Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1869-02-12
The VelOcipede.

+. ADVANCING civilization strives to econ.
omize time by annihilatiug distance.
Therefore the telegraph, the railway, and
the standing French prize for inventors
in the science and art of flying. "Oh
had wings like dove" is a 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 not help US until our fore
arms are developed into natural pinions.
30 we must adopt the next very best de-
vice Next faster than slow pedestrianism
is to make one'a self a burden for beasts.
Therefore n camel aided Mahomet's
Hegira, Bucephalus carried Alexander,
the Centaurs were born ON horseback
Gen. Taylor rode Whitley" and Henry
Ward Beechor was contout with slow
"Old Charlie'--uutil he saw and bought
Velocipede, the Latin or French "swift
foot"
"The volocipede Who, after all7the
talk and all tho newspaper paragraphs, has
not heard of the new inanimate horse
who has not desired to know more, and
yet how fow have seen genuine speci-
men! The steed has almost crazed France,
and now the mania, after exciting our
English cousins, has fairly invaded Yam
keedom.
One earnest of the ultimate success OF
the invention is the persistency of those
who attempt to introduce it, An entirely
impracticable idea would never have been
revived after its first hint, carly 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.
ary. II had no cranks, but was propelled
hV ion f,f he 4
by the feet of its rider. That embryo
velocipede soon passed out of sight. A
caricature representing one struggling
with a 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 a num-
ber and mounted some of his country
pOstmen who rode triumphantly for year
or two. Early in 1868 several Paris and
Mannheim factories began to supply veloci-
pedes. which soon found their way all over
France. That country is entirely favora-
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 velocipede 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. Thefront wheel is Immediately
| forward ofthe other. The connecting reach
| has extending upwards therefrom stiff
springs upon which is affixed 6 saddle, like
| Laa wtr f,r he H., ~
a forked standard, the lower end of which
has bearings for the short axle of the for
ward wheel The person using the Yeloci
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 a cross handle furnished al
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 cTanks, and at the same time
| guides it ia the desired direction by turn,
| ing the arbor's handles. The wheels may
be of any size Some front wheels arc
two and one-helf feet high, and others are
four, or even five, feet. The rear wheel
is generally smaller than the other.
Two OF three days practice will enable
one to ride with encouraging prospects
The familiar example of q spinning top
or a rolling hoop, will suggest the prin
ciple of equilibrium. upsets at first art
frequent. but the confidence of the skater
soon rewards the perseVering.
On perfectly smooth roads the veloci
pede is entirely practicable. On such, ter
miles are less fatiguing than half the dis
tance on foot. Frenchmen have travleC
eighty-iive miles in eight and one-hal
hours, and many men in Paris, New York
Chicago and other cities pass from hom,
t. 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 trsverseC
one.third OF mile in siXty'two seconds
or at the rate Of nineteen miles per hour
The prevailing article, with two wheels, i
called the "Bicycle." Another variety
with two hind wheels, made for ladies anC
children, is named the "Tricycle"
For the first time the velocipede ha
fallen into ingenious Yankee hands
These will make 1t success in some form
New York, Boston, Chicago, and Indiana
Wisconsin, and scores OF towns have oh
tanned, or applied for, patents for improve
ments Many of these ideas are good, ant
many decidedly foolish. There is wild
field for the inventive, and large hopes 70
the haste Of him who now has neithe
wings, locomotive nor horse. .-RortlsseSSl
erR Christidn AdpoedtS