour.
- A column of clippings from other journals, including Geo. E. Hutchinson's fancy riding at Elmira, Hugo Barthol's 2,800-mile European bicycle journey, a tandem tricycle used as a wedding carriage, Miss Mabel Corson's ride from Rochester N.H. toward Boston, and the Charles Robinson & Co. change of firm in Toronto.
- Secretary-Treasurer Hal. B. Donly lists new C.W.A. membership applications from the Winnipeg, Norwich, Berlin, Toronto and Woodstock clubs published under Article III of the Constitution for objection.
- An official report compares C.W.A. membership figures (402 in 1883, 714 by July, 512–523 now), urges that whole clubs must belong, discusses selling Association pins through Ellis & Co., and reports R. W. Hamlin of Oshawa expelled for throwing a race at Port Hope.
- A tall-tale road-riding sketch signed "Georgius" of Toronto recounts a hair-raising coast down "Jacob's hill" in northern Ontario, with melting brakes and disintegrating tires, as the narrator and his friend Bones survive at breakneck speed.
- Quoting Overman Wheel Company's announcement of the forthcoming Victor bicycle and an Outing essay, the article discusses the bicycle's prominence in art, citing paintings by Henry Sandham and R. Donaho at the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanics' Association fair.
- A humorous poem, signed S. F. and credited to the Sunday Courier, depicting club wheelmen swapping tall tales around the winter fire before dashing out on the riverside come spring.
- A New York newsletter signed "Kednallac" reporting over 900 city wheelmen, R. F. Searls's Champion time, the Ixion Bicycle Club road race, Thos. Stevens's planned England trip, Fred Jenkins's Star spill, and the Ladies' Tricycle Club meeting under Mrs. F. G. Bourne.
- A collection of press notices—from the Bicycling World, Springfield Wheelmen's Gazette and others—praising The Canadian Wheelman's revival and improvement under new management at the start of its second volume.
- Headed "Notes of the Doings of One of the Toronto Wanderers," extracts from architect S. H. Townsend's diary describe his European bicycle tour through Frankfort, Heidelberg, Carlsruhe, Stuttgart and the Black Forest (continued from the Toronto Mail).
- An English letter to the Philadelphia Press, datelined Canterbury, describes how London tradesmen, clerks, newspaper agents and holiday-makers use bicycles and tricycles throughout the day (to be continued).
- Reprinted from the Wheelman's Gazette, this piece praises the visiting English racers—Howell, Sellers, Leeming, Chambers, Illiston, Gaskell and James—who defeated the Americans at the Springfield tournament and carried home a new record.
- A review of the November Outing highlights its yachting coverage, J. A. Fraser's illustrated "A Scamper in the Nor'-West," Sylvester Baxter's "Wheeling Among the Aztecs," and the combined subscription price with The Canadian Wheelman of $2.25.
- A report (signed Georgius) on the Wanderers' Club of Toronto's second annual entertainment at the Granite Rink on 13 October, featuring a bicycle tug-of-war won by Orr and Duff, W. G. Hurst's one-wheel fancy riding, and the Club Eight's drill and pyramids.
- Signed "An Ottawa Bi.," this account describes the rain-soaked 24 September parade and races at Ottawa won by H. Roy, H. Ryrie and W. S. Odell of the O.B.C. on an almost unrideable, muddy track.
- A report on the Wanderers' A.C. sports at Halifax on 27 September, with the mile race won by F. Hillis over Cogswell, the slow race by Guy Stayner, and the mile dash by W. H. Rennie under Capt. W. M. Black's local club.
- A Birmingham News court report on John Cornforth v. Herbert O. Duncon, in which a jury found a sixteen-guinea bicycle a "necessary" for the defendant, who claimed to be an infant, and entered verdict for the plaintiff.
- A column of brief personal and club notes including Westbrook of Brantford racing South as "Patterson," George D. Gideon resigning the L.A.W. Racing Board chairmanship in favour of Abbott Bassett, Major Knox Holmes's tricycle match against G. L. Hillier, and Geo. M. Hendee's record attempt at Hampden Park.
- Continuing notes describe the Ottawa Capital Club's proposed special-Pullman trip to the New Orleans World's Exhibition, and reprint an Omaha Republican description of "Patterson" of Toronto winning six of eight events, hinting he is a well-known Canadian flyer.