The Wheel. - San Francisco Chronicle, 09 May 1887
The Wheel.
Official organ [L. A. W.]
Chief Consul, Robert M. Welch; Representatives, John W. Gibson, J. D. Arkison, R. C. Woodworth, C. C. Moore, S. F. Booth Jr., B. H. Patrick: Secretary and Treasurer, Norval A. Robinson.
The President of the league has announced the result of the elections throughout the country, and declared the old Board of Officers dissolved and the new organized. The names of the State officers for 1887-88 accordingly appear at the head of this column. The term of the newly selected secretary-treasurer, however, does not commence until June 1st. The chief consul is reorganizing and will shortly announce the standing committees for 1887-88.
Now is also the time to revise the list of league hotels. Some of the hotels selected as league headquarters have failed to give satisfaction, and their appointments will be revoked. Representatives and consuls are requested to communicate with the chief consul immediately as to any desirable appointments or changes in their respective districts or localities.
It is certain now that California will not be represented at the St. Louis meet. It was expected that Mr. Woodworth of Los Angeles would represent this State at the meeting of the Board of Officers, but he finds now that he cannot arrange to be present.
Arrangements for the State meet at Santa Cruz on the 2d. 3 and 4th of July are being vigorously pushed. In the course of the next ten days a circular will be issued giving full information as to the general programme of the meet, together with the cost of transportation and accommodations. The town will be crowded with visitors at that time, but the committee has succeeded in securing ample sleeping quarters.
Woodworth, the champion of Southern California, will be at Santa Cruz. If he should succeed in defeating men like Larzelere, Elwell, Davis and Finkler, he would probably feel encouraged to go East with his trainer and compete at some of the big tournaments there.
One of the rational championships has been applied for and will be contested at Santa Cruz, either the two or five mile. While it has not yet been definitely assigned, still it is only to be expected that at least one of the national championships will every year be located on the Pacific coast.
Mayor Pond's reply to the Citizens' Committee on Public Improvements is full of hope for the wheelmen. His views as to the improvement of Golden Gate Avenue and of paving Market street with cement and bituminous rock so as to make it a broad, smooth, noiseless roadway, and of treating other principal streets in a similar manner, call up delightful visions of a good time coming, and that very soon, for he speaks of these street improvements as already contemplated and arranged for and likely to be carried out during the current year.
The Bay City Wheelmen gave a housewarming at their new quarters, 230 Van Ness avenue, Saturday evening last. Their rooms are spacious and conveniently and tastefully arranged. A long table in the wheelroom was spread with eatables and drinkables, to which the club and their guests did ample justice.
S. F. Booth, Jr., read a poem commemorating the club's recent 100-mile run, and the chief consul, on behalf of the club, presented Captain Meeker with a handsome gold badge in recognition of his ability and judgment in handling his men and successfully bringing them through so long and trying a ride.
Among the distinguished wheelmen present were: Captain Houseworth, Lieutenant McDonald, and Messrs. Greene, Patrick and C. L. and W. G. Davis of the San Francisco Bicycle Club, Captain Donnelly and Lieutenant Knapp of the San Mateo Wheelmen, Consul Radke of Santa Cruz and some Eastern visitors from the Genesee Bicycle Club of New York.
Country touring is now most in favor. J. W. Gibson is going through the northern counties, and when last heard from was in the vicinity of Red Bluff. He will probably return through Chico, Marysville and Sacramento. He is bookmaster of the division, and the information be wil obtain will very much enrich future issues of the road-book.
A. S. Ireland, Jr., left for the Yosemite Saturday afternoon. He will wheel it from Stockton. F. G. Blinn, a most enthusiastic tourist will give up his wheel for a time and walk to the valley with a party of campers from Milton.
Mr. Meeker, James Bauer and Mr. Browning of the Bay Citys left yesterday morning for Duncan's Mills, intending to make a week's tour of Sonoma and Napa counties.
Should the City Fathers do as they say they will, San Francisco will be a 'cyclist's paradise.
Levinson will soon push a crank again. That last fall of Rosenfeld's in Alameda knocked the cycling out of him. He has retired.
C. A. Biederman is getting in some warm work. So some will think on the 30th.
Joseph L. Bley, the young terror of the wheel, who claims the infantile championship of America for long distance, can be seen daily in training on the road after school. In vacation he is going to try and break his fifty-mile record between here and San Jose. It will be remembered that when he went down to Salinas City in company with a local rider be covered 120 miles in eighteen hours, riding time.
Mr. Gibson of the San Francisco Bicycle Club has already done local wheelmen signal service in preparing his road-book. He is now busily engaged in adding to it the data supplied by Chief Consul Welch from his Los Angeles trip.
