Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-08-21
WHEELING IN WARRINGTON.
How the Glistening Wheels Have Be
come Part Of the Scenery.

WHEELING IN WASHINGTON.
How the Glistenins wheels Have Re.
come Part OF the Scenery.
THE BICYcLERs AND TRICYCLRRs-LAD1Esw WHO
| HAVE FOLLOWED BKLvA LoCKwooD's Elk.
AMPLE-THE ELEVEN HUNDRED wHxELNEN
! HERE.
Washington Correspondence New York Sun
| When Mrs. Belva Lockwood nrst appeared on
| the streets of Washington, some years before
| she was illumined By FameAs white light,
mounted upon dingy and rafting tricycle.,
| she was the object Of rather marked attention.
| But she bore undaunted the small boys jeers
| and the proud mans c0ntumely, ana cheer.
| fully trundled around the streets on her print.
| tive machine, which involved no small amount
| Of gymnastics aud brave display Of red stock.
| ings. Now, no doubt, she feels the serene self.
satisfaction of the pioneer as she sees the null
| titudes OF all sorts and conditions OF men and
| women who spin over the asphalt on tricycles
as well as the more risky and graceful bicycles.
| Indeed, on q pleasant afternoon to 60 down on
| and observe the passers for an hour or two re-
| minds one OF Ezekiel's visions OF wheels.
OF course there are all sorts of vehicles.
and potentates OF various degrees in low,
heavy carriages with lveries and jangling
chains. Comfortable family coaches with tat,
horses attached to spiderfy LOOKING buggies,
which run to an abnormal development OF
with colossal cigars and phenominsily black
| moustaches. In innumerabe more or less
stylish , eonye ;v youth is seen sporting
quite undeterred by the glare Of the sun.
In and out among them glance an endless
little wheel behind and two big ones in front.
or with little wheel in front and two big ones
behind, or with two big wheels at one side and
possible or impossible combination of three
wheels. Young men and old men, women and
girls ride them. On many Of them is 9 little
perch where the fond parent may take his in.
FAINT pride to ride with him. In the "sociables''
two girls may exchange condolences or Darby
and Joan jog peacefully along together and In
q tandem" he can look comfortably over her
shoulder and say what he will in her ear Many
OF the machines are new and shiny and glisten-
Ing, others look more business-like, aud others
still are wheezy and ramshackle old traps, that
creak and groan and rattle and look as ii they
their riders much satisfaction. One OF the latest
additions on the road is comfortably cush-
Toned armchair, with seat behind tor the mo-
tive force. This Is not often seen out in day.
light, but it is III great demand on moonlight
nights, and suggests unlimited agreeable posi-
6iiities The postmen on the outlying districts
gracefully blend business with pleasure, and
spin lightly along on tricycles specially con-
trived for them, with big, square basket at
their feet In front to hold the mail they are
bringing down to the Office.
The bicyclers, however, predominant, and
their drivers quite turn up their scOrnful noses
at the more cautious and conservative riders on
three wheels. There are eleven hundred bicy-
cleS ridden here, and among the riders are
army and navy men, clerks, lawyers and doc
tors, and even a few progressive clergymen,
who like as well as any of the boys to see on 4
clear summer evening the san set in q sea of
wind rush by them as they skim down stand
pipe. There are several clubs. The District
Wheelmen" are mainly-1 say it with bated
breathIboys. OF course, being. young, they
scOrntully repudiate the suggestion that they
are anything less than Methuselahs. The
"Washington Cycle Club" is another Organiza-
but the leading club, both for numbers and
social and cycling standing is the Capitals
to every one, and whose long cerulean stock
ings cover an extensive variety OF bad legs and
not few pretty good ones.
One OF their number has several times per-
formed the daring 1eat OF riding down the i'm
mense fight of marble steps at the east front of
the cap,o which a, has him the
achievement. Another careers airily over
town perched, heaven knows how, upon a sim
the laws Of nature, he disporis himself In IA
thousand vagaries. The club is building q pic
turesque house designed by an architect among
its members, on 18th street, just below AL
baugh's opera house, and opposite the monu-
ment grounds. Out of its wide arched door.
way the members proudly boast that they can
ride forth over more than fifty miles OF asphalt
pavement, as smooth as your paror floor, and
almost as clean and shady. Every member of
lUc CluD IcelS IL DIS Quty 10 go OOWn every Qay
and inspect the progress of this building, and
offer few suggestions TO its architect and
builder, who are by this time reduced to the
very confines OF insanity.
swiftly and Silently is the motto they wear
on their badges, and everywhere you go their
swift and silent wheels flash by you although
sometimes the silence is broken by a iurid ejac-
ulation from the startled wayfarer upon whom
they come too Unexpectedly. Occasionally
newspaper complaining that they brighten his
horses by shooting past them, or that they do
not ring bell or carry q light, but startle his
to get out Of the way But some irate bicycier
is always ready to reply that they don't ask
him to get out of the way; all they want is for
his way, and that the sooner his horses are
trained TO endure the alarming sight of wheels
going without horses to draw them the better
as the wheels have come to stay. The bicycler
reserves his curses. not loud but deep, for the
agitated female who sees him coming and
thinks she can get by in front Of him, and runs
forward a little way, and then changes her
mind and thinks she can't, and then runs back
a little way, and then vacillates, poised between
while he vainly tries to decide which side to 90
to avoid her. 1t is observed that the riders VINO
carry headlight as big and ring bell as loud
as locomotives are the elderly men, who jog
sedately along on their little ''Safetes' or "fa-
Giles, and wouldn't be likely to run down q
tortoise or even District messenger boy.
The wheelmen have jolly time on their club
runs, and long, leisureiy, golden afternoons in
the country. drinking lemonade at Brightwood
CiADluS OOOO nope anu Boone NIL. crossing
the Long bridge or Benning's on the Eastern
branch, seeing the sun sink red in the river as
they cross the AQueduct bridge to Arlington or
skim along the hard, smooth river road up to
Cabin John bridge or the Great Falls, feeling
the wind blow fresh in their faces as they dive
down into the shady depths by Rock creek, or
seeing the city lie white in the moonlight be-
meath them as they come down from George
town heights. But the wheel Is something be-
sides pleasure to many OF these busy men,
saving time and annihilating distance. Many
"a belated Treasury NAH blesses it as he scuds
up the avenue just in time to get in before 8
o'clock and avoid being summoned and repri-
manded unless he can show written excuse
from his parent or guardian. A good many use
them, and "a big room in the basement has un til
lately been set apart to hold the motley collec-
tlon OF two and three wheelers. since the car
pets have been taken up for the summer the
room has been filled with them, and great is the
wrath OF the wheelmen at having to stock their
carefully kept darlings in a courtyard, exposed
to wind, rain and sun. They do not receive
much sy mpathy, however, from the custodians
one OF whom, when appealed to the other day
was heard to inquire tndifferently of another
say, Jim, is thin min to kape their hobby
horses in heer?"
THE WOODLAWN FARMERS.
The Anniversary Exercises Held Under
the P0triarchal Trees OF WOOdlnwm