Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-06-04
WASHINGTON LETTER.
How Congressman Allen Made q Widows
Heart Hsppy-A Women's Bicycle Club.


Heart Hsppy-A women's Bicycle Club.
Special Correspondence of the Gazette.
WASHINGTON, May S1.-Rapresentative
Charles Allen from Lowell, Mass, is .
very young man, and he is also one Of the
most populsr Congressmen IN the House.
He is most obliging to lis constituents,
and ia always ready to favor them. He
has g camera, and hiss succeeded in tax
ing large number OF photographs for his
constituents, especially CT views about
Washington. He may be seen most every
morning in his red wheeled wagon before
the sessions Of the House begin, and he
always returns with some pretty glimpse
of nature, caught with his camera. The
other day he did very graceful thing in
his art. A poor widow in Lowell wrote
him that her husband, private in 8
Massachusetts regiment, lay buried
somewhere in the national cemetery a.
Arlington, ana that ever since the war
she had been trying to ge. on to Washing
ton to see his grave, but had never been
able to save money enough to DO SO, and
now she desired to kaow whether Mr..
Allen could not get her, IN some way, q
picture Of her husbands grave. Mr.. Allen
wrote back thst ne not only could but
wonld. The next time he drove over the
new free bridge which now spans the
Potomac between Arlington and Wssh-
ingten he went to the cemetery, looked
over the register, found the name ots2s
poor womsn's husband and the nnRbef
Of his grave, and then, walking through
the narrow streets Of small white heAh
stones, fnally came upon the grsvet4th
most picturesque portion Of the gy61nds.
1t was beautiful spot, WesF worth
photogrsphing for itself, ana Hr. Allen
succeeded in making En excellent picture
OF it. He sent the photograph TO the
widow, who was oyerjoyed at his kind
ness, and II women could vote in Lowell
for COngressmen 1t is safe to predict thst
Mr.. Allen could come to Congress for.tae
rest Of his life. But he is flretelass
fellow, and will doubtless come ss ofted
as he desires. -"
A few years ago Belva LockwoSd was
the only woman who would lde aown
Pennsylvania avenue on tricycle., and
her red stockings were a standing Joke,
among the curious watchers along the
broad street. But time works wonders
even in Washington, and the other dsy
some Of the we'll known beauties OF the
capital formed what they called the
Bicycle CLUB, and have determined to
strike out boldly on the two wheeled
persmbulator. There ere about thirty
members in the new club,
and SIS yet they do most of
their riding at night. both because
of public opinion, and their rather
awkward management Ct the bicycle.
TIE lsdies' bicycles are as moderate and
refined as the tricycles, II not more so,
but OF course are also much harder to
manage, as the rider has to preserve an
equilibrium, which is not required on the
three-wheeled machines. The girls and
women who ride them hiss invented
dress that they claim will do away with
all the objections which the most
sedste and rigid propriety might sug-
gest. 1t consists Of bloomer pants tied
down around the shoe tops, and flowing
robe which is good deal like Roman
toga, but is slit down from the waist
front, resr and at the sides, and reaches
down to within four inches Of the ankles.
1t is held together by some patent buckle
appliance ana by the opening Of spring
buckle can be adjusted to suit the wearer
How the appliance will act when one Of
the girls tumbles off the bicycle has not
been determined.