Logansport Pharos-Tribune from Logansport, Indiana • Page 9

SUPPLEMENT, LOGANSPORT, INDIANA, SUNDAY MORNING, JULY 5, 1896. PAGES 9 TO 12. MARVEL OF THE AGE The Magic of the Wheel Has Touched Every Branch of Trade. 'TIS A TOY TURNED TO A FIT USE Millions Have Been Diverted From the Customary Channels of Trade for the Bike. nusic, the Theatre, Jewelers, Liverymen, Steamboats, the Railroads Merchants, all Feel the Power of the New-Found King.

HOW OTHER TRADES SUFFER IN A YEAR: Horses and Pleasure Vehicles 15,000,000 and 10,000,000 Pianos Tailoring 10.000,000 Cigars T.000,000 Jewelry 7,000,000 Confectionery 0,000,000 Dress Millinery Watches' .4,000,000 Street 3,000,000 Whiskey and Lager. 2,500,000 "BnHroarts, Excursions, 2,500,000 2,000.000 'Total In all the wonder story of. 'commerce and money dealings from the days the Phoenicians, there Is no chapter so astounding that whicn tells of' the A toyi it the trade of. £j'' within compass of five Serious people laughed nt It called the folks who rode if'feath- Today those eame serious people have their capital from world-wide Iv? enterprises and started It anew In. the: J' bicycle business to save themselves, from commercial.shipwreck.

The whirring of these cobweb wheels --Vhaa been like the spider's spinning-si-: SX ient, wonderful Fortunes -have-been as if by -magic. Men who five tv years bad not the price of a for soul's sake, nor any apparent 'means of gettlng.lt, count their riches 'now in. seven figures. Every world knows 'Is-'theirs for the Xi, There have been South Sea bubbles of and coal and oil. But all this history, of imoney manias no parallel bicycle fever.

''It; has set civilization by the ears. J5j today a hodge-podge, and no man, if all men are to bo believed, money except the men -who )v' makes the bicycle. Moreover no iSJP tell 1 It will end. The facts and-figures are appalling. Commerce, for nll.Jfs keen vision, read them aright.

years ago, 'in this whole wide country, not 60,000 were' made or sold, and the 'aolld, stolid business men made mock' ft "playthings." Mark the change. In this year of and pneamattc tires, fonr-flftliB Jife million wheels -will be marketed tne United States alone. -The leaders In the.blcyctc trade say average price for these Multiply. There will been $66.000,000 spent thia year United States alone, for blcjcle 1 IjiS The world Is bicycle mad. Here $00,000,000 deflected from ihe channels of trade and Into the pocket.

Man, woman and child of- awheel "Business hours" are only the Intervals, now, that must elapse be- tween trips upon the wheel Honest Wl, have no claim on attention. The Hk bicycle la a preferred creditor to every nuin, ilch and poor. The butcher, the baker ami the candlestick maker may whistle for their pay so long as the bi- cyclo vendor Is well reckoned with. Firms which for a century have flnaneinl gales have stopped, in a twinkling, now. The money which used to flow into their coffers goes for bicycles.

The church? It is forgotten. The Sabbath? A cycling day. The theatre? Old-fashioned fun. horse? Token nud companion of gentletnnnhooU, a hack, browsing on the highway. Jewels? Watches? Clothing? Tne men who carried on those'industries have turned machinery to of rubber tlves and ball, bearings.

Tobacco has been forsaken. WLno. is mocked nt. Wheels and 'ginger pop. 'That Is the order of the day.

Railroad dividends are 'decimated. Poltitcs become merely catering to the wheelmen's wishes. There was talk, once, of-a railroad lobby Where Is it now? Bead the history of the Armstrong bill at The bicycle bad'force there made the lobby look like Infant more remarkable than the-more fact that It all has been done in flve abort years, Is tMs, rhat the addition to deflecting money from all. the legitimate channels of trade, has Sept. people fromi spending money which.they were able would -have spontj the marvel of the sport.

That to Its keynote. The Sunday the past week canvassed.the old fnsrioned trades which people used to sppnd their money on before the bicycle came to overwhelm everything else, and Set the world's nrarkeit at a standstill. It has learned of the millions upon millions-of money are invested the manufacture of Incredible profits which are reaped from their sole. It has traced the money from the tills of shoe men, tailors, plnno men, confectioners, horse dealers and Hvery -men, dry'goods men, book and occupation. It has heard the tales of woe which tradesmen tell of to abandon their proper lines of business and start the sale of bicycles to making assignments and going Irretrievably to the wall.

The shrinkage In every line of business Is and the trade' periodicals which voice the feelings of the business men are full of, complaining. Perhaps the best financial -and economic authority In America -Is the Journal of Commerce. Indicating the trades which have suffered most, the makes this editorial statement: "So iintaense are the retail, Jewelers wiho have taken up bicycles as a side tine that my newspaper publishes a list of them as a weekly feature. Among the maaufnaturers wbto have added to the making of watch wheels, those of the bicycle are the Dueber Watch Case Company of Caaitan. the Illinoid Watch Company, which includes Hie Dlgln, King and tihe Howawl Watoh and Clock ComUpiny, of Boston.

The Stanley Maaufaoturiog 'Oomapny, of New York City, to a sywllcato of New York and S. F. Myers Oo. ConCrol the Olympic The Watarbuiy, Stari-. dard Woitch.Oonipa-ny are mow makliia; cyclometers and bicycle A very large stare of the $75,000,000 that goes Into bicycles tills yenr does so at tbe expense of watch and'jewelry trade.

rertaller suffers In the lack of safe of smiall articles, such as rings, pins, cliurms, "It costs $25 a year at least to keep a btoycte to 1 'repaiir, and I toke of the- money speM by cyelteto for special ctotlilng, but chese iit-ems po to keep wiieel- oien's pockar. drained of the spare, dlmrge, mmch of which formerly, went, over thp jeweler's counter. 2,000,000 cyclists fbe United Stiiies spctul nt least $00,000,000 ti year Inddentlolly wlieeMinp. It is u'Cxt to Co "'tell 'how much fli- vented ftwmi ttiie trade: Th'e. laet statls-.

-publislied- were for 1892, tbe oniitput of watolies Had clocks wad val'uexl air, $15,883,817, and for. Jewelry in 1890. was $28.000,000. 1 have lietivd It est.fcraa.ted llwt thp'Jew-. elry mud watdi tnide is.at present morii.

than. 25 per cent, 'below, norainl, in a rough; es'Uuiate would show Wic business to be depressed, lii this year about $10,000,060.. We believe that depression te. but temporary. Tlie enormous purehases of bicycles can go on for lauff.

WH.Ii.ln a year or two the riaiug population will liave purchased wheels, and ifbtm' thera will be a Steady, logical business, wheels beJng bought to replace those' that are worn oat, with a reasonable -mimber of first orders. Ttoe high coro- missilon will be doive a-wsiy with. Bicycles wd be a staple in the stock of i-eqtilsfte for iits enjoyment and does not think of buying extensive outfit essential itn former yeans to the summer girl. I would not undertake to say what percentage of the gross dry goods business of $1,000,000,000 annually in this conn- tiny is comprised by term dress goods, but it is. very, large, and the depression the.

adroiltited basis of 20 per muse be reckoned In -very rounid aiuuibers." ptaino business is over 50 per cent below. tlie normal" Mr. Dlcknum, oC Decker Brothers, ''amd the trail of th'e bicycle Is over tt all. I.have traveled extensively during tlie. year, and everywhere tlie dealer telte the vsame story People nre buying bicycles for cash, or on the instalment plain, to the neglect: of the pianos.

Tlie establ'isli'inejQtB that rent pianos are doing -next ro nothing. Tlie class of people wflro canawt afford to buy a pianu onibrlght, but formerly rented them for $3 or a month; are now renting wheels or paying for tliero on'monthly payments. Tlie output ol' piauos in the factories of the United States should be 00,000 ninnnaUy. Less than 40,000 be dfeposed' of. Speaking very ronjsrhJy, nud averaging thorn nt $300 eneli, tihere is a loss of at least $13,500,000 ou-itlhe year to tlie piano industry.

"The-plttyoivs are all coiwln-g bore, and tliey itavGfail the same story to tell the worst dieatrlcail season for years," su'ld Colonel T. Atotan Brown, of Sim- dramatic agents. "Hundreds of combinations closed their season when the began, to fiiug. They were' the wise ones. What was tiie cause? Ask them, and they reply in-one 'Tha only show Rights were tlie rainy PRESIDENTIAL Henry Modre Teller, ol Colorado, who.

recently left Republican party beoaon of his views concerning silver: wai horn irtjSranger, AlleelUny county, fl. i 3 dealers im There will not be an' oyepproducbita or an over "In vestment of And tiie bicycle will settle down a live imd.let live Tfaen will by the ow.n«irB of will. be money to 'Bpeod for and other "As to. the. effect of the bicycle- craze upon dry goods Mr.

S. managJttJg editor, of. Dry Goods EocttKttnlst: "I your attention to a roceut editorial in the Dry 1 Goods.EconoHitet, in 'which I spoke of the.cy<Jltag. mania as one.of Mie factors tbnt have de- piess tlhe dress goods trade. "Most lotlles, especially young ojies, tastend of putting on expensive cos- calliag upon their friends or promenading, are present more apt to spend thalir spare time attired in cycling suits and spinning on the ever- populiar wteel.

"Tthle Is by no means confined to Even In manufaoturlrag town, Where the pay roll Is 'uniform throughout the report a shttokage In some cages as great twenty per cent. In their dress goods sales, wbMe dress goods de-" In New York faity nre seriously conrtdertag the advisability of reducing the amimiber of their employes. thteOTfiwt be added the popularity of the shirt waJHt.wom by nearly every woman cyclM whtt dloes not appear to a special cyrtlng ganb. Thte extends to aU brondbes of tfbe ibusineas (affected by faslbtans. It Teduces the de- tnanid for mUllniery arid foi; outing gowuH; to fact, the wvimon op tho wheel Is ao devwted to'tbe recreation that -she There were, big attrac- 1 tlons made.money, but not what.

expected, that counts, of cwuise, as a. loss. The companies that played to. the cheapest, towns fared better, than who 'apealed to the iippor and niiddle classes. Business wns.

not bad It was not until tihe sun began smootli, dry roods tibatthte attendance fell off. Re- turns'from a of good show towns niil tell the ravages of the The 'ptlospents for summer opera light eniteitailnments, which a few years ago great moneymakers, are very gfloomy, and miamagens are declining to enter into the once profitable summer It remains to be seem wliat will be itbe effect on the New York roof gardens The managers are evidently fearful, for they are catering to the cycling fraternity already with in- tioiro.cemen.tB atf 'wlieete dheeked' and 'cycltag costumes A fair estimate IB 'that the theatrical season yielded about 40 per C6nlt loss tnan rihiouM have done. Some of the returned managers in their claims of losses remind me, however, of the fellow who desperately amouioced that he had tost 1500,000 the previous summer because he dtd not have cattle to eat up flue gross which, Wad dried up In Montana during the hot months." a decline of at least 23 par cent, to the volume of light lead- Inj? novels anld periodicals was admitted which, for the want of any other tangible 1 Information, must be attributed to Hbe bicycle. People who spend thefr spare 'hours on wlieels do not buy tbe wibioh they have no time to rcadi Mliler, dealers In photo- graphic supplies, declare that, the general ImiJresston to tlie contrary notwithstanding, the bicycle is doing very to the amateur with his losteuman'ts are today more perfect and cheaper than, ever, but bus- ass would be better by 50 per cent were tliore ho bicycles. It IB the railroads and steamboats that formerly dlid an enormous -excursion business to points near the large cities tluit dlirefttly feel the bicycle popularity.

Every. Sunday 30,000 wheels spin over th'e roads of Long.Island;'New Jersey cmTjliis. as many people) who formerly sought sylvan shades "by rail-or There nre bigger enoAVicls 'at Coney Island ever before, but there Is no difficulty In geit- a on trains. There will not be a rival line of steamers to the beach this suiisiuer. there was last.

One steamer to handle all of tbe Rockaway crowds. It is .1 very pleasant mu.to Hint resort on a bicycle. in liquors and lager beei I'niiim. tliiat nlie bicycle does them no good. Noi'gMwliood saloons are de seiMJpn nt night, Tha erstwhile.

cufi- mers am on iflualr wheels. Suburban gardens where there is dancing are not tnhtug In Wie cost' of tlie music. fact te the cyclist does not drink iiitoxi- cants. Any road side or seaside iiUin- koeper win say this. The cyclist when Acs calls for lager or soft stuff.

There are a million, people. iMvbrel IMI any good Sunday. One out a hundred'will call for whfeke.v; that tihonsnnd whiskey drinkers: Allowing oath man one' drink, i which run sixty to the sfaltou. and. the con- of stuff by wheelmen annouint to ISO.

gallons day. Tin- remaftitasr 090.000 will average one frtes.of lager, soda, lemonade, or clnp- oivaJe. of'a half ikit each, or 02,000 dniKy tlie' of uon-in- coxlcamts dmes as great as Tlie and suburban liotels, have heretofore Iind their army of boarders from tlie city, look forwaivl to the loss of part of this profitable patronage. The cyclist wJU prefer to reumlii to Now York, witii all the comforts of a home, pleased to able to mount.luis wheel at.a moment's outlug day by day wherever he Iteteth. "Same of -the expenditures for bicycles' mny have come out of savings, but such Information as we have from savings bonks, and building associations Indicates that a very small part of if has been.

obtained. The deposits in savings banks in this State last, year were exceptionally large, and yet It Is evident without statistics that tlie expenditures for wheels was very, great. Most of tiie wheels nre in all probability bought with, money that would otherwise have been spent for dress or ornaments or house keeping or luncheons amusements. The diversion of anywhere to seventy million dollars In a year from clothing and Jewelry and dry goods, trades and other lines of business catering'to comfort and to a certain ox- tent to real needs, also, will account, for a good deal of dullness of trade and. a good deal -of diminished requirements on the part of retoil merchants.

Xo line of'trade has suffered great a proportionate loss, as the. horse The bicycle.hns killed the horse -The. manager of the Windsor Livery S(tableej in Forty-ninth street, said: "Our business fell away fully 50 per. cent, last Is no Ing that It was the" trolley cars'and cable cars that.did it, was the cycle. We bought for summer use twenty new runabout They have never been off the upper loft of the where they, were stored, from that day to this.

Men who keep.their own hordes, and who have generally taken them alonjf to the countiy Io t' summer time, are leaving them home this year, with Instructions to sell If opportunity comes Especially are saddle horses a drug In the market. We used to keep twenty. Sow there is no call for, them. You can get first-class horses now for wnat you would have to pay for an old carcass flve years ago Riding academies have failed and been turned Into bicycles schools Liverymen have, to mnny cases, disposed of all but a few of their horses and put bicycles in their stalls instead. The business Isidead.

"Carriages are equally a diug in tho maiket and saddlery hardware firms have absolutely nothing to do JTallwe upon failure attests that Men wbo dealt In hay have no business, and so the farmer has no nuwtet for bis hay The bicycle won't eat hay Fully two- thirds of the livery horses have been thrown the market, at any piice that could be gotten. Worse almost, than man to tlie merchant Mr. Burnham, of the Burnham Pbll- in Nassau street, the most substantial upper middle clans of the trade. "Yes," he said, reckon that tue bicycle furor, has diminished business fully 25 per cent, the countiy over, counting in all the modifying The "best clothes," the "Sunday, suit" has been abolished," he.said. has; ordinary sumeier suit.

The bicycle, wiit ready-made, cheap and -shoddJV am bought for a five-dollar note; That-is what is worn Sunday now. There is.no call for a man to be weil dressed. Jaunting through 'the country; on bicycle. Without counting possible compensating influence there may be. rb.e tailors" less would be fully 50 per cent.

But tailors try to look at It in a moderate light, "People cannot smoke on a wheel, and the habit is consistent with the 'training' notion the The total product of cigars is 4.000,000,000, The consumption, reliable figures show, ta decreasing since tlie bicycle craze reached its present height averages no less than a yeir. Do you know what that menus'? It means 1 'of, one-fifth, and' That goes for wheels If this continues, there need be ho fear of ft famine in Havana tobacco for-the cl- pars will not be needed nor the workman to make them, either." Tlie editor, of Jewelers' Wenkly said: "There is no doubt that the manufacturers of and dealers In' watches and Jewelry are tlie'hardest, hit of any of the trades at the present time A man'or woman with the prlccc of 'a; watch or a bicycle buys the Now that you inform me that Colonel Pope of the.Columbia wheel (and no one will question authority) were 550,000 bicycles sold In 1805 that more will pass Into the hands of the people this ear I can. readily understand why thousands of. Jewelers all over country are sow selling bicycles and why ho many of our leading watch manufacturers hare extended their plants-and are now making bicycles or bicycle goods The sale of 825,000 bicycles at an average of each means that Is to be diverted from.ihe ordinary channels or trade' and go to enrich the. maker wheels and their appurtenance, euch aa lamps, bells, cyclometers, locks, name plates! etc.

which bring the total up to York A GOOD ROAD SUGGESTION. Pick up and Remove all Small Stones In the Streets. the agiitatloa of good througJioat is being pushed, the people of iflie cMes islwuld not forget tliot there are many little Improve- in the. city's. liigliways tJiat, be attended- to by the property owners'-withowt much, expense, -and which would result in vastly Improved' streets, "not 'or blcycie riding, bnt for carriage travel as There Is notOdng more, annoying, to.

the driver of.a-veMde4ba«i to run over 'email stones to the streets. To be con- stumitly Jolted and Jostled about by these smnU obstruotJons is say the least To tihe wlieel rider the boulders of from two to'four the the existence. TMs is a matter which, CETT- be very easily remedied. If tbe wheelmen wdl joto -liauds witli the. propertsf': and use their hands wftb effect.

It is suggested Uiait every wheeUnan- take the tronbJe to irfck.up the small stones on the street in. front of his place, of resiMeace. If property wiio -are not wheelmen assist- good work by doing as much, for their portion of the streets, the obstructions- will soon disappear and tihe. streets present a more slightly appearance, wlIL airwl It will be a pleas-; ui-e ride without' fear of splitting a rim on a boulder or sninsliing a wneei by a collisloin. Try method of malting better roods ait home.

AN IMMENSE Anstto DeWolf received a jbopy the Boston Poet today contalniSng' cnt of an immense his son, Jolin A. DeWolf, the, cal expeit of the Boston Woven Hose and Rubber company, who conceived ttie wlieel to ehow, duct The tricycle weighs 340 pounds, and the dimensions of the rubber tires- on tlie big wheels ore 15 feet, and- on the steering wheel 0 feet The machuie- is geared to It takes eight men to ride this Immense on one side being geared to the A nnd fonr to tbe Chionlcle..