Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-08-18


A regards complcxity and opportunity for in-
veation and variety there would seem to be no
comparison between q locomotive and bicycle
But the locomotive Of to-day lie essentially the
same as when Ericsson and Stephenson COM
peted. Now they are bigger and better proper
toned and handsomer but the only changes
are in details not in principle But the bicycle
Of to-day is not the same In principle as
the velocipede, and of varieties there are
many. 1t Is commonplace to point out that Or
binary modern machines are driven by crank
action and not by using the legs somewhat as
in walking, and that the weight is mainly car
ried on the large wheel. and not distributed be-
tween two of somewhat equal size. Among
novelties which may be mentioned are the
bicycle with two little wheels. one in front
and one behind, beside the big one and all I'm
line; and the bicycle with gearing-a principle
which has not succeeded when applied to the To-
connective; and the bicycle with a continuous. or
racket. motion. None of these have been seen
here. An American idea is TO place the little
wheel In front. rider recently descended
Mount Washington on one. II that were the
main use of bicycles such q feat would be
convincing. But obviously, more people
can ride down hill on an ordinary machine
with safety If careful than can mount a
grade with any sort Of comfort or speed.
The rider would have done more to convince
the doubling If he had ridden up Mount
Washington on the wheel he so ingenously
sought to advertise. Another style of machine
which promises to gain favor rapidly makes use
OF INK to connect the crank to a lever which
is hinged at the forward end to prolongation
OF the FORK, and Is operated at the hinder end
by anearly vertical movement Of the foot andlep
This machine Is much lower than the ordinary
ones, and Is, therefore, easy to mount. No tour
list needs to be told what that means In a rocky
or billy country. But it is a ''pony' machine
and ''safety" machine, and those are
serious drawbacks with such as value
bicycling rather for display than for
comfort and results. What seems to be the
chief advantage of this bicycle is that the pedal
never gets away from the foot. as In circular
motion machines. The power is applied nearly
in the line Of weight. and gravity aids the thrust
of the leg most efficiently. The records made
with this machine are way up" In England
300 firms have competed for years in making
compactness, strength and beauty. But a
thoroughly excellent machine is now made in
the United States. Our nickeling is even better
than the English. Every high-class machine
costs over 800. and as there are some s. 600 in
the United States and Canada it can be seen
how great the industry is.
Punch's advice to those contemplating matri-
mony may or may not beappcable to those
contemplating bicycling. That depends upon
what they want to bicycle for and upon howthey
bicycle. The sport has at least this to recon-
mend 1t: No bicycler, when his machine is in mo-
ton, can think of other things. Many a desk
weary man is haunted in his exhausting 'cOn-
stitutiOnal" by thoughts which cannot be ban
ished, But, on the road, on his wheel, he must
study every foot Of his journey, and he must
mind his wheel or he will come to grief. In
walking-and it is not worth while to consider
riding since SO few can ride-he must carry his
weight. 1t is that which exhausts without re-
freshing him. But his machine carries his
weight, and his energy is left free for propul-
sion. Thus after 10 mile spin he can battle
and 60 to work, when after q 10-mile walk
he would be fit only for rest. No one
need be deferred by danger or the difficulty of
learning. There is some danger and some diff
Guilty, but only enough to add zest to what
would otherwise be tame. No man under 60 is
SO old or SO clumsy, barring only cripples. that
he cannot learn in month. 1t is said that one
man learned In IS minutes. The writer. who
excels in no branch of athletics, could get on
and of, and stay on-unless something disturb
ing happened-at the end Of five hours prac-
tice. The danger is in inverse ratio to the
riders caution. If he coasts down strange
Nll he may get pitched into the ditch and break
bone or two. If he persists in riding at night
he may run over dog, as a member of the
IxiOn club recently did. or over drunken man,
| as citizen did, with disastrous results in each
case. But 1t would not therefore, be fair to
call the pastime dangerous. At the school they
report four sprained wrists and nothing worse
Having learned the art the beginner essays
the road. Chaff from the ubiquitous and in
lqultOuS small boy he accepts as due to the
snlendOr and grace of his performances. But
when the delicate attention takes the shape of
sticks deity SHE'D at the revolving spokes, in q
manner suggestive of bOne-breaking
''header," he can only express his thoughts. He
cannot even shake his fist Pursuit implies
desertiOn of his steed, and is therefore impos-
sible. 1t is still more serious matter when
surly drivers will not yield even one-quarter
the road, or, worse yet, deliberately try to run
down the rider. The writer knows of one
case where such an assault was made
from behind. and case was published last
week In which the road was crossed for the
sake OF running down several riders The
driver is now under bonds to answer before the
grand jury. or course, there is another side.
The bicycle frfghtens some horses In such cases
the bicycler should and usually does dismount.
But it Is surprising how few horses so much as
wink at bicycle. One rider of great experience
has Investigated the records of the horses which
he has frightened. without, however any serious
result iE. single case HefOund that the horses
were uniformly unbrOken or vicious, with his
tory of runaway habits 1t is perfectly certain
If bicycle-riders were nuisances an Outcry would
be made. Every reader Of newspapers is COM
petent to Judge whether or not this is the case
But as matter Of fact bicyclers do not use the
roads on sufferance. In every case before the
courts they have invariably been held to the
rights and duties of drivers of pleasure carriages
They ask no favors, and should accept no less
than their rights. After few casual road rides
the bicycler Is ready for his first tour. The
league has made his course easy. At certain
hotels of q considerable list he will, if q men,
Der with credentials, be given discount. And
II not member, he can nevertheless profit by
the arrow signs which line nearly every turn
pike, and doubtless puzzle many drivers They
are not pointers" for the grand army of tramps
and their meaning, though occult, is harmless.
When the arrow is horizontal the wheelmen
know they may 60 as fast as they like in the
way the arrow points. When the point is in
clined upward they prepare for hill. When it
Is turned downward they know the road will
soon be rocky or sandy. And when itpoints
nearly vertically downward they. if WISE dis
mount. For some reason there is no ridable
thOr0ughfare.
Kate GreenayVay In Her Studio.
From the Wide Awake.
In London, big and smoky. with its dun-col-
ored fog wreaths, lives and works Kate Greena-
way, the artist, whose pictures have made the
whole world that lies akin to the heart of q
child acknowledge the power Of her genius.
Her magic pencil has transformed even our
American home midgets into the quaintest and
LOWEST Of little antiques, with their s'MOther