Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-09-21
FLYING ON WINGED WHEELS.
The Cycle Growing Washington Fad
English Versus American Makes.

Washington 10 the paradise Of the wheel
man, said cycling expert to q STAR reporter
yesterday, land there has never been a time
when this method Of locomotion was 80 popular
here as at present A bigger percentage Of the
local population rides the wheel every year,
and the ladies particularly, since the introduc-
ton OF the low style Of machine, with both
wheels the same size, or pretty near 1t, have
taken to the bicycle eagerly. Nearly twice Is
many women in this city use the bicycle today
as rode year ago, and 1t won't be very long
before the fair sex will make 1t their favorits
system OF exercise and shopping or business
DECENTRALIZATION. One machine Of the sort
speak OF will do usually both for the head. OF
the household and for the ladies of
his family; it will serve ~ a family
vehicle. You can notice for yourself that
business men here are becoming more and
more addicted to the bicycle. Look 81 the
troops Of solemn, middls-agsd fathers Of
families whom one sees riding with sober de-
liberation down town in the morning, or eoinr
home again q fgstfall, with big bundles sus-
front or behind. Behold the youths On r.oinr
mounts with spindle shanks and knisker-
bockers; how they multiply; and the small
children even agitatins The pedals OF lilli-
putisn wheels, emulous Of their sldsrs The
telegraph messenger boys, many Of them own
so. The companies pay boy who has q
machine two or three dollars extra . week for
the better and quicker service he IL able to
give through its aid and this amount will
buy cycle by. installmsnts, so that
the messenger has his machine soon
paid for by his employer and after few months
owns it outright. The Post Ofice department
has long found the cycle useful, especially for
collecting letters, and the signal service not
less so for carrying reports around and for
other purposes. The District government you
know, has number Of machines for its
inspectors. 1t won't be long now, am sure
before soldiers in the army are mounted on
wheels for dispatch duty and other such work
requiring speed az well 20 endurance not pos
sessed by horses. The project il already being
agitated by the War department: Some of the
newsboys OF Washington have wheels Of their
own, am informed. OF course, flying through
the streets on them. they can sell their papers
very much quicker than they could on foot"
81 have sometimes wondered" suggested the
newspaper man, ''how all these young store
clerks whom see cavorting over the asphalt
on machines worth $140 apiece can afford such
Injuries. And have been even more sur
prised at the number OF ragged boys, both
white and colored, who ride these costly bicycles
through the streets"
THE shop clerks are usually young men who
have nobody but themselves to look out for I"
replied the adept, ''and they purchase their
bicycles by scraping together eos for payment
down, and disposing OF the balance on the in
stallment plan at the rate Of &l0 or is month.
The concerns that sell machines are very
easy on such purchasers--they have 70
be, in fact-and payments can be
delayed for many months by adding liberal
interest. You see, not one man out of twenty
with moderate income ever has $40 In a
lump that he can call his own; but il 10 easy
GnnnOh n e. nh - IN =
out OF comparatively small salary, and then it
IL quite swell thing to own your bicycle. 1t
ID visible evidence OF wealth. As for the
ragged boys whom you see on wheels, they are
frequently riding errands for other people;
but often they hire the machines themselves
with money they have saved by boarding. their
pennies and by actual privation otherwise.
There are lots OF people like that In this world
cure luxuries"
vs But l being grssnhorn, can. make out
The patents mainly. The perfected ma
chine OF today representa- long string Of pat
ented improvement, each one of which adds
dollars to the price. Then, too, the workman
ship 10 OF the most costly description. The
competition in bicycle makes was never more
intense than at present and 20 far a. Washing
ton II concerned the American and English
machines are running each other very close
The agents for the imported wheel claim that
ING Auericeu bicycle OF tno 'oAloty type 10
heavier than the English and correspondingly
elumsier. On the other hand, the sellers Of
the domestic product assert that the machine
they offer is much stronger and better adapted
in point Of weight to general work; that the
brake 10 much better, attached to the rear
wheel, and SO on. As for the cost Of making
bicycle, in relation to the selling price, 1t may
be useful to consider the analogous fact that
fne forty-dollar sewing machine costs just %
70 produce"
II don't see many Of the high bicycles now
aday." said Ia. srAR reporter, with one big
wheel and ono little one."
mo, they have gone out Of fashion and but
few Of them are bought The manufacturers
both here and abroad have adopted the
Safety style Of machine, which il much mere
comfortable snd-though you might not i'm
agine it-quits a. fast on the road. This tyDs
OF construction represents the bicycle Of the
future and before long IL viii be very rare
thing to see one Of the old kind In use. II may
be that the cycle viii reach still further dsvsf-
opment through improvements yet to be do
vised; but think myssf that II now represents
an evolution wsll-nigh perfect and that little
- L. a. .