Wichita eagle., 1888-06-10
LADY TRICYCLERS.
HOW WASHINGTON WOMEN RIDE
The WHEELED STEEDS.

ing City in the worId-Three Hundred
Women Who Own Tricycles-Of All
Shapes and Sizes
Washington is the finest wheeling city in
the world Its streets are of black asphalt,
as smooth as floor, and there are miles
upon miles of them They are tie widest
streets, taking them as whole of any city in
the United States, and one can ride here 279
miles through these streets and not go outside
OF the city or over the same ground twice.
Thisis further than from " Washington 20 New
York The result is, Washington has more
wheelmen, perhaps, than any other city OF
its size in the United States. There are
about 1000 riders Of machines of one Kind or
another here, and 5000 men own BICYCLES.
Putting the average price of these bicycles at
SlO0 apiece, there are $500. 900 invested in
bicycles here, and the beauty Of Washington
is that the riding goes on winter and summer,
year in and year out. a snow lasts in Wash
ington never more than two or three DAYS
Tie black asphalt draws the rays Of the sun,
and it may rain this morning and the streets
will be as dry as Il bone this evening There
is no mud, and man may ride his wheel in
his Sunday clothes.
AS to the street area of Washington, It is
larger in proportion to its size than that of
any other city in the world Forty-oae per
cent Of the whole of Washington IS made
up of streets, while New York hiss only IS
per cent, Berlin 20 per cent, and Paris and
London have each about . per cent Of
streets In addition TO this the suburbs of
W ashingtcn are of macadamized roads and
there are hundred historic points to visit
4 turn Of three miles viii take you to the
presidents country home. Five miles of
wheeling VIII allow you to wander over the
bloody ground where the Bladensburg duels
were fought. Another short turn viii take
you TO Edgewood, where Mrs. Kate Chase
Sprague lives. Ii is only seven miles over a
good road to Alexandria, and if YOU wish TO
carry your tour further you can wheel on
down to Mount Vernon over the same road
that George Washington daily Travelled on
horseback In the city every block has It's
historic house and every circle its statue
The streets are lined with borders OF green
yards, and the hundred thousand shade trees
OF tine capital make your smooth ride a pun
through perpetual park.
Belva Lockwood was the first tricycle. rider
in Washington. Now 800 women here own
tricycles, and tricycle. parties 60 out every
night These parties are made up of both
ladies and gentlemen, and one can rent
a tricycle. here just as be would a horse at a
livery stable. II he is a young lover be can
take tandem and put his lady ou tho front,
or soclable. and they can wheel away SIDE
by side The tandem VIII cost - cents for
the first hour and 50 cents for each hour
thereafter. and if the lover takes his de at
-,
rays the statues OF Washington. he cannot
but feel sentimental as he passes the OLD me-
di@vai Smithsonian institution, takes turn
by the ghostly White House shining out
through the great trees. or wheels about the
green plateau OF our magnificent Capitol on
on the hill Ii is quite the thtng now to take
your lady friends out on wheels. and there
are number o. little private clubs oil ladies
and gentlemen mere who ride several times a
week, and 90 Sunday evening the streets
nave more bicy Giles and trIcycles than car
rlageS.
Speaking of bicycle clubs. one of the finest
club houses of the city belongs to the b.
cycIers. and the Capital Bicycle club has a
membership of 100 young men. 1t has a fine
library, a gymnasium ard parlors, and its
handsome club house IS within stones
throw of the White House, Just below the
Treasury 1t is three story brick structure.
and the main entrance is a Roman arch On
the first door Is stable with stalls for bi-
cycles and these stalls are sits in the vain
scoting, into which the bicycler runs his
wheel TO hold it in an upright position.
There is a tool room here, and the club has
all the surroundings of a social organization
1t has good COOK and good larder, and its
walls are hung with photographs and
sketches of bicycle groups la addition to
this there is a Washington Cycle club, which
has thirty members, and there are number
CT small organizations throughout the city
Bicycle clubs are growing all over the coun-
try, and there are now more than e00o0
wheelmen in the United States, and the
League of American Wheelmen has II 900
members. 1t IS interesting TO see a club of
riders go on a tour about Washington.
Their leader takes the toughest roads and the
club is expected to follow him He viii go
up on a curbstone aud ride through cut up
vacant lots, and behind him in single file
come hundred men in knee breeches and
fancy coats on wheels
The various safety machines are fast driv-
ing the other machines out of the market.
Some of these are made in England and some
here. In them the two wheels are Of about
even size. They are much lower than the
other wheels and there is less danger in rid
ing them. As TO tricycies. those used here
are of ali shapes and sizes. and boys, men and
women have each their style. Most Of them
are OF such a shape that they can be used By
either male or female, and the business tn
cycle is becoming quite an institution in
80
have much delivering of small packages to
do use them for their messengers. and drug
stores, notion stores, laundries and boot and
shoe stores send out their goods by tricycles
Many OF them have the signs Of the stores
which own them on their sides, and some Of
the caterers carry out their meals on triey-
Giles, not kitchen being below the box Lac
basket, into waich the yiands are put
the government clerks use bicycles and
tIicyclss. and there is q private policeman
here who struts about in a plug nat at some
times and at others goes fying over the
streets OF Washington on as afety bicycle he
carries his billy 10 his pocket, and is ready 70
jump of and arrest man 81 a moments no
tee. Gen. Burney rides a bicycle George
KEENAN,, the writer OF the Russian articles IL
The Century, Is a bicyclIst, ard Secretary
Whitaey's children are good tricycle. rideEsA
The wife % one Of the leading officers % the
treasury department Is al enthusiastic bi-
c!vist. 4 number Of the newspaper CORE
spondents use bicycles for Tue collecting n
news, and Henry West, Of The Pos, has both
q bicycle and a tricycle.. One Of Toe first
correspondents 70 use bicycle was O. +.
Austin, If TIE Press Association. and J. A
Truesiell, OF The 81 Paul G!o0e. "a = steady
rider.
TIE members of the hOasc ard senate
would probably think i beneath their dig
nifty 70 ride On wheels which tasy work
rherr1seiras nrd - a -rrie rt..r rsrafsr n do