Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1869-01-08

tuted. Il is suggested, too, that liteboat
crews, on thinly populated coasts, should
be provided with velooipedes, by means OF
which more rapid assembling of them in
time of need might be effected; and,
moreover, that g1rieS chdRpetrdS, and
country doctors and cures, who cannot
afford the expense of horse, should
travel about on the new vehicles, which,
by the way, have already penetrated to
the provinces, for seaside loungers,
mounted on them, were tn be
seen at all the Norman and Breton
watering places, and on the shores
of the Mediterranean, coursing
along the coast Eccentric sportsmen, too,
chase their game with velocipedes artists
use them to go on sketching tours, and
photographers employ them on distant ex-
petitions. Guests at country chdtedAr or
ganize races with velocipedes among
themselves; and, in the recent election
contest in the department of the Var, on
its being discovered thu the government
had hired all the public vehicles In Toulon
for the day of the election, the partisans of
the opposition candidate procured q sup
ply of velocipedes, on which the liberal
electors dashed to the polls. Dramatists
introduce velocipedes into their pieces I;
oAN Nv oINNAuA tAAbl lhNuNlNn buNl pay
prominent part in some of the more
striking scenes Caricaturists, however,
have turned them most to account, for
every week brings forth some pictorial
skit, in which they occupy the first place.
The toy dealers, too, have not been idle,
for you cannot pass along the Boulevards
without getting your feet entangled in a
toy velocipede, mounting large red Ian
tern-at pres ent prohibited emblem in
Paris-and with the rider working his
arms and legs up and down, like an ordi.
nary scaramouche, which some enterpris-
ing hawker, the better to display its at
fractions, has set going along the asphalte
pavement
Ordinary two-wheel velocipedes range
IN francs, according to the completeness
of their fittings. VdOcipedes dc IMre mount
up almost to any sum. Three-wheeled
machines are priced at from one hundred
and sixty to two hundred and fifty francs,
while smaller sizes, for children, can he
purchased for fifty francs The some
what numerous etceteras, comprise the
requisite instruments in the event the ma
chine gets out of order on q journey, with
a lantern, a grease-boX, india rubber
cushions for the iron bar in front of the
machine, on which the legs are generally
allowed to rest when not in action, and
an indicator, to mark the distance travelled.
The speed attained by the swifter kind
of veiocipedes averages from twelve to
thirteen miles an hour adopts find no
difficulty whatever in accomplishing fully
fifty miles within five hours, without once
alighting frpm their vehicles A couple
of amateurs, making tour through
part of France, challenged each other
as to which could perform the greatest
distance within four-and-twenty hours.
One gave in after having accomplished
eighty.seven miles; the other went
on an additional six and thirty miles, MAX
ing one hundred and twenty-three
miles in all On the twenty-first of last
September, party of nine quilted Rouen
early in the morning, mounted upon
velocipedes, and arrived in Paris in time
for dinner the same evening, having per
formed the distance of eighty five miles,
exclusive of stoppages, at rate of speed
averaging between ten and eleven miles
an hour. 1t should be understood, that,
in impelling velocipede, the limbs are
not constantly in motion, as on level
ground, wien the impetus is at the average
rate, or when the machine is descending
an incline, the feet may be removed from
the pedals, and the legs be placed on the
bar fixed in front of the velocipede for this
purpose. A slight impulsion given to the
vehicle, from time to time, sufflces to keep
up the speed. The ascent of any incline
greater than one in twenty yfive, is said to
be impracticable. When the rider, there
fore, encounters hill of more than aver
age steepness, he has to dismount and lead
his velocipede with his hand, which we
are told he can do with almost the same
ease as he can carry an ordinary walking
stick, Paris Letter.