Details For Cover ID# 29467

Bicycle Mail Route, 1894, 25c green, retouched die (12L2) tied by purple double bar cancel on cover to Fresno, additionally franked by 1890 2c carmine Small Bank Note (220) tied by "Fresno Cal. Jul 10 1894" cds and bar duplex additionally tying local stamp.  Reverse has purple bicycle handstamp "Victor Bicycle Messenger Service, Fresno, Cal. Jul 10 1894".

During the American Railway Union strike, Arthur C. Banta, owner of Victor Cyclery in Fresno and agent of Overman Wheel Company, established this post to carry mail from Fresno to San Francisco and return. The bicycle post employed eight cyclists relaying mail bags in stages over the 210 miles between the two cities. The post is classified as an emergency mail service.

The first trip was made from Fresno on July 6, 1894. Service was discontinued on July 18 when the strike ended. In all, 380 letters were carried. Stamps were used on covers with U.S. government adhesive stamps and on stamped envelopes. Most surviving covers were sent from San Francisco to Fresno where they were cancelled with a Fresno postmark on receipt, such as this example.