Daily Kennebec journal., 1881-07-15
The Inventor Of Bicycles.
DEATH OF JAMES STARLEY, WITH SoME
PoiNTs IN His LirR.

A very remarkable career has just closed.
Mr.. James Starley, the inventor of the mod
ern bicycle and tricicle, has this week been
laid in his last resting place in the Conventry
Cemetery. His career which has been cut
| short at a comparatively early age, was n
| striking illustration of the strength with
which Unborn talents assert themselves. Born
about fifty years ago in the village of AL
bourne. Sussex. the son of n poor farmer, he
| received but little education. and at the age
of was put to agricultural labor. In lS46
or ls47, while still lad. he left home to
seek his fortune in London, and after some
changes and vicissitudes. he finally settled
in Lewisham, Kent where he married. The
| collapse of the Conventrv ribbon trade in
| 1860 and the social distress by which il was
| accompanied, led to the introduction of new
industries into the city.
Among the earliest Of these was the Cow
entry Machinsts' Company, of which Mr.
| Starley was appointed foreman. His active
mind was ever bent on inventions and i'm
provements on inventions, and during this
period he produced many varieties of sewing
machines, some of which are in the market
under names which he himself could not
have recognized. Twelve years ago he be-
gan study which was to prove turning
point in his life, and which constitutes his
chief title to remembrance. French BIZ
cycle was brought under the notice of the
Coventry Machinists' Company, who took up
the manufacture Of it for Paris firm. The
''bone- shaker is a machine which the rider
Of to-day would more than dsdain, it bears
the same relations to the modern bicycle as
a cart horse does to the winner Of the Derby.
But the rude contrivance contained an idea
which fell upon a fruitful soil. Mr.. Starley
first improved it, and then he improved it out
iSf., spu .,c
entirely novel construction.
He first gave to the world the ''spider-
wheel, which has wrought a complete rev.
olution in the wheel world, and which marks
the commencement Of the present era Of
cycles. The first of the new style of ma
chimes was ''the spring and step machines,
or the Coventry model The superiority
of this machine was self.cvident, the old
coachlike wooden wheels being superseded
by wire spokes and shaped rim and india
| rubber tires. curving spring, and a small
hind wheel near to the driving wheel. The
Ariel, a light and graceful machine that fully
justified its name, afterward followed, and
embodied the important improvement Of
pivot-centre steering. Mr.. Starley's next
triumpbs were the Europa sewing-machine
and the Tangent bicycle, by which greater
| strength was obtained in the wheel.
Regarding the bicycle as practically per-
fected, he now began the study of the tricycle.,
the machines of this name hitherto in use not
being remarkable for lightness or beauty.
The Coventry tricycle. was the first fruit Of
| this application; in due time came the Salvo
quadricycie, and Mr.. Starley regarded this
as his mognum opus. Mr. Starley patented
| a number of his inventions; but he had little
| commercial keenness, and, speaking broadly,
his inventive genius was freely given to the
/ world. He has left behind him no fortune,
though latterly he was feeling his way to
competency. cy.-TaH Mall Gazette.