Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-04

pensated our i'll luck. We enjoyed three
days stoppage at Dublin, where we were
banq1eted by wheelmen in fine style. Our
next move was to take the steamer lor Liver
pool. Once in England the sun began to
shine. In fact, during the whole time of
our stay in that country we had but one wet
day. At Birmingham, where we we're hos
pitablv received, most of the boys exchanged
their wheels for lighter Ones
We reached Hampton Court after an
awful days ride. Several machines broke
down. After visiting the palace, we rode
into the town, and were delighted with the
reception we received. Hampton Court is
an important center for English wheelmen,
who gather there sin their thousands" on
their great parade day in the spring.
THE FIRST BICYCLE CLUB.
The first bicycle club, the Pickwick, was
started in London in June, 1870, but the
first great Hampton Court meet did not
take place until six years after. And wear
by year since, the meeting of wheelmen
under the old chestnuts at Bushey every
May has been organized by the Pickwick
Bicycle Club, who have taken the initiative
in the matter by virtue of being the oldest
club of its kind in London.
The great spring meet is at present held
public NAV see that bicycling comprises a
very large and important section of the
community. The riders hope and believe
that with that respect for power which is
innate in the breasts of the majority of En-
glishmen, the annual display of wheel
strength will induce certain amount of re-
spect toward bicycling as sport, which it
could not hope to acquire simply from tie
fact of few men being seen occasionally
riding about alone. 1t is wanted, in fact,
TO make the community of wheelmen to a
certain extent vast united body for mutual
assistance and protection.
One of the pleasantest incidents of our
tour was the lunch rendered us by the under
graduates OF Balliol College, Oxford. We
stayed in London nearly a week and sped
on TO Brighton, accompanied by a number
of local wheelmen. From Brighton we ran
for Newhaven, where we took the steamer
to the coasts of France, landing at Dieppe
The weather being fine and the roads bet
ter than what we had hitherto met with in
England, we covered the distance from
Dieppe to int-Germain-en-Laye, by way
of Rouen, in two days. But the route from
Nantes was heavy with dust, thick with
black flies, and head wind was blowing.
A FRENCH WELCOME.
NJ. de Baroncelli and some American
friends came up from Paris and met us on
the Route de Quarante- Sous, at a small viii
lage called Chambourcy, to welcome us in
the name of the cyclists of France: and-a
thing OF no small importance-to show us a
short cut through the forest of st. Germain,
which saved us going over about three Kill
ometres of the rough stone pavement for
which the towns of France are famous.
We dined and slept at tSaint-Germain-en-
Laye, and the following morning at 9
o'clock 1 gave fhe signal to mount, and,
one by one, nearly 80 cyclists rolled out to
the Hotel du Prince de Gales upon the
Place Royale. NJ. Corti, the Police Com
missary, had come 70 salute the wheelmen
of the "Sister Republic" and thoughtfully
presented us with a small French banner.
Through his kindness special permission
was given to our small army to ride on to
the splendid terrace and admire the world
renowned panorama to be seen therefrom,
with beautiful Paris and the Eiffel Tower
in the distance.
NJ. de Baroncelli led the way upon his
silver-plated bicycle; Mr.. Higgins, our
treasurer, followed with the American flag
flying from his handle bar, by the side of NJ.
Porten, flying the French tricolor The
rest of the party followed two abreast, and
thus descended the steep hill of LIE Pecq,
over the bridge, through the beautiful park
of LIE Vesinet, to Chatou, Rueil, up the hill
behind Mount Valerien, down into the town
of Suresnes, over the Suresnes bridge, and
entered the Bois de Boulogne At its en-
trance M. de Baroncelli and 1 placed our
selves one on each side of the gate and
saluted as the troop rolled through two at a
time. On past the old mill and the race
course at Longchamp and up to the Cas-
cade, where machines were stocked and a
light repast partaken of. While this was
going on, NJ. Porten got his camera and
took" the whole party in a summer house.
A BANQUET IN PARIS.
From the Cascade we were conducted
through the gratefully cool alleys of the
Wood to the Porte Maillot. Here we were
met by DR.. Minart, President of the Union
Velocipedique of France, who invited us
into the club room ana offered us cooling
drinks. DR.. Minart spoke few words Of
welcome on behalf Of the French cycling