The Cycle Age and Trade Review, Vol 25, No 150

Articles in this issue

• Tire Contract Still Good: Colonel Dodge Says Trouble Is Subsiding and Terms of License Unchanged

  Colonel Theodore Dodge told the Cycle Age that despite a faction of tire makers petitioning to abandon price minimums, he was bound equally by contract with all licensees and would only change terms if practically all agreed, and he expected the minimum 1900 prices of $2.75 and $4.25 per pair to be maintained for 1901, with the Goodyear suit settling on payment of royalties.
• Stearns Factory in Old Hands: Maslin Once More Obtains Possession and Will Make Frontenac Bicycles

  The former Stearns bicycle factory in Syracuse was leased by a new company organized by H.E. Maslin, with capital increased from $6,000 to $100,000, planning to produce 15,000 Frontenac brand bicycles in the tradition of the E.C. Stearns line, with Jacob Bretz resigning his A.B.C. connection to become sales manager.
• Evidence in Bracket Suits: Mrs. Smith Testifies That Brackets Were Brought Over to Her Husband from England

  Testimony for the defense in the A.B.C. vs. Snyder bottom bracket suit, taken over five weeks in Chicago and continued in Ohio, centered on evidence that Alfred Gould had brought bottom brackets from England to William Smith in January 1885, and that Smith's original goal had been building a safety bicycle suitable for ladies — with Mrs. Smith, credited as the first woman rider of a safety, confirming the account from a Catholic institution where she was now living.
• Cycle Show at Madison Square: Exhibit Will Be Held in January — Motor Cycles to Be a Leading Feature

  The next New York cycle show was announced for January 12-19, 1901 at Madison Square Garden, with motorcycles and automobiles to be featured prominently alongside bicycles, and a demonstration track arranged in the basement for showing vehicles in motion.
• A.B.C. Branch in Australia: Company Has Secured Big Store of People Who Found Economy Necessary

  The American Bicycle Company was reported planning to open a branch store in Sydney taking over Bennett & Wood's prominent premises, while signs of trade contraction were evident in the leading trust dealer downsizing to cheaper quarters and the Rambler-Crescent agency going into liquidation.
• Froths at the Mouth: A Parisian Manager Doesn't Like a Poor Report of His Exhibit at the Exposition

  The Paris exhibition manager for the American Bicycle Company, one S. Krantz, furiously attacked a Cycle Age report of his exhibit as the 'silly utterances of a lying reporter' — prompting the Cycle Age to respond that his denial only confirmed the accuracy of the original account.
• Expert Editorial Eccentricity

  The Cycle Age editorial noted with amused respect that Bicycling World was insisting motor bicycle manufacturers immediately produce working machines, and argued that the Cycle Age's conservative position — that mass-market motor bicycles were not yet technically ready — was more accurate and more helpful to the trade than wishful boosterism.
• Truth About Motor Bicycles: Writers Furnish No Ideas but Demand Production and Mislead Dealers — Makers are Not Ready

  The Cycle Age argued that trade paper agitation for motor bicycles was misleading dealers into preparing for a market that did not yet exist, because no manufacturer had produced a machine meeting the commercial specifications required for reliable day-to-day use by ordinary customers.
• Biographical Sketches of Prominent Dealers—V: Started with Fifty Dollars — M.S. O'Neil Paid Cash for Everything, and His Business Has Grown Steadily

  M.S. O'Neil of the Bicycle Supply Co. of Cherokee, Iowa described how he had entered the bicycle business with just $50, paying cash for everything and building his trade steadily over several years into a successful operation that included a well-equipped repair shop.
• Leading Missouri Dealers Selling by Consignment: Australian Cycle Trade Mainly Conducted on that System

  Roy B. Peebles of the Peebles Cycle Co. in Carthage, Mo. described eight years in the bicycle business and the consignment selling system, noting its parallels to Australian trade practice; the column also covered A.N. Rust of Davenport, Iowa, who was turned down by the trust for refusing to guarantee a $500 purchase.
• Patent Office Pickings: Several Interesting Bicycle Inventions of Recent Origin — Two Novel Crank Hangers — Other Devices

  Recent patents included two novel crank hanger designs engineered to avoid the Smith-Owen bottom bracket claims that the A.B.C. was then litigating in court, along with other bicycle devices of varying utility including a new chainless driving mechanism by Charles Baylor of La Porte, Indiana.
• Gasolene and Its Uses: May be Handled with Safety — Causes of Accidents — Rules for Its Use — Interesting Tests

  A letter to the Cycle Age editor from Boston addressed dealer and repairer concerns about handling gasoline safely, explaining the causes of accidents attributed to 'gasoline explosions' and providing practical rules for safe storage and use that would help cycle repairmen avoid the fires frequently reported in the daily press.
• Who Can Do It First? There Is a Splendid Chance for the Invention of Means for the Practical Production of Jointless Frames

  The Cycle Age challenged inventors to solve the remaining major unsolved problem in bicycle frame construction — the practical production of a jointless frame — arguing that despite the already remarkably low manufacturing costs, the goal of a seamlessly jointed frame was still within reach for the right inventor.
• America to an Australian: Tourist Relates Humorous and Serious Experiences and Tells of Strange Questions Propounded

  Karl M. Creelman, a Canadian cyclist cycling through Asia after completing a tour of Australia, shared frank impressions of Australia and the curious questions propounded to him by Australians and others during his journey through countries where American cycling was little understood.
• The Pastime and Sport: Championship Decided by Points

  The sports column argued that the new points-based national championship system was more satisfying than the old single-race format, as Major Taylor's win under the new regime reflected genuine season-long consistency rather than a single day's result — a fairer reflection of true competitive superiority.
• Resume of Week's Racing: Many Troubles with Pace

  The twenty-five-mile match between Archie McEachern and Harry Elkes at Baltimore on September 27 was disrupted by repeated pacing troubles, though both riders competed as well as conditions allowed; the column also covered results from European meetings and the season's closing outdoor events.