The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1869-02-11
The YeIocipede.

ADVANCING civilization strives to econ
Om1ze time by annihilating distance
Therefore the telegraph, the railway, and
the standing French prize for inventors
in the science and art of flying. ooh
had l wings like a dove" is prayer not
limited to the spiritually weary. Rail
ways do not always have stations where
we want to go, and wings, some scientists
think, will lot help US until our fore
arms are developed into natural pinions.
SO we must adopt the next very best de-
wee. Next faster than slow pedestrianism
Is to make one'a self a burden for beasts.
Therefore camel aided Mahomet's
HegIra, Bucephalus carried Alexander,
the Centaurs were born on horseback.
Gen. Taylor rode Whitley" and Henry
Ward Beecher was conteut with slow
" Old Charlie" -uptil he saw and bought
a Velocipede, the Latin or French "sWift
foot"
"The velocipedel" Who, after all'the
talk and all the newspaper para grams, has
not heard Of the new inanimate horse !:
who has not desired to know more, and
yet how few have seen q genuine speci-
men The steed has almost crazed France.
ana now the plania, after exciting our
English cousins, has fairly invaded Yam
keedom
the Invention is the persistency Of those
who attempt to introduce it. An entirely
1mpracticable idea would never have been
revived after its first hint, early in this
century, by Mons. Drais of Mannheim,
france. An outline of his machine is
given among the illustrations in the last
edition of Webster's Unabridged Diction-
airy. It had no cranks, but was propelled
by O succession of pushes on the ground
by the feet Of its rider. That embryo
velocipede soon passed out of sight A
carIcature representing one struggling
with locomotive, which, by the way,
was then ridiculed, is now seen in Paris
library.
In 1880 another Frenchman, Mons.
Dreuse. Postmaster General of France,
made improvements, constructed num-
Der and mounted some of his country
postmen who rode trump antly for a wear
or two. Early in 1868 81 geral Paris and
Mannheim factories began TO supply veIoci-
pedesswhich soon found heir way all over
France. That country Is entirely faYora-
bic to their use, because of the asphalt
roads which are smooth as floor We
are not able to precisely illustrate the
varieties of the French veIocipede or their
American reproductions.
An American has, however, produced a
machine which, while it has marked i'm
provements, preserves the general French
outline.
There are two wheels, the front one
three feet, and the rear, two feet and one
half high. The front wheel is Immediately
forward ofthe other. The connecting reach
has extending upwards therefrom stiff
springs upon which is affixed saddle like
sea. with bearings for the vertical arbor of
forked standard, the lower end of which
has bearings for the short axle Of the for
ward wheel. The person using the veloci-
pede seats himself astride Of the seat with
his feet upon cranks provided on the ex-
tremities of the forward axle, and grasps
with his hands g cross handle furnished at
the top of the arbor above indicated. Skill
fully balancing the apparatus he turns
the forward wheel by the action of his
feet on the cranks, and at the same time
guides it in the desired direction By turn
ing the arbor's handles. The wheels may
two and one-half feet high, and others are
is generally smaller than the other.
Two or three days practice viii enable
one to ride with encouraging prospects.
The familiar example of a spinning top,
or rolling hoop, will suggest the prin-
ciple of equilibrium. Upsets at first are
frequent. but the confidence of the skater
soon rewards the persevering.
On perfectly smooth roads the veloci
pede is entirely practicable. On such, ten
miles are less fatiguing than half the dis
lance on foot. Frenchmen have travled
eighty-fve niles in eight and cne-half
hours, and many men in Paris, New York,
Chicago and other cities pass from home
to business or work, and return, mounted
on the oatless horse. The rate of speed
under favorable circumstances is wonder
full. The writer has friend who traversed
one third of mile in sixty two seconds,
Or at the rate of nineteen miles per hour.
The prevailing article, with two wheels, Is
called the Bicycle" Another variety
with two hind wheels, made for ladies and
children. is named the "Tricycle."
For the first time the velocipede has
fallen into ingenious Yankee hands.
These will make it a success in some form.
New York, Boston, Chicago, and Indiana,
Wisconsin, and scores Of towns have OBJ
tanned, or applied for, patents for improve
ments. Many Of these ideas are good, and
many decidedly foolish. There is wide
field for the inventive, and large hopes for
the haste of him who now has neither
wings. locomotive nor horse.-Norttloest-
ern Cltristion AdUocdte.
A MAN in Greensboro, Vt, nearly broke
his wife's neck, recently, by playfully shak-
ing her. Her neck cracked, she became
partially paralyzed, and was confined to
h0 t...1 do