The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1883-06-07
ALIGHTNING BICYCLE RIDE.
Down q Mountain Grade Which Fell
Three Hundred Feet to tho Mile.

A LIGHTNING BICYCLE RIDE.
Down q Mountain Grade Which Fell
Three Hundred Feet to tho Mile.
Our mine, the Spondulix, of Colorado,
was the highest on the range. It was
two thousand six hundred and seventy
feet above Silver Brick Station, and
nine miles distant from the village.
From the works up to the mines there
was broad, hard, smooth road, used
for carting ore down from the mines
and hauling supplies up. The average
grade down the mountain was three hun
dred feet to the mile; in some places il
was sleeper, and at intervals almost level.
By constant practice managed al
last to ride my fifty-two-inch "Univer-
sity" roadster up the whole slope to the
Spondulix, of course resting at levels,
but my chief delight was the coas:ing
down again; it requires skill, good
deal of nerve, and a firm grasp of the
brake.
One evening an accident occurred to
one of the men engaged at the mine.
instantly got out my bicycle, explain
ing that could 60 swifter than horse
down the slope. In a few minutes /
had on my riding suit and was of.
The night air was clear and crisp: the
directly into the gulch, lighting up the
road, Leaning we'll back with my legs
over the handles, and firm finger on
the brake, allowed the wheel to glide
down the first lying slope at a speed
which I never dared to venture before.
Finding the motion safe, allowed the
machine to run fast, and still faster.
Over the first level shot like an arrow.
Down the next slope seemed to glide
ON the rushing wind. Then | turned
curve and ran into the shadow of the
mountain upon the next level. Know.
ing every inch of the road, however, !
did not slacken speed, except very
As | flew over the top of the next
slope, steep plunge of nearly half q
mile, another curve completely shut out
the moon, making the road almost as
dark as pocket. Here I put down the
brake hard, and checked my speed
materially. Still, I know the road SO
we'll that I had no fear. But just as /
was upon the steepest plunge of the
slope
Clink!
Something flew from the machine like
a bullet. Instantly the wheel darted
forward like the rush Of frightened
bird, while the brake-lever came home
to the steering-bar under my finger.
The brake had broken short off in the
elbow!
There was nothing to check the ma
| chine, which was running away with me,
with over five miles of mountain grade
before me, and the chance of meeting q
havd leaped backward al the instant OF
the break, but five seconds afterwards ii
was too late. To attempt dismount
would be certain death. There was no.
thing to do but stick to. the saddle and
take my chances.
When the accident happened to the
brake was just entering a dark curve
in the shadow of the mountain. The
wall on my right appeared a dark, al
most invisible, brown, while the chasm
on my left was of an inky blackness. Az
I rounded the hollow OF the curve
| could see the moonlight shining far ahead
on the point of the elbow which / must
turn where the road was channeled in
to the wall. AS approached it I hac
the sense and nerve to run on the QUITE!
side Of the road, close to the edge of the
canon, thus giving myself as broad ,
turn as possible. l found by the tract
eff the wheel afterward that at the sharp
est turn I had actually ridden within
three inches of the extreme edge of sew
eral rods, where, if had been going a
less fearful speed, the wheel woult
certainly have slipped over the edge ant
carried me down a fall of one thousan
feet.
Safely passed this, the worst point
the remaining curves were easy. Thus
far there had been no time to think
My actions were more instructive thar
reasoning, My mind was wild, con
fused whirl of sensations and fears.
But now, as shot down the last steer
den mental shock. 1t was caused b,
hearing the tinkle of a bell far below
and seeing the spark of a lantern suct
as the mine transfers carry in front o
their wagons. There was team, per
haps train of teams, coming up tn.
road! In a few seconds should be op
on them. The shock made me thinl
and that clearly. If the teamster wal
walking beside his team, he would b,
on the inside, next to the mountain
wall and the team would be in the mid
die of the road. If he was riding, tn
team would be kept near the mountain
wall, and at safe distance from the out
er edge of the track. Either way IN,
best chance Was to pass on the outside
AS approached therefore, ran clos
to the outside edge of the track, an(
flew by in safety, hearing the teamste
shout as I did so. Here it was luck,
that I was going at such great speed, 70
the teamster saw the red light of m,
lantern when I was nearly mile dis
tant, and, recognizing it, he started hi
team toward the outer edge of the road
SO as to give me the safest passage OF
the inside, but was upon and passet
him before the team could be driver
over, otherwise I should have surel,
run into them.
And now the wheel ran along the leve
at the bottom of the mountain; still m!
frishtful velocity did not perceptibly di
into and along the village street. Luck
ily the street was covered thinly will
sand-not enough to make it bad riding
but sufficient to gradually stop coastin
wheel. MY speed slackened percept
IDLY: Still / ran nearly through the vii
lage, and then managed to turn broat
corner and up the slope of side street
which finally checked my speed so tina
I ventured to drop my feet cautiousl,
and take the pedals, alter touching then
as they came up for number of revolu
tons, to help to check the machine.
And so I finally stopped and leaped t,
the ground exactly in front of DIR. Cam
eron's house.
On mounting at the mine house I hat
looked at my watch. after habit hat
and now, from the same habit, looked
at it again. was not astonished to fine
that l had made the nine miles from tn,
doctors in few seconds less than thir
teen minutes. Allowing six and quar-
ter for the first two miles, before tn
brake gave way, and must have made
the last seven miles in less than six ant
three quarter minutes. I firmly believe
that covered seven in less than six ant
a half minutes, incredible as such speet
seems.-San Francisco Argonaut.
Baby Worship In Art.
Correspondence of the Pail Mall Gazette.
What struck me most in taking q cur
sorry glance round the walls of Burling
ton House was the large number of can
vases devoted to baby worship.
counted some 26 pictures of this kind
and room No. in particular, seemI
to have been given up to the cult
containing as it does eight pic
tnrea of habv life. There ia ,