The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1869-01-22

d effective, beng composed of bloc
of hard wood attached to the unde
side of the back part OF the saddle
which is shaped to form good brak
or rest for the lower part of the bacl
of the rider. The spring of the sad
dle being adjusted to suit the rider
the break-blCck clears the face of th'
hind wheel until it is required to b.
used, and then a pressure forward
against the tiller with the hands, anC
backward against the after part oi
the saddle with the back, instantly
cOmpresses the saddle spring and
brings the brake into action on the
wheel. Several firms are now en-
gagged In the manufacture of this
patent in New York. Their price is
about $50.
AN ILLINOIS VELoCIPEDE.
This prairie country, almost a:
level rs parlor floor, will afford a
future range for the use of yeloci
pedes unriyalled. And it is not
strange that our citizens are paying
no Inconsiderable attention to the
machine. Mr.. B. f. Lowe, of Upper
Alton. has invented a velOcipede by
which it is claimed he can climb the
steep hill between Upper and
Lower Alton.
RULES FOR MANAGEMENT.
The following rules for the gui-
dance of beginners have been drawn
up by one of the most skilliul Par
isian amateurs, and are here submit
tel for the benefit of Chicago no.
vices:
Run beside your iron horse, lead
ing it, as it were, with your hand, so
as TO iamiliarize yourself with its
movements this will be an affair of
u few minutes merely. Then COM
mence practising with it on a slope,
and, after mounting it, let il move
forward of its own accord, while you
occupy yourself in studying the eff
fects produced by the inclination
which you give to the balancing pole
or handle of the machine. When
you thoroughly understand the ac-
tion of this, place one foot on the
pedal, and follow it's movements
without assisting them. The diff
Guilty with beginners is to restrain
the unnecessary expenditure OF mus
cular force they ordinarily perform
ten times the labor that is requisite
Next repeat the experiment on level
ground, having both feet on the ped
ais. and working them alternately
with scrupulous regularity. Speed
is obtained by simply acceierating
this movement. After an hour or
twO's practice, th, tyro will be able
TO accomplish distance Of so to 10
yards without running the risk of an
upset Should the machine incline
on one side, all that is necessary to
be done is TO remove the foot on the
same side from the Pedal, and place
it on the ground This can, OF
course, only be accom- plished when
the velOcipede is OF moo crate height,
which, by the way, is the proper kind
OF machine for beginners To- make
their first essays with. TO alight,
both feet are raised from the pedals
at the same instant, which has the
effect of slackening the speed of the
the feet are tlen placed
Simultaneously on the ground, with
1nt the handle being let go.
PARIsIAN USE OF vELoCIPEoEs.
NelOcipede races are getting to he
fashionable in Paris, and are patron
zed by much better class OF people
han is usually found cOngregsted at
! race course. The officials turn
)ut en- nldSSe.
The accounts are graphically de- !
'cribed in Paris papers, from which
he following features of the races
ire compiled:
The racing ground is all marked |
'ut will, Asso, uIr1 there IS certain I
o be large cluster OF banners flying
rom :he starting place, near TO which
cores of the jockies of these iron
IOrses are exercising their docile
teeds. There is no eoursing rs
Eith horses. The moment of start
ng arrives, and the competitors are
lrawn up abreast with as great a
istanee between each as the width
4 the course will allow. At the
OF the starters flag, legs
York up and down with surprising
mount of energy, like the piston Of
steam engine.
AT these races the average length
t the course is 800 metres-nearly
mile and an eight At En9heln
his distance was traversed Ia por-
ion of it being over stOne-paye
DAD in four minutes and twenty five
econds hy veloeipede with two
Theels. At Sincennes, the same
istanee took five minutes forty-tive
eeonds respectively to accomplish,
wo wheel vel, 'cipedes only com
etIng. Greater speed was attained
st. Cloud, wiier the course of a
lille and halt, with an incline of
hree in hundred for a third of the
istance, was trawersed in four min
tes and fifty seca nds whereas the
nal race vt VinceI mes, over IA level
curse of nearly two miles, took
inc minutes and &c seconds to ac-
A FURTHER NOVELTY.
A further novelty is offered in the
elOci ,ede line in The shape OF II
larine machine, calie d the pOdus-
aphe, or vetOcipeds 1'0sin. This
lachine is iorI5ed OF u couple OF
anoes covered with canvas and
,ined together with two iron bars,
etween which Is a paddle wheel
ut in motion by means ef two pedals
laced at the extremity OF 1he arc
'hese machines may be constantly
cen in action on the lake at EngheiD,
nd even on the Seine itself opposite I
ne Tuilleries. The inventor is san
uine that these machines will even
lally attain the same rate of speed
8 the land velocipede already sc
Quite recently an en-
amateur offered to wager
lAoO0 francs that he would cross
he channel between Boulogne and