The Wheelmen. - San Francisco Chronicle, 09 Mar 1891

The Wheelmen.

To-night the Bay City Wheelmen and the Pacific Skating Club join hands at the Pavilion to present a delightful programme. The wheelmen will give a grand march and a number of fancy features on the wheel. In addition to this Dan J. Canary, the champion fancy and trick bicyclist, will give a daring exhibition. He will ride down two flights of steps, first on a safety and then on an ordinary wheel, and follow these performances with a trip down the steps on a unicycle, Canary is perhaps the greatest fancy wheelman on earth. In October, 1884, he rode a part of the way down the steps of the Capitol at Washington, but was stopped by the police. Six years later he attempted the game feat, performing it successfully without interruption. The flight at the Capitol consists of fifty steps with a total drop of forty feet, and the feat was considered unparalleled.

Á very large and enthusiastic meeting of the L. A. W. was held in Odd Fellows' Hall on Saturday evening. The routine business having been transacted, a resolution was offered by G. P. Wetmore expressing confidence in the previous and present boards of officers.

The most important matter considered was the place for the holding of the annual division meet. The amount of money involved in order to secure a suitable track being so great, it seemed possible that no meet at all would be held until Mr. Doane, B. C. W., came to the rescue and, on behalf of the Bay City Wheelmen and the Oak Leaf Wheelmen of Stockton, agreed to have in the best of condition a No. 1 track for the races and to pay all expenses necessary for medals and incidentals, including the annual ball. The proposition was unanimously accepted by the 200 members represented, and the fact of the management being vested in the committee of the Bay City Wheelmen, augmented by such a wide-awake and lively club as the Oak Leaf Wheelmen, bespeaks for the L. A. W. meet of 1891 the greatest success. It will be held in Stockton on July 4th, and as this falls upon a Saturday it has been suggested that the Bay Citys charter a steamer to leave here Friday evening and return by daylight Sunday.

It is desirable that any member of the division who may have any intention of taking the above movie of travel to Stockton would communicate with the secretary of the club, 234 Van Ness avenue.

No expense will be spared to make the track one of the fastest that can be obtained. The corners will be banked even more than they have been in any previous meeting and every detail tending to the comfort and convenience of both riders and spectators will be observed. A grand bail and bicycle entertainment will be held on the night of the 4th.

The league country run will be repeated this year, a committee having been appointed at the meeting last night to arrange the details. The expense will be borne by subscriptions from the members likely to participate. The committee consists of Joseph G. Cox and L. G. Hodgkins of San Francisco and Al Col of San Jose. Any communications may be addressed to Mr. Cox, chairman, 421 Front street.

During the month just closed the Bay Citys elected thirty-two new members.

That the stencils being put up by Secretary George P. Wetmore of the Bay Citys are a good idea and of great benefit to wheelmen is evidenced by a very complimentary notice which appeared in the Wheel of this week commenting on them and advising the Eastern clubs to do likewise.

Arthur H. Wright of the Oak Leaf Wheelmen, Stockton, has been in town for the last few days, making his headquarters at the Bay City Wheelmen clubrooms.

Charles W. Hammer, A. J. Storey, L. J. Alkalay, Charles Dielte Jr., Thomas Stevenson, C. N. Langton, E. E. Stoddard, L. G. Hodgkins, H. Johnson, W. T. Rose, E. C. Landis, T. W. Gilmour, W. J. and J. J. Hull, W. I. Gilmour and G. P. Wetmore of the Bay Citys, and many unattached wheel men were in the park Sunday.

Wilbur F. Knapp, who is the holder of many championship medals, has renounced racing for a time and is devoting himself to giving lessons in bicycle riding at the Pavilion.