A BICYCLE BABEL - Hostile Demonstration to Be Made by Oakland Wheelmen - bicycle advocacy - Oakland Tribune, 27 Sep 1895

A BICYCLE BABEL. Hostile Demonstration to Be Made by Oakland Wheelmen. advocacy Fri, Sep 27, 1895 – Page 2 · Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) · Newspapers.com

A BICYCLE BABEL.

Hostile Demonstration to Be Made by Oakland Wheelmen.

A BIG PARADE ORDERED.

Cowbells and Whistles to Be Used by 2500 Riders.

CHIEF LLOYD WILL RESIST.

The Cyclists Will Turn Out En Masse Every Evening.

The wheelmen of the city are in an state of revolution and, headed by Gen. Tom Agnew Jr., they propose to institute forthwith a reign of terror.

There is an ordinance on the city's books compelling cyclists to blow whistles at crossings after nightfall and the police have started in to enforce it in wholesale fashion. Last night fourteen devotees of the wheel were escorted to the city prison because they did not comply with its provisions and this morning the regulation fine of $2 per capita was enforced in each instance.

The cyclists think that they are getting the worst of it. In the first place, they were run off the sidewalks, then they were unceremoniously hauled in for not bearing lamps after dark and now they are being jailed for not whistling. They have also learned that there is a movement on foot to pass an ordinance compelling them when within the city limits to go no faster than is allowed by the carriage ordinance, namely, eight miles an hour. This will be the last nail in their coffin, and while it is being forged they propose to up and be doing.

It is claimed that there are 5000 cyclists in the city and of this number 2500 will, it is said, join in a series of demonstrations which will commence on Saturday evening next and continue for several days. The proposition is for the riders to form in a gigantic procession and armed with cowbells and whistles to traverse the residence districts after nightfall announcing themselves as the pass each crossing according to the terms of the ordinance. This means a din such as has never before been heard in Oakland and special attention will be paid to its volume when passing the residences of the councilmen who voted for the ordinance.

The cyclists think that two or three nights of this will result in a hurried repeal of the measure. There seems to be no way to stop them from thus asserting themselves, for they will be acting under absolute command of the ordinance during their tour. They propose anyhow to show that the wheelmen form a power in this city, and politicians who expect to ask favors at their hands at coming elections will have to be careful.

WHAT LLOYD WILL DO. 

Chief of Police Lloyd was notified this afternoon by a Tribune man of the intended demonstration and was asked what he would do. He said:

"I hope the bicyclists will be sensible enough not to attempt such a demonstration. If they do and raise a Fourth of July racket or a Christmas night medley of sounds it strikes me that would be a violation of the ordinance prohibiting disturbances of the peace and some arrests would be likely to follow. There should be enough people interested in this movement to attempt the repealing of the ordinance in some other way.”

People are wondering how the chief would stop 2500 wheelmen at midnight with forty police officers.