Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1869-01-21
The velocipede

/ into use as an instrument OF transports
ton. Young America is taking hot
oft with all the impetuosity and ener
gy of its character. Base ball, mex
season, will have to succumb to the We
locipede movement.
! 1t has been but few months sine
its Introduction into this country wa
announced, and now we have not onh
great variety of styles and patterns
] fifty, it is stated, are already on exhi
bition in the Patent Office )-but w
have, in most of the large cities, school
where the art of using them is taught
The excitement is even reaching tn
country towns. 1t is manifesting it
self in our city, and we shall not b,
surprised to see, next summer, the ma
chine running through our streets at (;
2:40 speed, the wonder and delight o
all beholders. One has already beer
got up at the shop of Messrs. ENos
MEEAGER & Co., and we had the pleas
ure of seeing it in operation, at Ale
shire's Hall, a few days since. The
workmanship and style does credit to
the manufacturers. 1t is two-whcel-
ed velocipede These are the only
kind worth talking about, although
there are three and four wheeled ones,
but there is so much more friction to
overcome in running them that they
will not probably come into general
use. The argument in favor of the
three and four-wheeled machine is, that
they will stand up better. But the two
wheeled ones will stand up well enough
as soon as one learns to manage them.
Of course it requires more time in
learning to manage them, and more art
in handling them, but that is only a
question of time. When once learned
and understood, the machine becomes,
says the Cincinnati Commercial, "sur-
prisingly amiable. An expert will ride
on one sideways, plying the pedals with
either foot, and will direct the ma
chine with one hand, whirl here and
there, cutting circles like swallow,
and describing figure eights with the
swiftness of a champion skater Half
a dozen experts together will race and
cross each others tracks and accom-
plish great variety of eccentricities
without coming in contact"
The Commercial further says:
VeIocipedes can not be run over our
Dowlder pavements, or across such gut
,ers as we have in our streets, There
fore, there need not be apprehensions
hat they will be a means of locomo-
ion about this city. They can be used
IN Nicholson pavements, and on smooth
or dirt roads, in the absence
If mud. II is difficult to ride them up
lill With severe exertion, they can
De driven up to a grade of one foot in
but one foot in twenty five is
,neugh to overcome While the be-
yinner needs low machine-one with
| thirty-three inch front wheel, or sad
lie placed low--this according to the
expert wishes to sit high
md well over the pedals. The speed
i which velocipedes move, of course,
aries as widely as thespeed of horses.
Under favorable conditions, it is
bought, twenty miles an hour can be
1ade. But it would be doing pretty
yell to accomplish from ten to fifteen
niles in an hour, on good turnpike.
The cost of velocipedes is from
800 to S125. Of the utilityo of these
the Commercial remarks:
When the novelty of the veIocipede
5 worn off, and it has ceased to be
musing. it is probable that there will
AVE been utilities developed in it. On
ur prairie region, over the long, even
Dads, it may become most advanta-
,eous means of locomotion. Its ca
,acities are such that it will always
AVE fascination for those who enjoy
thletic sports; and there is an oddity,
mirth-provoking quaintness and au-
acity about the. machine that will COM
nend it to that large, and, we trust,
rowing class who love fun.