Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-07-20
4 BICYCLE TRAGEDY.

A bicycle is dangerous. not when it is
in motion. but when il is at rest. Ii Is
| then that it throws its rider and tramples
IN him with viciousness that the de-
praved horse would be ashamed to ex-
lihit.
When the novice tries to get on his bi-
rycle. he invariably falls over and under
| i two or three times. IL he can once get
il started ut II fair pace. ii will be docile
| until the fatal moment comes when he
| must try to dismount. AS soon as the
speed Of the bicycle is checked It begins
to wabbe like dying top. and il the ir-
experienced rider can manage to dis
mount without falling off he is exception
| tllv lucky.
The only way to avoid this painful and
humilatinG method Of dismounting Is to
| hire man to catch the bicycle and hold
| it. II no man is available. the unskilful
bicyclist has to choose between riding on
forever and stopping the machine and
! lismouutng in that miscellaneous manner
| hat is so fatal to limbs and clothing.
OF course. after long practice, the BIZ
t.yclist is able to dismount without falling
| md to dismcunt eight or nine times out of
zen without an accident, but the certainty
that an experienced rider must end his
.i,le by living on the ground with his legs
,lmost extricably tangled with the spokes
| # the driving wheel, dcters timid souls
rom becoming bicyclists.
| Tha, the sport IL an innocent one is
| generally admitted. and the bicycle is
r,pidly growing in favor with young and
| thle,c clergymen. Hitherto they have
been compelled to content themselves
With croquet. but that sport demands on
| he part of the PLAYER a degree of self
control which renders it difficult for a ner-
vous or irritable man to play it with
| 'redit.
There are clergvmen who can smile and
keep their tempers when told by their
parishoners that they have cheated by
claiming hoops which they have never
| ,assed and there are exceptional
| lergymen who can even be struck on the
ankle with II mallet by an angry sister and
meekly turn the other leg tn the striker.
Such men are, however. contessedly
| rare and it is no wonder that the average
Young clergyman halls the bicycle as a
welcome and safe substitute for the GRO
1net mallet And vet in one conspicuous
instance worthy clergyman has been ut
terIy ruined by bicycle, and his case
may be useful as a warning I" other and
rs vet more fortunate men.
What has long been desired is n motive
power. other than the human leg, which
is capable of being applied to the bicycle.
This great want has, ii is claimed. been
lately supplied by an ingenious Chicago
inventor. He has constructed a bicycle
,lriven bv the expansive force of a strong
steel spring When the machine is to be
used the spring is wound mp. The rider
then leaps into his place. and the moment
his weight presses the saddle the spring
is released aud the bicycle starts off at full
speed, thus obviating AL danger Of falling.
The spring j. warrantedto keep The bicycle
in motion ior an hour. and by pressing a
lever placed Immediately in front Of the
saddle the machine can be Instantly stop
ped. Rests for the feet, uhconnccted with
the tre,.dlcs of the driving wheel, are
provided. and the rider can thus journey
without making the least exertiJn. until
at the end of an hour he is obliged to dis
mount and wind up the spring.
The Rev. Mr.. Macpherson had been.
for nearly year, the Rector Of the church
IN Ishkatawhunky. Ohio, and, together
with his young and attractive wife, had
won the warm admiration of all but the
unmarried ladies OF the parish, when he
fbecame interested in bicycles. Being
lyoung and athletic. he soon became an
lexcellent rider. and every afternoon. after
-four O'Clock he was accustomed tn mount
his bicycle in the backyard. to ride swift
sly down the carriage-path to the street,
land thence through the village. As his
lhouse WAS an isolated one. and no curious
,neighbors were near. Mrs. Macpherson
undertook to learn to ride. and in short
time was able 10 mount with ease and 10
ride the length Of the yard. where her
husband would meet her and hold the ma
chine while she dismountcd. She greatly
enjoyed the sport. and it may possibly
have been in order to remove ircm her the
temptation to venture to ride outside oi
the ward that her husband avoided teach
ing her to dismount without his help.
4 fortnight ago, Mr.. Macpherson
bought one of the new Chicago spring
motor veloeipedcs, without informing his
wife of the nature of his purchase II
was delivered at his house while he was
absent at the Diocesan Convention, and
his wife was filed with admiration OF its
beauty. She was entirely ignorant that
it was in any respect different from
other machines, and late in the alter
noon she determined to try it. Hel
husband not being at hand to help hel
diSmount, she called the cook, and gave
her full instructions as how TO catch thu
[Continued on fourth page.