Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-08-16


the upright machines. principally Columbias,
and the remaining two hundred Stars. The
latter is purely an American machine; manu-
featured in Smithville, N J. The little wheel
being in front makes it easily distinguished and
gives it the name among riders Of ''the crab"
Its principal advantage over other machines is
In its safety, it being practically impossible to
take the dreaded header on it. The safety
handle bar is recent invention for preventing
leaders on the upright machines. When the
front wheel strikes al obstruction the rider ia
pitched forward and is prevented from lighting
on his feet by the handle bar, which catches
in his legs. The safety bar. however has a
small rod running below and parallel to 1t
which. upon being struck by the legs of the
rider when pitched forward. Immediately de-
taches the whole bar from the head of the machine
and the rider eau land on his feet with safety.
TRICYCLING.
The tricycle. the near relative of the bicycle.
is KEEPING pace with it In the growth in popular
favor 1t is peculiarly adapted to ladies and to
persons who desire to make rapid progress with
out any risk of an ugly tumble. or to inyalids
who need some outdoor exercise. There are
three hundred and fifty different kinds of tr-
cycles now made. The number in use in this
city is about fifty. A tricycle. club mas been re-
Gently formed here with Mr.. a. A. Adee as pres-
dent. and the membership is now about twenty
large portion being ladies. Ladies of WASH
as a means of enjoyment and exercise, being
dissuaded from so doing by the unattractive APP
pearance Of the pioneer rider of their sex, who
has for number of years been familiar figure
upon the streets. In the shadow of the even
ing few ladies tried the tricycles which be-
lOnged to their husbands. and soon became so
pleased with them that. putting aside all con-
ventional ideas on the subject. they began rid
Ing as regular exercise. Others soon followed
their example. and now there are about dozen
LODI i1n
enjoy it. Some ride singly, accompanied by
their husbands on bicycles. and some use the
popular ''sOciable." tits said to require twenty
per cent more power to drive the tricycle. than
the bicycle. and yet ladies when they have thor
Oughly mastered the machine. ride with ease in
nearly every direction about Washngton-7th
street and 18th street hills offer no serious OBJ
stacles to run to BrightwOod.
THE LADY RIDERS.
The first lady rider after Mrs Lockwood was
perhaps, Mrs. B. W. Hanna wife of the captain
of tine Capital club; then followed Mrs F. p.
Hanna, Mrs. W. c. Scribner and Mrs. D. E. Fox.
The ''sociables." or tricycles carrying two per-
sons are particularly adapted to pleasure riding.
and are becoming very popular They can be
converted easily into a single tricycle.. An Eng
lish firm has recently invented a machine with
four wheels to carry four persons. 1t can be
changed to carry three, then two, and then
single person.
A NEW WONDER.
A new machine. called the "Otto." in many
respects like tricycle.. but similar to bicycle,
in having but two wheels, is. perhaps. the most
wonderful vet invented from a scientific point of
view. 1t has two large wheels side by side.
The rider is seated upon the axle between them.
and is in a very unstable position unless
he understands the laws of equilibrium. He
balances in the same way that pedestrian does
If lie is too far forward he presses with his for
ward foot to get back. The steering is very pc
crlliar. Both wheels are driven by steel bands
at the same speed When the rider desires to
turn he lOosens one of the bands, which frees
tine corresponding wheel. If he touches it with
the brake. or drives the other wheel ahead it
VIII lag behind and the machine will turn. 1t is
even possible to make one wheel 90 forward and
the other to go backward at the same time
when the machine will spin like a top within
circle of yard i'll diameter.
Cyclists are apt to drop the lengthy names of
their machines and adopt something shorter and
easier spoken. bicycle is called bike" OF
wheel or wreck" The tricycle. goes by
the name OF 'trike, and sociable is called
SOC"