Southern California Division, League of American Wheelmen
See also California Division, League of American Wheelmen, Northern California Division, League of American Wheelmen
THE COAST DIVIDED.
Southern California Wheelmen Cut Loose from the Northerners.
For some time past the Southern California members of the League of American wheelmen have been agitating the project of getting a Southern California division of the L. A. W. formed. The reasons assigned for this creation were numerous. The strongest one, however, was that the region in and around San Francisco, having a large majority of the members, all of the events were held north of the Tehachepi, and the money paid here went for the benefit of the northern members. The railroad fare was too high to permit the Southern California members to attend any of the events, so the local people were in this manner frozen out all around. The two sections were separated by nature by mountain ranges, and the territory governed by the California state division was many times larger than those in the east, and the railroad fare alone to San Francisco was higher than that from New York to Chicago.
A committee consisting of H. C. F. Smith, T. Q. Hall and E. W. Stuart, all of Los Angeles, were selected and interested themselves in favor of the Southern California division. The various arguments in favor of the creation were grouped and a formidable array of excellent reasons were presented. The California state division board unanimously approved the matter. Mr. John S. Thayer was selected as a delegate to the national convention of the L. A. W. held at Philadelphia during this month. He presented the claims of this section before that body with the gratifying result that a telegram was received at Los Angeles from him yesterday stating that the new division had been created.
All of the local wheelmen were highly elated over the affair yesterday, and universally predicted an early increase of interest and membership in the league.
A convention for the purpose of electing officers for the new division will be called to meet in Los Angeles during this month.
