Bicycles end Books

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 2128, 23 October 1896, Page 4

Bicycles end Books

"Do hleycl.-p hurt hooks?" was the momentous qu'-stfon recently put by the "New York Times" to a number of booksellers in New York city, and the weight of opinion s-.-oav-d to be in the affirmative. Not only the book trade, but all other trades that have been Interviewed on the subject claim to suffer from the bicycle opid< mie. Though much of this wailing is, perhaps, exaggerated, it is not altogether based on imagination. It does not. for it:stance, seem unreasonable to ; ssume, wlvn confronted with the rep. rt that nearly 20.000,000 dols. are invested in the manufacture oi' bicycles in and near New York city alone, and that nearh 200.000 persons in the same locality are already addicted to wheeling, that the "wheel" does affect retail trades in general, and noticeably the bonk trade.which depends upon sedentary rather than perambulator;/ habits.However, there seems to be some hope left. One of the booksellers interviewed, himself an enthusiastic wheelman, it; of opinion that the present effect of bicycling on the book trade must be only temporary. His theory is that the increase of wheeling means at the same time a general increase of vigor and good health among the people, once the first and present phase of wheeling is over, this renewed vigor will exhibit itself in a practical manner, as the people once more return to their librarh s and books in better health and better prepared to enjoy them. Like all fads, bicycling will reach a climax, and then the reaction will set in. How nearly that climax has been reached it would be rash to say; but the indications are that it is not yet in sight. The manufacturers of bicycles have not yet touched bottom so far as prices are concerned, and until they do there will still be millions to pass through the craze which for the time being is demoralising the equilibrium of trade. We note in this connection the proposal of a bookseller, that the book trade add bicycles and their concomitants to its stock. Dry goods stores, the department stores generally, says our friend, besides a number of miscellaneous stores—among the latter are mentioned even several drugstores in New York city—already do a thriving business in bicycles. If the bookseller is f r the moment denied the privilege of furnishing his fellows with ■lamps to their feet," why. he claims, should he not keep lamps for their "wheels." and so bind them to the habit re" buying at a book store. The Prophet Nahum, thousands of years ago. lamented that "the city is lull of the noise cf the wheels." And the world still moves! Why. then, should booksellers mope and he unhappy? Let them take Launce's advice, and help to "set the world on wheels." At tins fin de siecle" everything goes:" "Caps and bells" will be "called in" by the inexorable decrees of fashion, but of the making of many books there wili 1 e no end-nor of the selling of them