Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-08-04

The Joys Known to People who Go
Touring ON Bicycles.

The joys Known 20 People who Go
Touring ON Bicycles.
PLEASANT JOURNEYS TAKEN BY wHEELNEN FROM
THIS CITY-A TOURISTS oUTFIT-wHAr IT COSTS rC
GO on A TRIP-THE DELIGHTS OF THE COUNTRY
ROAD.
A STAR reporter and his friend, the philosopher,
road, mile or so above West Washington. 1t wal
Sunday; so the reporter was resting. A party OF
| eight or ten swept by over the macadamized road
They were on wheels or ION castors" as the boys
say and the wheels represented pretty nearly all
styles OF machines known TO cyclists In the lead
were q couple mounted on safety bicycles One
was a woman, tall, straight, robust, graceful,
Juno-like, who rode with an ease OF movement
that showed that bicycling was a delight 70 her.
Then there was tandem tricycle., with woman
In front and man sitting behind doing most Of
the hard work; an upright or 'vertical fork" ma
chine bestridden by long-legged young
man In Knlckerbocker breeches; 'Star, "
with the little wheel In front, hidden
| by rotund young man, whose short round legs
pumped up and down rapidly 70 keep pace with
| at the end OF the line another couple, man and
| woman on safety machines II may be necessary
TO say for the Information OF the uninitated that
the name ''safety" Is applied TO the low wheels,
worked with pedals and chain attachment, that
have become so common during the past year or
| two. They are called 'safety" because the rider
| Is not liable TO take ':header.D Then, as every
| man who rides one or them has been told sew raj
times day for the past year or two. by persons
who suppose the idea an entirely novel and origi-
nal one the rider is so near the ground that II he
falls of he cannot hurt himself much. That is a
view OF II that seems to first strike everyone who
inspect one OF these machines.
BOUND FOR A SUMNER OUTING
The party OF wheelmen and wheelwomen,
mounted as described, whirled by, starting up
little clouds of white dust from the road. On the
| front or the rear, or somewhere about each ma
chine. was strapped or swung bundle. newspa,
that suggested sandwiches and sardlneS. They
were bound for Sunday outing at Cabin John
Bridge. AS they approached the vanishing point
in the perspective Juno In front, appeared no
longer 10 be riding wheel The wheel could not
be seenLonly The erect nggre, that seemed to glide
Ing rythmicaly IN wayy lines OF beauty as In q
measured dance.
THE PHILOSOPHERS REMARKS
suppose" said the philosopher slowly, when
the cavalcade or cyclade had so far vanished that
the vision Of grace in front no longer distracted
his sober thoughts suppose that some modern
Rip Van Wrinkle appeared. Suppose man had
been buried In the wt.dS OF Africa for dozen
years, cut on from all communication with the
civilized world, wouldn't that be an astonishing
sight for him?'
"You mean the nne-looking one in front9"
"No, no. said the philosopher, little irrtated
by the reporters stupidity. AS IL was Sunday and
the reporter was resting he had left the acuteness
OF perception necessary 10 his usual employments
OF people gliding along that way. IL is something
approaching what Bulwer describes In The CON-
ng love- 20 ON contTy
now l SEE women, too, gliding along swiftly, as
olthe as larks and with as easy motion. Wouldn't
IL astonish the man who had been asleep while
this thing has been developing? And, pray, what
will II come TO dozen years hence?"
The philosopher did not want an answer. His
question, though spoken aloud, was addressed to
himself. He was interviewing himself as 1t were,
and he fell into day dream as he figured out an
answer In his mind and nearly fell on the fence.
TOURS AND TOURISTS.
The reporter at his first opportunity visited a
haunt frequented by wheelmen to learn something
wheelmen 60 who take outings; what the degree
OF pleasure Is that they enjoy, and generally now
the delights OF the wheel compare with the slower
pleasures afoot. There were three wheelmeo
there-all veterans. They sat in a coy little
room. one OF them, who was the cher spOkes-
man, cheerfully submitted to the questions Of the
reporter.
There are no end of tours that one can take, I"
he said. "He could go around the world as ThOa
Stevens did. He could go anywhere, VIII re there
are decent roads"
"But say he wanted to take a week Of wheeling7"
suggested the reporter.
"Perhaps the favorite route for a weeks tour
from this city is down the Shenandoah Valley
with its famous limestone pike" said the wheel
man. "Wheelmen come from all over the coun-
next week from Round Hill, Va, go through
Suckers Gap TO Berryville, distance OF IL miles
over road that is ridable but billy; thence they
will wheel TO Winchester, 10 miles a way, on a
good road. At Winchester they Will strike the
celebrated Shenandoah. They can 20 south from
there to Luray, staunton, Lexington, and the Ma
| and Hagerstown, 10 miles, and from Hagsrstown
to Frederick, % miles. In wheeling from Hagers-
\ town to Frederick they would cross the south
Mountain and the CatOctin Mountain, having
some walking TO do going up, for which they
| would be compensated by The grand coast down
the other side. All these roads are fine. From
Frederick they would return TO Washington, dis
! lance OF % miles over fairly good road, which
they would accomplish in a day."
show would they come from Frederick"
"Why by way OF Newmarket TO R1dgeville, Da-
| mascus, and Mechanicsville, and home Or they
| way Of Gaithersburg and Rockville. From CATH
erSourg the road TO Frederick lies through ClarkS-
burg, Hyattstown, and Urbana. This Is much
shorter road, and that portion between Gathers
burg and Clarksburg Is fine You can go 10 Phila-
delphia, making The trip easily in three days.
would advise you though to start from Baltimore.
There are few inviting roads south from Washing
| ton, but you can 60 north In any direction"
on the walls OF the little room were tackled up
some postal cards from a couple Of wheelmen OF
the city, who, starting from Columbia, Pa, were
| on their way across Pennsylvania TO Port Jervis
| whence they were going up the Hudson, one OF
them intending TO cross New England TO Boston.
These cards gave concise records OF each DAYS
| progress noting that the wheelmen were retarded
the way by ruts or too many pretty girls other
| incidents Of the trip.
| WHAT IT WOULD COST.
| "a bicycle trip" said the wheeman, "would
| cost for necessary expenses about &c a day. II
you stop at a country house you get meal for q
quarter and lodging for half dollar; II you 20 on
10 the town you pay 80 cents, perhaps, for q meal
and dollar for your room at night. 1t is the ex.
| perience OF all wheelmen, think, that they are
treated well at farIl houses where they apply. As
| q rule wheelmen are gentlemanly, and when they
| approach a farmhouse In gentlemanly way they
/ are well received"
.'Then 1 suppose there are short runs around
/ Washington" said the reporter.
| "There Is good road TO Marlboro most OF
\ which Is In splendid condition" said the wheel.
| man. 1.-The members OF the Capital Club made q
| run there sunday. The road is good except the
last four or five miles, at the Marlboro end The
| some nice Views on 1t. 1t Is a pleasant ride &c
Ashton, Nd, by way OF the Mechanicsville OF
| Norwood pike. You can go also by way of the
| Colesville pike, which Is now In bad condition
| Another inviting ride Is To Rockville by way OF
NOrbeck or Brookv1lle, returning by Onutt's cross
| roads TO the Conduit road.
| 1.-THE Capital CLUB wheelmen are going to make
| run TO Fairfax Court-House, Va. Early this sea
| son they went TO Vienna, Va. They also went one
| sunday a few weeks ago To the Bull Run battle
Held, going by way OF Centreviile. A short run 1!
| to Falls Church, Va The road Is not very good
| A man came In here this morning who said he haf
| ridden in from Falls Churchill is down grade THU
| way-in forty-two minutes. All about the cit1
there pleasant places to go for short rides Ont
| can 60 out by one road and come back by another
| A nice ride Is to Bladensburg. One can make
pleasant two days run 10 Gettysburg or Pen Ma
over good roads.
| "When wheelman strikes road not well know
he makes notes OF the distances the character an,
condition OF the roads, the grades and other In
| formation OF value 10 wheelmen, and all this In
| formation Is compiled and published each year Il
the road book. The Capital Club In this city ha
| mad 1875 N IN cal a Ia