The Wheel. - San Francisco Chronicle, 15 Aug 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.; Secretary and Treasurer, N. A. Robinson.

On Sunday next 21st inst., a league run to Haywards will be made the occasion for presenting the medals won at Santa Cruz. Tourmaster Letcher has notified club captains and local consuls. No other notices will be sent out, this announcement being considered sufficient. The San Francisco contingent will leave on the 9:15 A. M. creek boat for Oakland.

R. G. Bailey has resigned as consul at San Jose. No appointment has yet been made to fill the vacancy. This is one of the most important of the local consulships, and calls for considerable attention from the person holding it. San Jose, being the center of the finest and most extensive riding district in the State, is never without visiting 'cyclists.

California's increasing membership has gained another representative on the National Board of Officers. On the basis of one representative to every fifty members this appointment must be made from the second or San Francisco district, it still being without its full quota of representatives. The Chief Consul will defer making the appointment until the friends of aspirants have had an opportunity to present the claims of their respective candidates. The membership of the Division is now divided as follows:

First District - southern California, 44.
Second District – San Francisco and San Mateo, 152.
Third District - Alameda, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz, 58.
Fourth District - Northern California, 46.

The following has been received is response to the resolution adopted at the Santa Cruz meet requesting an apology for an article on California appearing in the L. A. W. Bulletin of the 24th of June last:

CAMBRIDGE, MASS August 2, 1887.

N. A. Robinson, Secretary-Treasurer California Division L. A. W. - DEAR SIR: Referring to your favor of the 15th ult. to President Kirkpatrick. I would state on behalf of the Executive Committee that the editorial in question was merely an explanation on the part of Mr. Bassett of the non-awarding of a championship and the rule in regard to proxy voting. We feel certain that no disrespect was intended toward the California division in the article in question, and that the mass of readers did not so interpret it. We know that Mr. Bassett has none but the kindliest feelings toward your division, and was merely attempting to explain as above.

We really cannot see anything of so grave a nature in the article as to demand a public apology, and beg that you will receive this explanation from the Executive Committee in lieu thereof. Assuring you that it is our earnest desire to promote peace and harmony in the League of American Wheelmen, and that the Secretary, editor and the Executive Committee regret that anything should have occurred to disturb the pleasant relations heretofore existing between the California division and the national body, and are sure the whole matter has arisen from a misunderstanding of the facts of the case. Yours fraternally,

H. W. HAYES, Vice-President,

Secretary of Executive Committee.

In reply to a request for information the following was supplied from the Secretary's office at Boston under date of June 3d last as the list of California clubs which had complied with the requirements necessary to constitute them league clubs. The date of joining the league is given with each club: Los Angeles Wheelmen, December 1, 1885: Bay City Wheelmen, February 18, 1886; Oak Leaf Wheelmen of Stockton, November 15, 1888; San Francisco Bicycle Club, January 1, 1887. Since then, as of June 8, 1887, the Alameda Scorchers have qualified as a league club. If there are any other clubs in California that consider themselves entitled to rank as league clubs they should at once file their credentials in the Secretary's office at Boston and at division headquarters, otherwise they will have only themselves to blame if on some public occasion they fail to receive the consideration that they think is due them.

The President of the Capital City Wheelmen of Sacramento writes that the State Agricultural Association has made a liberal appropriation for a bicycle tournament to be held during the State Fair under the direction of his club. A programme has been outlined, a live committee appointed to arrange details, and just so soon as the association shall decide on what day of the fair the tournament shall be held, it will be announced and every wheelmen in the State notified and invited to participate. A Saturday will be obtained if possible.

What will probably prove the most important race meeting of the year was held at Cleveland, O., on Thursday, Friday and Saturday of last week. The one-mile bicycle and one-mile tricycle national championships were then contested. Five miles was the longest race, and there was but one event at that distance. Two miles was the next longest distance. On one day's programme there were two quarter-mile, three half-mile and two one-mile events. Evidently the intention was to have a series of short, sharp contests. In addition there was one-mile professional bicycle event each day.

That silly story of a race between an ostrich and a bicycle in California is still going the rounds of the Eastern press, the League of American Wheelmen Bulletin being the last to get hold of it. There are no ostriches in California within 500 miles of San Francisco. Possibly such a race is being arranged at Los Angeles, but no one here has heard anything about it. We must go from home to get news.

The Bay City Wheelmen had a run to Haywards yesterday. There was the large attendance usual on runs of this club. On the evening of Saturday, September 30, they celebrate their third anniversary with a smoker at their clubrooms, and on Friday evening, September 23d, open the social season to 'cycling circles with a hop at Odd Fellows' Hall.

Eighteen members of the San Francisco Bicycle Club met yesterday morning at 6:15 o'clock for a run from Van Ness avenue along Golden Gate avenue and through the park to the Cliff, where they breakfasted and had a good time singing and enjoying themselves generally.